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POWERLESS: Tumwesigye before legislators yesterday |
By Milton Olupot
THE Inspector General of Government (IGG), Jotham Tumwesigye, has said the recent Constitutional Court ruling against the inspectorate’s powers, has put the Leadership Code in a state of confusion.
“In essence, the ruling is that the IGG has no powers to investigate certain officers who are appointed by the President. It has reduced us to only receiving declarations and carrying out verifications,” he said yesterday.
Tumwesigye, while appearing before the legal and parliamentary affairs committee chaired by Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri), said, “The ruling of the Constitutional Court has sent a wrong message to the public. The IGG now has no powers in the public eyes.
“We have stepped on so many peoples’ toes in Government and they are not amused. They will do everything within their means to see that the IGG’s powers are reduced,” he said.
The IGG led a team to present budget estimates for the year 2004/2005.
He said the cu
rrent
remuneration to his staff was neither commensurate with their contractual conditions of service nor with the risk involved in the work of investigating and prosecuting people who embezzle millions of government money.
The IGGs budget projections for 2004/2005 stands at sh2.8b for the wage bill, sh8.4b for non-wage bill, sh1b for development and sh1.5b for development projects, totalling to sh13.1b up from the sh8.7b for the last year.
Tumwesigye said, “It is true the ruling could have been on presidential appointees, but this goes to the level of directors, commissioners, public service appointees, RDCs, NRM Secretariat and others. This is a big chunk. So what remains for us to do,” he asked.
MPs questioned the IGG over his relationship with the Attorney General.
“The issue of you and the IGG going to court against each other is shabby. What did you expect the AG to do when the highest office goes to court to support people who are suing the Governmen
t,”
Matembe asked.
Tumwesigye called on Parliament to stand firm and resist the efforts by the Government to scrap or reduce the powers of the inspectorate.
The plan to scrap the office was demonstrated by what was sent by the Government to the Constitutional Review Commission, the IGG said.
MPs wondered how Presidential Assistant Fox Odoi executes his duty of briefing the President while suing the Government at the same time. Katuntu said Odoi should be summoned to answer such questions.
Published on: Thursday, 22nd April, 2004 |
