The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee has directed the immediate reinstatement of staff under the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration citing contravention of law.
The officers including the former Immigration director Godfrey Sasagah Wanzira, former Commissioner for immigration Anthony Namara, former commissioner of Citizenship and Immigration Control, Nicholas Ongodia, former Commissioner Legal Services Ali Apili Ekwang and others were interdicted between 28th February 2018 and 21st December 2018.
Following their interdiction and placement under investigation, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in December 2018 appointed senior army officers to head the Citizenship and Immigration Directorate and these included Maj. Gen. Apollo Kasiita-Gowa as Director, Brig. Johnson Namanya as Commissioner Immigration and Passports, Col. G B Kambere as Commissioner for Immigration Control and others.
However, in his June 2018 report, Auditor General John Muwanga queried the over stay on interdictions of the Immigration officers saying that a review of documents contained in staff files revealed that these had stayed on interdiction for periods ranging from 4 months to 56 months.
Muwanga noted that the action was contrary to the Public Service Standing Orders and also exposes the entity to possible litigation which may result into avoidable expenditure. Public Service Standing Orders require that where an officer is interdicted, investigations should be done expeditiously within 3 months for cases that do not involve Police and Courts and 6 months for cases that involve Police and Courts of Law.
“I noted that one of the interdicted staff had written to the Directorate through his lawyers expressing his intention to sue for unpaid salaries for the period they were under interdiction. The suit intends to recover 1.5 billion as damages for the inconvenience caused,” reads part of the audit report.
While appearing before PAC today, Maj. Gen. Apollo Kasiita-Gowa, Director for the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration said that the matter of interdicted officers was beyond his Directorate and being handled by the Ministry of Public Service as a responsible ministry.
He however told PAC that some of the interdicted officers had been cleared. He submitted a status report of staff that were interdicted.
The report accessed by URN indicates that 14 staff had been interdicted and out of these, one case of the former Director Godfrey Sasagah Wanzira had been concluded and the officer retired.
The report further indicates that cases of 6 other officers have been submitted to the Public Service Commission (PSC) for lifting of interdiction, 5 cases still under investigation by the Inspector General of Government (IGG) and 1 case before court.
Kalungu West MP Joseph Sewungu said that the status of the cases cannot solve the query before the committee saying that the issue is a flout of the Public Service Standing Orders. He demanded the immediate conclusion of the cases so that officers resume their jobs.
The PAC Vice Chairperson Okin P.P Ojara said that the current Director Immigration should immediately write back to the interdicted officers to come back to work saying that the law had been flouted.
PAC Chairperson Nathan Nandala Mafabi directed Maj. Gen. Apollo Kasiita-Gowa to immediately engage the Public Service Ministry to have cases of interdicted officers immediately handled so that they resume work. Maj. Gen Kasiita committed to take up the matter.
Tororo South MP Fredrick Angura wondered what was to happen to the interdicted officers whose jobs have since been taken up already.
Amudat Woman MP Rosemary Nauwat cited a risk of tax payer’s money being lost in litigation cases against the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration since what is happening is a violation of human rights.
Maj. Gen. Apollo Kasiita-Gowa told the committee that the issue of interdiction was a concern to them as well and promised to take up the matter to ensure that the matter is concluded. He also noted that the officer identifed as Atwine Bahige who has threatened to sue the Directorate had been reinstated on the job.
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