IGG lifts order on appointment of NCHE boss

By Umaru Kashaka

KAMPALA - The Inspector General of Government (IGG) has given the minister of education and sports a go-ahead with the appointment of the new executive director of National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) following allegations of tribalism in the recruitment process.

This was disclosed Thursday by NCHE’s senior legal officer, Faridah Bukirwa, during a meeting to discuss the education’s ministerial policy statement for the financial year 2013/2014 with the parliamentary committee on education and sports.

“I would like to inform you that IGG yesterday [Wednesday] lifted an order against the appointment of new NCHE executive director and now the onus is on the appointing authority [the minister] to do the needful,” Bukirwa informed the committee.

The committee was chaired by Mityana Woman MP, Sylvia Namabidde.

The legal officer pointed out that during the interviews for the job, Prof Moses Golola, also acting executive director, was ranked with 66% against Prof Opuda-Asibo’s 64%.

But education minister Jesca Alupo, she said, refused to approve the former, insisting that more than one name be submitted to her.

Bukirwa was responding to MP Namabidde’s query of whether the committee was meeting the right officials from NCHE.

In a letter dated July 12, the IGG, Justice Irene Mulyagonja stopped the appointment of the new executive director, pending inquiries into the alleged unfair recruitment.

She had stated: “You are hereby directed not to appoint the executive director for NCHE until you inform this office [IGG] of what has transpired so far in the process of recruitment, or until this office has completed investigations into the allegations.”

The directive came against a backdrop of tribalism allegations into the recruitment process, raised by a section of NCHE staff who pointed fingers at the appointing authority.

The position fell vacant early this year following the retirement of Prof Abdul Kasozi.