NAMPORT boss Bisey /Uirab has signed a N$2,1 million a year contract as the new Namibia Airports Company chief executive from May 2019 until 2024.
obtained these details from a report submitted by the NAC board to transport minister John Mutorwa yesterday.
The document, sourced from ministry of transport officials, shows that /Uirab signed a contract with the NAC board on 8 February 2019 to join the parastatal that manages eight national airports.
His N$2,1 million package includes a N$120 000 basic monthly salary, N$8 000 monthly housing allowance and N$7 000 for his monthly medical aid.
The NAC had to obtain permission from the transport and public enterprises ministries to pay /Uirab above the N$1,4 million a year its chief executive is supposed to get.
Documents show that /Uirab is also entitled to a performance bonus of 30% of his total pay, and a company vehicle at the level of a Mercedes-Benz ML200.
Other monthly benefits include N$10 000 entertainment and N$5 000 cellphone allowances.
He currently earns N$2,4 million at Namport.
Mutorwa wrote to the NAC board on 1 March 2019, informing them that Cabinet had approved, in principle, the decision to appoint /Uirab, but this depended on several conditions.
This includes making sure that /Uirab is paid within the N$1,4 million salary cap of a CEO working at the NAC.
“In the event, the nominated candidate (/Uirab) declines the offer, then the second-best candidate (Theofelus Mberirua) be considered for appointment,” Mutorwa said.
The minister gave the board up to 13h00 yesterday to inform him about the person they wanted to be their next chief executive.
The NAC board, through its chairperson Leake Hangala, compiled a report yesterday, which they submitted before the deadline.
The report said the board “adhered to and complied with applicable legislation and prescribed procedures, and acted with due consideration of its fiduciary duty when it resolved to and indeed appointed Gerson (Bisey) Uirab) as the chief executive of the Namibia Airports Company”.
The board explained that the NAC had obtained an exemption from Mutorwa and public enterprises minister Leon Jooste to pay /Uirab above the N$1,4 million since the parastatal falls under tier two.
According to the board, they would still have to negotiate with Mberirua if /Uirab turns down the offer. The board said Mberirua’s salary demand adds up to around N$1,4 million, including bonuses.
Hangala and /Uirab declined to comment.
“I will not conduct business through newspapers,” Hangala said. He denied suspicion that he was pushing for his business partner Mberirua to get the NAC CEO position.
Hangala owns the Hangala Group, which also owns a financial service provider.
Mberirua is a minority shareholder in HangalaPrescient, Hangala confirmed.
understands that /Uirab wrote to Hangala on 3 March 2019, explaining that he was willing to take a 10% pay cut at the NAC.
He asked the board to allow him to start work on 1 May 2019 since he initially committed himself to be at Namport until September 2019.
The decision to hire /Uirab comes two months after the board had agreed to appoint accountant Werner Schuckmann, who later rejected the offer because of the financial package and risks accompanying the job.
He was also aggrieved that had published some of his demands, especially that the NAC must pay him N$2,6 million a year to lead the troubled parastatal.
The NAC has been a hotbed for allegations of corruption, bribery and fraud. Seven people have served or acted as NAC chief executives since 2013.
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