Ministry U-turns on border officers

THE Ministry of Home Affairs has changed its plan to redeploy more than 100 border control officers next month.

When the officers expressed their unhappiness about the move, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration, Patrick Nandago, was adamant last week that they had been informed about the rotation exercise since 2010 and that there was no turning back.He maintained that immigration officers do not have permanent duty stations and said the redeployment was the result of a new structure in the ministry approved in June 2011.Nandago’s office received several letters of protest from the immigration officers.’Your concerns are well taken by my office. Kindly be informed that your envisaged rotation has been postponed until 1 December 2013,’ Nandago said in a circular sent to immigration officers this week.