Nebbi, Uganda: Nebbi District councillors have called for the immediate transfer of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Dorothy Ajwang, accusing her of failing to implement council resolutions and presiding over delayed and substandard service delivery.
The demand was raised during the First Quarter Performance Review Council Sitting held at the district headquarters on Monday, December 22, where councillors expressed frustration with what they described as persistent defiance of council directives by the district’s accounting officer.
Hon. Brian Kissa, the male councillor representing Alala Sub-county, led the criticism, faulting the CAO for failing to ensure proper execution of government infrastructure programmes.
“As the district councillor representing the people of Alala Sub-county, I call for the immediate transfer of the Nebbi District Accounting Officer by her appointing authority due to failure to execute her mandatory roles, which has resulted in substandard works and delayed development,” Kissa said.
He further accused Ajwang of frequent absenteeism, arguing that her absence from office has undermined supervision and accountability.
The Chairperson of Production, Marketing, Works and Technical Services, Hon. Francis Owonda Omer, also criticised the CAO, citing alleged incompetence and defiance of council resolutions.
“Projects such as Ndew, Mamba and Atego Seed School have suffered. As the political arm of the district, we feel enough is enough,” Owonda said.
He further alleged that funds meant for maintenance of the 1.1km Kucwiny–Fualwonga road were irregularly diverted to the Kei–Goli road without following due process, and demanded that the funds be refunded.
Thatha Division councillor Geoffrey Thorwinyuwa, also known as JEF, said poor coordination between the technical and political wings had crippled the district.
“For effective administration, there must be unity between the accounting officer and politicians. In Nebbi, the CAO is rarely in office and sometimes performs roles reserved for the LC V chairperson,” he said.
Erussi Sub-county councillor Choo-thum Brown echoed the concerns, saying Ajwang had failed to act as a link between the political leadership and civil servants. “She is failing to oversee daily operations and implement council policies, creating a big gap between the political and technical arms, which affects service delivery,” Choo-thum said.
However, the Speaker of Nebbi District Council, Ongan Kisito, cautioned councillors to follow proper procedures in demanding the CAO’s transfer.
“As council, we must allow the responsible authorities to take the lead and follow due process. Acting outside established channels may cost the district,” Kisito warned.
Ajwang assumed office as Nebbi District CAO in July 2023, replacing Wamburu David.
Efforts to obtain a comment from the CAO were unsuccessful, as she was reportedly out of the district and did not respond to multiple calls by press time.
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