District leaders accuse OPM officials of forging data
Dr Ezra Suruma, the head of Delivery Unit at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), announced on Tuesday that the government plans to install biometric machines at public schools and hospitals to monitor employees’ availability at work and output. Photo by Alex Esagala
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Dr Gideon Wamasebu, the health officer, Manafwa District said government should look into the root cause of the problem instead of treating symptoms.
MBALE. District leaders in eastern region have accused Office of the Prime Minister’s delivery unit staff of forging data on service delivery in hospitals and government-aided schools, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
The leaders said the data that officials presented showing improvement in service delivery in hospitals and schools during a regional convention for eastern region leaders on fighting absenteeism in schools and hospitals was forged.
“That data is doubtable. They have never visited my district and I don’t know how they got it,” Mr Kennedy Otiti Adhola, the resident district commissioner of Kween District, said during a meeting at Mbale Secondary School at the weekend.
Mr Adhola told head of OPM delivery unit Ezra Suruma at the one-day meeting that his staff, when they visit Sebei region, they stopped at one of the hotels in Kapchorwa Town and called concerned officials from Bukwo or Kween districts to come and attend to them.
“They signed the visitor’s books in hotels. Your subordinates are feeding you with forged data,” Mr Adhola said.
Mr Adhola explained that for any successful and creditable research, it entails researchers to employ various methodology, including seeing, observation and interviewing.
“How can we take their findings serious when they never reach the targeted area and population to see, observe and interview people?” he asked.
To be punished
Mr Suruma while responding to the allegations, said he will investigate and if found true, the implicated officials will be dismissed.
“If found to be true, those involved will lose their jobs because this is wrong and unacceptable,” he said.
rof Suruma said it is evident that government’s effort to provide quality service delivery in hospitals and schools has failed due to non-commitment of civil servants.
"Absenteeism and non-commitment among the civil servants is the main cause of poor service delivery,” he added.
