Ugandans have been left in shock at it emerged that an office attendant at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC) took over procurement on behalf of government, and handled billions in transactions involving vehicles and renovation of ministry headquarters.
Led by Mbarara City South MP Mwine Mpaka, the Committee on Trade, Tourism and Industry has been working on a probe over the procurement irregularities at the ministry.
It emerged that Tom Opio, an office attendant, took over procurement functions. Opio had access to the Electronic Government Procurement (EGP) system. He is also on the spot for conducting procurements which top ministry officials knew about.
Mwine Mpaka and fellow committee members were left in shock after they learnt that office attendant Opio did not only initiate the irregular procurement process of a contractor for the renovation of the Farmers House that houses the ministry at Shs6.2bn but also procured five second hand vehicles at a cost of Shs600m each.
According to the office attendant’s job description, Opio is supposed to receive and dispatch mail and ensure the safety of office property and equipment.
Trade Ministry Permanent Secretary Geraldine Ssali confirmed to the committee when she appeared before Mwine Mpaka’s committee that indeed office attendant Opio had user rights to the EGP system and that there was no problem with him handling procurement deals.
PS Geraldine Ssali explained that Opio was well qualified in procurement matters and that he had been asked to step in and help the Department of Procurement which she said was understaffed.
“Mr. Tom Opio, like any other users in every sub-department can all raise requisitions. Tom Opio might be an office attendant by title but he holds a degree in procurement,” said Ssali.
“This office attendant is a graduate of Makerere University in procurement and supplies and also has a diploma. This is a man who had potential but only that he did not find a job in his profession. So you may demean him but he actually qualifies to procure.”
But Ssali was quick to add that although Opio had user rights, he had not been authorized by the PS to handle daily procurement tasks.
Instead, this role was handed to Tom Acwera, the procurement officer at the time.
PS Ssali’s submission angered MPs who accused her of abuse of office as the accounting officer of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
Gaffa Mbwatekamwa (NRM – Igara County West) wondered: “Is the Permanent Secretary in order to confuse the House [meeting] that because the person has some books then he is right to be a procurement officer yet his job description is very clear?”
Opio swore that he was not in charge of procurements at the ministry. But Alfred Lapyem, the former Head of Procurement Officer, insisted that Opio was engaged in procurement. Opio was ‘involved in everything,’ emphasized Lapyem.
“When we disagreed on procurement [for the renovation of the building], I was struck off the procurement system. So all the procurements including the purchase of vehicles were done by Tom Acwera and Tom Opio,” added Lapyem.
The Trade Ministry procurement scandal came to light after Shs400m was spent on transporting documents from Kampala to Entebbe. (Read Story Here).
It has also emerged that things were almost getting bloody as a top official nearly killed his colleague for blocking his juicy multi-billion deal. (See Details Here).
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