Transparency International Zambia has given Youth and Sport Permanent Secretary Agness Musunga a 72 hours notice to take appropriate action on well documented evidence of public funds wastage taking place at the National Youth Development Council (NYDC) which she has been fully aware of from 18th August 2014 when TIZ officially notified her in writing.
The ultimatum is contained in a letter dated 22nd June 2015 received by her office on 23rd June 2015.
TIZ said in the letter that it is quite sure that the PS is fully aware of her full roles and responsibilities as stipulated in the Public Finance Act of 2004.
TIZ said it had informed the PS that its role is to protect public resources from abuse and wastages. TIZ in the letter confirmed that in August 2014, it wrote to the PS and held a meeting with her and her Directors at which TIZ confirmed that there was public funds misuse at the NYDC.
The PS confirmed to TIZ that the Auditor General’s office was undertaking an audit and the PS would give TIZ accepts of the report within a week.
TIZ said it is aware that on 21st November 2014, the Auditor General’s office submitted the audit findings at NYDC to the PS which confirmed the contents of the earlier TIZ letter dated 18th August 2014.
[pullquote]the whole budget was applied towards the payment of the council Chairman’s allowances[/pullquote]
TIZ said it is also aware that over 6 Board members resigned from NYDC following the 2014 TIZ revelations on irregularities cited. TIZ informed the PS that among the Auditor Generals findings and TIZ’s earlier reports are as that the NYDC was involved in double payments to its Chairperson Saviour Chishimba amounting to K153, 134.41 which the Auditor General’s Office report have clearly stated that this was wasteful expenditure.
The report clearly shows that the total budget for the financial year ending December 31st 2014 for Board meetings was K154, 710. The report notes that the whole budget was applied towards the payment of the council Chairman’s allowances totaling K153, 134.41 (K95, 384.41 daily subsistence allowances and K57, 750 sitting allowances). That a total of K294, 596.37 representing 30% of the funds released to NYDC were applied on Dr Chishimba’s expenses against a Board Meetings budget of K154, 710.
‘You will recall that in our letter of 18th August 2014 to you, we provided you with evidence alleging that over 32% of the NYDC funding received for seven months from January to July in 2014 had been spent on Dr Chishimba totaling K102, 000.00 and subsistence allowances totaling K120, 564.91. 4. That contrary to Treasury and Financial management Circular no. 8 of 2012, the NYDC overpaid Dr Chishimba,’
the letter read.
‘The Audit report notes as we had already reported to your office, that contrary to Section 13(2) of the Youth Act which provides that the Secretary of the Council shall be responsible for the administration of the day to day affairs of the Council, from November 2013 to August 2014, the Chairman undertook the roles of the Council Secretary who was supposed to be the Chief Executive Officer of the Council.’
TIZ noted that in the 1 hour 30 minutes meeting held with the PS and her several directors on Friday 19th June 2015, she requested for more time to attend to the matters raised. TIZ informed the PS that it would give her a 48 hour ultimatum to act on the findings but she requested for more time.
TIZ clearly pointed out during the meeting that her continued failure on her part as Controlling Officer to act on the reports from NYDC would compel TIZ to demand that the appointing authority in this case the Republican President should dismiss her for her failure to act on what was taking place at NYDC to prevent further public funds wastages.
In view of the above, TIZ in the ultimatum letter to the PS has given her a 72 hours ultimatum to take appropriate action as controlling officer to prevent further public funds wastages at NYDC.
The 72 hours notice takes effect on Tuesday 23th June 2015 and expires at 17 hours on Thursday 25th June 2015.
If no action is taken by her office, TIZ shall mount a vigorous campaign to have her dismissed as Controlling Officer for failure to act to protect public funds wastages at NYDC.
