State House takes over probe of Omoro ambulance driver
Abused. The ambulance that was used to transport bricks in Omoro District on Thursday last week. Inset is the number plate of the misused ambulance. COURTESY PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Situation. Mr Otto was on Tuesday interdicted by the Chief Administrative Officer, Mr John Bosco Akera, from work and arrested by police charged with misuse of government property. He is being detained at Omoro Central Police Station.
OMORO. The State House Health Monitoring unit has taken over investigations of the Omoro driver who was caught ferrying bricks using an ambulance.
Mr Goddy Otto, attached to Lalogi Health Centre IV in Omoro District, was photographed on Thursday last week in Lapinyoloyo Village, Koro Sub-county, loading bricks into the ambulance to his construction site.
Dr Jackson Ojera Abusu, the director of State Health Monitoring Unit, who visited Omoro District on Wednesday, said detectives at the unit will take over investigations on how the driver ended up using the ambulance for private work.
Dr Abusu said there was more to be uprooted on the driver’s behaviour, which has not only tarnished the name of Omoro District, but also the government of Uganda.
“We are here to investigate this matter to its logical conclusion. Mr Otto’s conduct has already opened a can of worms, we shall go beyond what the district’s eyes and ears missed. Otto should face the law and be arraigned in court,” Mr Abusu told the district officials during a meeting on Wednesday in Omoro District.
“He [Otto] may be saying that was his first time but it might have been his habit for the 13 years he worked in local government. There may also be someone in the district who could have been using him to do their work,” he added.
Taking action
He said despite the driver begging for mercy, he has to be held accountable and relieved from duty to serve as a lesson to others who might want to do the same or haven’t yet been caught.
Mr Abusu lauded the concerned citizens, who photographed the ambulance loaded with bricks and shared it adding that everyone must become a stakeholder in ensuring government properties are not misused.
Mr Douglas Peter Okello, the Omoro District chairperson, said the district will not condone such unprofessional conduct from civil servants.
“As Omoro District local government, I wish to condemn in the strongest terms the unprofessional, primitive, barbaric and the uncivilised acts exhibited by the driver in the misuse of the government vehicle as well as the noncompliance to the guidelines issued by the district technical planning committee,” he said.
He added: “We want the law to take its course on Otto; he has tarnished our image as Omoro District local government to the world. We shall not accept such to happen again.”
The district health officer, Mr Robert Ongom, yesterday said they are instituting mechanisms that will ensure increased supervision on civil servants in the health department.
He said they will make sure people engaged in unethical conducts in the health department are exposed and penalised.
Background
Situation. Mr Otto was on Tuesday interdicted by the Chief Administrative Officer, Mr John Bosco Akera, from work and arrested by police charged with misuse of government property. He is being detained at Omoro Central Police Station.
