MP Alaso accepts PAC appointment

SUNDAY VISION

By Charles Etukuri and Paul Kiwuuwa

Serere Woman MP Alice Alaso has finally accepted to chair the public accounts committee (PAC) after senior party leaders prevailed upon her.

Highly-placed sources told Sunday Vision that Alaso had already communicated her decision to the party president Mugisha Muntu and the new leader of opposition, Wafula Oguttu.

Press reports indicated that Alaso, who is currently in the US for an eight-day visit, had rejected her appointment on grounds that she did not have an accounting background.

Wafula carried out a major reshuffle in the opposition shadow cabinet, replacing several committee chairpersons. Winnie Kiiza, the former chief whip, was appointed new chair of the local government accounts committee. Veteran politician Jack Sabiiti (Rukiga county) was dropped.

But some of the MPs, including Odoo Tayebwa and Odong Otto, went public rejecting their appointments.

Oguttu, in an earlier interview with Sunday Vision, said he has not received any official communication from Alaso, who is also the party’s secretary general, rejecting her new appointment.

“Neither the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president, Muntu, nor I (Wafula) have received any official letter declining her post. It is wrong for a secretary general to communicate on social media addressing people,” he said.

“Alaso is a long serving secretary general of the party and knows how we communicate. The party, through NEC, will convince her to take up the new role as chairperson of PAC, a position we consider serious,” he added.

Wafula said Alaso would be advised to take on the task, adding that in case she had feared, as the press had reported, he would back her up with professional accountants to accomplish her new task.

“The party will beef up her committee with members experienced in accountancy and public service management to scrutinise and analyse issues in the audit reports, so she should not get worried,” Wafula said.

Wafula also said former LOP and PAC chairman, Nandala Mafabi, (Budari West) had accepted to be part of the PAC team.

The former chairperson local government accounts committee, also former PAC vice-chairperson, Jack Sabiiti, had also accepted. The others who had accepted included Oddo Tayebwa, who was appointed new chair of the parliamentary pensions.

“The opposition NEC talked to Tayebwa and convinced him to accept his new appointment. We recognised he suitably can work well in that field,” Wafula added.

Tayebwa had said his competencies were higher than what he had been given.
 

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Serere Woman MP Alice Alaso rejects PAC appointment