Roads Board sacked

THE Roads Authority (RA) Board has been sacked after insisting on charging a senior manager for alleged corrupt practices, according to documents in The Namibian’s possession.

Manager of the Road Management System (RMS) Sophia Tekie was due to appear before a disciplinary hearing last week Monday to answer charges of alleged theft and fraud, but the hearing was halted on instructions from State House. Tekie was singled out as the main whistleblower on alleged irregularities at the parastatal, prompting President Sam Nujoma to appoint a Commission of Inquiry last year.On March 24, Works, Transport and Communication Minister Moses Amweelo apparently informed Roads Authority Chief Executive Officer, Justin Runji, that “there was an instruction to stop the hearing from State House”.But the Board was apparently unhappy with the instruction and registered its displeasure with Amweelo at an “urgent” meeting convened on March 26.”If no action is taken she [Tekie] will continue to see herself as untouchable,” according to minutes of the Board’s meeting with Amweelo.The Board then recommended that Tekie be suspended until the disciplinary hearing took place, and that an audience be sought with Government authorities “at the highest level” to sort out the matter.But four days after that meeting, all Board members received their marching orders.”I, as your appointing authority, have now decided to suspend you as a Board Member/Director of the Roads Authority until further notice,” Amweelo wrote to all RA Board members last week Tuesday – a day after Tekie’s DC hearing was slated to start.The dismissed board members are the Chairperson Nama Goabab, Lucia Hamutenya, Ailly Paulino-Hangula, Dr AH Kamupingene, and ET !Oweos-Oab.The Minister did not elaborate on the reasons for the decision, referring only to a Cabinet decision taken last year when the RA Board was asked to resign and was later reinstated.The Namibian could not obtain comment from Amweelo as he was said to be locked in meetings the whole day yesterday.Amweelo’s deputy Asser Kapere promised to return calls but failed to do so.Some of the dismissed members of the Board contacted by The Namibian for comment were surprised that the Minister had already appointed a new Board while they were still “on suspension”.”We just want clarity on the whole issue.We were only issued letters of suspension without any reason being given, now new Board members have been appointed,” one of the old Board members said, hinting that legal advice on the matter was being sought.”It’s not fair to be targeted as a scapegoat to protect someone’s clear wrongdoings,” alleged another former Board member.Tekie has claimed victimisation on the part of her superiors and apparently approached President Nujoma and Amweelo on various occasions for protection against any disciplinary hearing against her.The Board vehemently disputed that charges against Tekie were linked to the Commission of Inquiry.They reminded Amweelo that the company had taken disciplinary action against “others who like Mrs Tekie committed theft, fraud or other corrupt practices”, resulting in the RA dismissing two senior employees after the Presidential Inquiry.The Swapo Party mouthpiece, Namibia Today, claimed that the RA Board was removed following reports of a witch-hunt and victimisation of key witnesses who testified during the public hearings.Tekie was singled out as the main whistleblower on alleged irregularities at the parastatal, prompting President Sam Nujoma to appoint a Commission of Inquiry last year.On March 24, Works, Transport and Communication Minister Moses Amweelo apparently informed Roads Authority Chief Executive Officer, Justin Runji, that “there was an instruction to stop the hearing from State House”.But the Board was apparently unhappy with the instruction and registered its displeasure with Amweelo at an “urgent” meeting convened on March 26.”If no action is taken she [Tekie] will continue to see herself as untouchable,” according to minutes of the Board’s meeting with Amweelo.The Board then recommended that Tekie be suspended until the disciplinary hearing took place, and that an audience be sought with Government authorities “at the highest level” to sort out the matter.But four days after that meeting, all Board members received their marching orders.”I, as your appointing authority, have now decided to suspend you as a Board Member/Director of the Roads Authority until further notice,” Amweelo wrote to all RA Board members last week Tuesday – a day after Tekie’s DC hearing was slated to start.The dismissed board members are the Chairperson Nama Goabab, Lucia Hamutenya, Ailly Paulino-Hangula, Dr AH Kamupingene, and ET !Oweos-Oab.The Minister did not elaborate on the reasons for the decision, referring only to a Cabinet decision taken last year when the RA Board was asked to resign and was later reinstated.The Namibian could not obtain comment from Amweelo as he was said to be locked in meetings the whole day yesterday.Amweelo’s deputy Asser Kapere promised to return calls but failed to do so.Some of the dismissed members of the Board contacted by The Namibian for comment were surprised that the Minister had already appointed a new Board while they were still “on suspension”.”We just want clarity on the whole issue.We were only issued letters of suspension without any reason being given, now new Board members have been appointed,” one of the old Board members said, hinting that legal advice on the matter was being sought.”It’s not fair to be targeted as a scapegoat to protect someone’s clear wrongdoings,” alleged another former Board member.Tekie has claimed victimisation on the part of her superiors and apparently approached President Nujoma and Amweelo on various occasions for protection against any disciplinary hearing against her.The Board vehemently disputed that charges against Tekie were linked to the Commission of Inquiry.They reminded Amweelo that the company had taken disciplinary action against “others who like Mrs Tekie committed theft, fraud or other corrupt practices”, resulting in the RA dismissing two senior employees after the Presidential Inquiry.The Swapo Party mouthpiece, Namibia Today, claimed that the RA Board was removed following reports of a witch-hunt and victimisation of key witnesses who testified during the public hearings.