By Godwin Abedican

Arua

Following the recent recruitment of Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) by the public service in May to deal with the issues of shortage of substantive and acting Chief Administrative Officers across the country, around 11 acting Chief Administrative Officers who applied were successfully recruited as substantive CAOs.

As a result of the above, Arua district is one of the lucky districts to receive a substantive CAO, Nicholas Ogwang. Ogwang who has been working as an acting Chief Administrative Officer replaces Mark Jude Bukenya who was also serving as an acting Chief Administrative Officer for Arua district.

This comes following the transfer instructions issued for CAOS, Deputy CAOs and acting CAOs by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government.
In accordance with Section F - d. 1A of Uganda public service standing order, a public officer on posting shall be required to hand over office. The efficiency of the Public Service demands that when a public officer leaves temporarily or permanently there should be official handover of office and working tools.

During the handover and takeover of vote (810) office of the CAO on Wednesday 19^th July 2023, in line with the above, at the district council hall, the outgone Acting CAO, Bukenya, who has been serving in this position for the last two years while giving his handover report appreciates the leadership of the district as he identifies some challenges that his successor will have to start with, “For the two years I have been here, the management and the staff of the district, have been very supportive which I expect them to extend to my successor. In the course of work, we have been encountering some challenges.

We have decline of local revenue, inadequate budget provisions, failure to pay retired civil servants which has been causing anxiety among the senior citizens who served the country diligently, continuous challenges of data on the IPPS, declining personnel strength, challenges of recovery of some funds, we have also had issues of accountabilities which are always delayed and delays to submit reports which have led to poor performance. These are the issues which I request my successor to look into seriously. The district is getting a successor whom I know very well and knows me very well. If there any issues, we shall be in touch,” Bukenya said.

 
The outgone Acting CAO Bukenya giving his report
 
While receiving the new CAO in office, Alfred Okuonzi, the district chairperson appreciates the efforts of the outgone Acting CAO and calls for commitment from the new CAO to drive forward the district. “We worked with Jude Bukenya just like padlock working with a key, very well without any problems even up to the council. As people of the district, let’s walk with our heads up. He did not only serve us but I learnt a lot through the consultative meetings we always held. To the incoming, teamwork is the basis of service delivery to the people,” Okuonzi Commented.

 
Alfred Okuonzi the district Chairperson speaking during the handover ceremony
 
Having served in Omoro district as the Acting CAO for 3 years, Ogwang previously also worked in Kumi district as the District Personnel officer as well as having a 4years period with the central government in the Ministry of Public service.

In his takeover speech he appeals for unity within the district executive if the district is to be propelled to another level “I have had opportunity to work with people of high caliber. I am one person who believes in team work. My intention is to sit in a team and see how we can consolidate from the achievements and milestones which the team has already achieved,” he said.

About how he intends to do monitoring, Ogwang says, this is the key in service delivery, as he tells the technical team of the district to be ready to work as required. ”I come along with a word called “Sigiri” (a term meaning a local cooking stove). I can generate sigiri for you the technical team. When you don’t do your work and I am demanding from you that you do it, I always do that.

People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed and that’s my job. We know what to do as the technical team, but sometimes we just forget or we don’t apply what we know, then we relax and that brings us issues. So as office of CAO, we will always be reminding you that this is your role, you need to do it, do it diligently and there is a time frame. So that will be my role. Management and coordination and that’s how we are going to do it,” Ogwang noted.

  
Ogwang the new CAO signs documents of office takeover with RDC Okiswa (Centre) and LCV Okuonzi (right)
      
Presiding over the office hand over and takeover, Geoffrey Okiswa, the Resident District Commissioner Arua, called upon the District Executive Committee members to avoid taking work related issues personal “There are many challenges we are having here and one among them is the challenge of relocation of the district headquarters. 

The other big challenge we have is that of poor performance. Here we need to be very frank. We are not doing well as a district, particularly as a grandmother district. The performance results came out and our results were not good. We can change this together when we work as a team, but there are some people who take offence when you keep on reminding them of what they ought to do. Some people are doing what they ought not to do, and they are not doing what they ought to do. We need to be frank on this and we really need to accept criticism where it is necessary,” Okiswa pointed out. 

The outgone Acting CAO Mark Jude Bukenya now goes to Kyankwanzi district as the district’s substantial Chief Administrative Officer.

COVER PHOTO: Ogwang (left) receives office documents from Bukenya (right) By Godwin Abedican