Kwania RDC Urges Confirmation of More Than 100 Acting District Technical Staff

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Kwania Resident District Commissioner Richard Arikwanga Noon has asked district leaders and the Chief Administrative Officer to move quickly to confirm more than 100 technical staff who are serving in acting positions across the district. Noon said the long stay of key personnel in temporary roles risks weakening administration and could affect Kwania’s performance in the National Assessment ranking.

The RDC made the appeal on Tuesday during the official handover of office to the new Chief Administrative Officer.According to Noon, has persisted for many years and now cuts across several departments and service points.

The affected officers include the District Education Officer, District Engineer, District Planner, some Sub-County Chiefs, Community Development Officers, Head Teachers and Deputy Head Teachers. These are positions that are central to planning, supervision and service delivery in local government, particularly in education, infrastructure, community development and lower local administration.

He argued that a district cannot perform at its best when many of its technical offices are held on an acting basis for long periods. In his view, the situation is not good for Kwania’s standing in the National Assessment ranking, a process through which local governments are evaluated on performance and compliance in key areas of administration and service delivery.

The RDC said the continued existence of acting gaps may lead the district to poor performance. His concern was not only about the personal status of the officers involved, but also about the wider effect on planning, accountability and institutional confidence when public servants continue to carry responsibilities without substantive confirmation.

Acting appointments are often used to keep offices functional when substantive office holders are absent, transferred, retired or not yet recruited.

However,"when they last for many years, they can create uncertainty for both officers and the communities they serve"-Noon .

George Kakoma Akacha, the LC5 Chairperson of Kwania District, responded to the RDC’s appeal by pointing to a gap in the Kwania District Service Commission. He said one member of the commission is yet to be appointed, making it incomplete, and indicated that the appointment will be done soon so that the commission can be fully constituted.

The District Service Commission is the body expected to handle key personnel matters at district level, including recruitment and confirmation processes.

Akacha said once the commission is complete, the district will be in position to proceed with the necessary steps, including advertising job vacancies. He urged prospective applicants to make sure they have recognized documents when applying for the vacancies that are expected to be advertised soon.

Akacha also used the occasion to address claims circulating in the district about one of the officers serving in an acting capacity. He refuted claims by some people that, after becoming chairperson, he would not confirm the Acting Inspector of Schools, Milly Apudu, because she is the wife of former chairman Geoffrey Alex Ogwal.

The chairperson dismissed the claims as propaganda, according to the reporter’s notes, and sought to reassure the public that the confirmation process would not be driven by personal or political considerations.

William Owiny, the Principal Township Officer of Aduku Town Council, supported the call for action, saying Kwania District technical staff deserve motivation and promotion because of their hard work. He said it is because of the effort of these staff that Kwania is among the best 40 districts in the National Assessment ranking.

"The existing technical staff have already helped the district achieve a respectable position and should therefore be motivated through confirmation and promotion where appropriate"-Owiny said.

The appeal in Kwania also reflects a wider national concern. According to the RDC’s appeal, the Minister for Local Government, Balam Barugahara Ateenyi, has directed all LC5 chairpersons, city mayors and municipal mayors to ensure that District Service Commissions confirm acting public servants.

The directive is intended to help fill more than 800 acting positions across the country.