It is a sad thing indeed to see public resources being missaplied in such a manner at NYDC and yet the Controlling officer seem to be too comfortable with it. This raises questions on the capacities of these controlling officers particularly in the Administration . PF campaigned on a platform of employing professional people as Permenant Secretaries and District Commissioners but the calibre of of People currently ocupying such offces leaves much to be desired. They are even worse off than cadres. How do you explain failure by PS to control financial abuse in her line Ministry with pleasrure? TIZ we are supporting your noble cause and we join you in asking for Madam Musunga to resign on moral and incopentency grounds. Failure by a controlling officer to protect public resources is a sin
@ Maxon, the sad thing is that, this is the order of the day at all Ministries.I am yet to meet a PS who can confidently say their Ministry is clean
A whole budget on one persons salary!!! And we wonder why we don’t progress.And they feel nice to be able to borrow more money from the West to continue financing salaries for the privileged few…..Cry my loved Zambia.Salary should be tied to productivity not titles
But how will TIZ effect the dismissal of the PS whom they don’t employ?
Her boss at plot 1 doesn’t seem like one who pays attention to such calls, otherwise Davies Chama would have been long gone.
Stealing is an acceptable norm under Lungu’s leadership. Have you ever heard of anyone fired for corruption in Lungu’s government?
Nothing will happen to this accused person.
When citizens take interest in matters that affect them, sanity can steadily gain ground. It is a must that this alertness spreads to all institutions that get public funds. The Auditor Generals’ office needs to see that its efforts on accountability is paying off.
In Rwanda, where Kagame seems to know what is going on, the PS would have been fired already and perpetrators taken to court. But in Zambia it is “ifintu, fikaisova”.and you wonder why we are not developing
She must go! I am sure of that now that the boss is back.
Musunga has been fired!
Unfortunately it is the trend everywhere in Zambia. Town Clerks prefer compromised councillors so that they are free to misapply resources. Even in the mines although they are private entities, buyers are having a field getting bribes from suppliers for shoddy services. It is sad indeed
Zambia’s allowance and per diem culture is really gone crazy and must be stopped if this country is to progress. Senior employees just organise unproductive trips around the country and workshops, and just sit all day drinking coca cola and eating fat food; then pay themselves so called per diems. They don’t even implement what they learn at those ‘workshops’. It is ridiculous! This happens in every office from govt entities to NGOs.
I work in a multi-national company with huge revenue, bigger enough to finance Zambia. My job contract has a clause which says I will be required to travel. I have a company CC and when I travel the company pays for my air ticket, accommodation, food, car, etc which I have to account for on my return. But NEVER an allowance.
Saviour Chishimba is a very crooked fellow. The fake doctorate he has must have been bought using proceeds of crime. Another fellow to look at is his friend at OYDC, Clement Chileshe.
And then Chikwanda wants to borrow more money for such crooked activities for our children to sort out in future? The rot in PF is sickening, no wonder they are willing to kill to stay in power.
This is just the tip of an iceberg. Most of the funding for Govt Ministries and Spending Agencies go towards allowances which to me is wasteful expenditure. Audit reports have revealed misappropriation and misapplication of public resources year in and year out and the culprits have in most cases gone scot free. The bigger chunk of the USD 1.75 Million Euro Bond has been misapplied or misappropriated even before we start repaying the loans. What a sad state of affairs. As long as this trend continues, our country will not develop.
This is just the tip of an iceberg. Most of the funding for Govt Ministries and Spending Agencies go towards allowances which to me is wasteful expenditure. Audit reports have revealed misappropriation and misapplication of public resources year in and year out and the culprits have in most cases gone scot free. The bigger chunk of the USD 1.75 Billion Euro Bond has been misapplied or misappropriated even before we start repaying the loans. What a sad state of affairs. As long as this trend continues, our country will not develop.
If people will vote for PF in 2016, then zambians are foolish, worse than chimbazees in jungles
Lungu and his gang condone corruption, they are all at it. If the bosses are abusing public manee and nothing happens to them why would the subordinates not follow. Monkee see Monkee do.
The problem is also that the NGO vuvuzelas are all political. The pressure should be on institutions entrusted with ensuring that such vices do not take place: ACC, Auditor General’s Office – should be professional and prosecute officers accused of impropriety. Giving ultimata to the PS – the controlling officer to act, will not go anywhere (but it is more appealing from an NGO’s perspective). Camp at ACC offices until they prosecute the character (and let’s start encouraging participation of independent investigators) – that is the ultimatum that will work — and it is time if the powers that be are not doing their jobs.
Apart from the PS, it sounds to me like Chairperson Saviour Chishimba is no “saviour” and is instead mostly concerned with his own comfort.
Why not an ultimatum for his dismissal?