Isaac Wanje, the Arua City Central Division Town Clerk has handed over the office in line with a directive from the Minister of Local government, Raphael Magyezi. He handed over the office on Monday evening following a letter addressed to him by Paul Batanda, the Arua City clerk instructing him to step aside.
On July 21, this year, Magyezi ordered the transfer of Wanje in a meeting with Arua City Central Division Councilors at the former Arua hill division headquarters. It came after the councilors accused Wanje of causing revenue loss, incompetence, and alleged failure to implement council resolutions.
“I am hereby directing the city town clerk to immediately transfer the division town clerk,” Mayezi said. According to the councilors, between December 2021 and July 2022, the division only collected 21 million Shillings from the more than 80 hotels in the division.
Paul Batanda, the Arua City clerk says that he received instructions from the Permanent Secretary (PS) Ministry of Local Government, Ben Kumumanya to relieve Wanje of his duties. He has since appointed Zubeda Shida Olekua to serve as acting town clerk.
Victor Lomori Vidal, the Deputy Speaker of Arua City Central Division has welcomed the decision to relieve Wanje of his duties and described the decision as timely. He says that he expects the new division town clerk to perform her duties to the expectation of the council.
According to the copy of the letter we have seen, Wanje will remain a default staff of Arua city as he awaits orders for deployment to a new duty station from the City town clerk.
Records from the Finance, Planning, Development, and Works Committee of the division indicate that there has also been a reduction in local revenue from the City Abattoir from Shillings 16 million per month to Shillings 14 million and street parking from Shillings 4 million to Shillings 1.5 million, something the councilors blame on corruption.
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