By Benjamin Epeduno
KAPELEBYONG
The Chief Administrative Officer, Kapelebyong district is up in arms against the District Service Commission over a job advert published by the New Vision Newspaper on Friday, 26th May, 2023.
The Job Advert was placed by the District Service Commission apparently without the knowledge of the Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Luubuka David.
Mr. Luubuka in a letter also dated 26th May, 2023 and addressed to New vision castigated the District Service Commission for what he calls an ‘irregularly irregularly published advert on page eight of the New vision titled “Job Vacancies external advertisement” adding that, the public should treat it as rubbish.
He asks the New Vision Newspaper to withdraw the advert saying it is only the office of the CAO that is mandated to sanction any media publication.
Luubuka Castigated the chairman district service commission Mr, Otim Herbert for unlawfully advertising for job vacancies without his permission.
Among the jobs advertised are; three Head Teachers, two Deputy Head Teachers, four Senior education assistants, 19 Education Assistants, one Senior Assistant Town Clerk, one Enrolled Midwife, one Information Technology Officer (ITC), one Principal Commercial Officer and one Assistant Records Officer.
“If they have been doing things unprofessionally with their own intentions, I am not a party to that” Lubuuka noted.
The CAO stressed that, since there is a countrywide validation exercise, the alleged advert is lawfully suspended until further notice.
“As a district, we are following the law, public should be calm following irregular advert. If we act outside the law, Kapelebyong will be like a briefcase district outside Uganda” Opio Emmanuel the communications officer told the journalists.
Opio said the Media Houses in Uganda need to strengthen their quality control checks to avoid such errors from occurring, adding that the service commission doesn’t operate in isolation, but works with all departments in order to boost the working relationship.
Recruitment doesn’t occur in isolation but its the definition of processes which different offices play and its only CAO’s office that knows the WAGE available for Recruitment.
Meanwhile, Mr. Otim Herbert the chairperson Kapelebyong district service commission on Friday 26th (same day) last week responded to the CAO’S letter saying the CAO’s letter has no legal basis and should be treated with the contempt it deserves.
Otim added that, the district service commission is a creation of the law and the article 200(1) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda As amended and section 55(1) of the local government act CAP. 243 provides that the power to appoint persons to hold or act in any office in the service of the District including the power to confirm appointments, to exercise disciplinary control over a person holding or acting in any such office and to remove any person’s in office is vested in the district service commission.
Otim also accuses the CAO of having deliberately delayed the recruitment process because he has ‘ring fenced’ some positions for some people he had identified.
“Furthermore, the Commission would want to clarify that these positions were submitted to the Commission by the CAO but he had ring fenced them for some people,” Otim’s letter reads in part.
According to the LC5 for Kapelebyong district, the two organs should sit, agree and recruitment must continue as they follow the law.
“I’m giving them their space to exercise their power and its healthy for such to happen because it allows the institutions to grow” Hon. Akorikin added.
