Abuja Mission crisis sparks queries on accountability

The Ugandan Mission in Abuja, Nigeria, is allegedly facing a financial crisis after its accounting officer, Mr Eriya Tusubira, was reportedly asked to return to Kampala.
The Mission accuses Mr Tusubira of being absent from his post for more than six months and exhibiting unbecoming behaviour. Mr Tusubira denies the allegations.
The High Commissioner, Mr Nelson Ocheger, reported that Mr Tusubira's conduct had caused delays in the construction of the embassy offices and staff residences, and mission staff had gone nearly three months without salaries.
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“The High Commission’s operations have ground to a halt. Payments for the Chancery project are behind schedule, staff have not received their salaries or Foreign Service Allowance (FSA), and essential utilities such as fuel, electricity, and water have run out,” Mr Ocheger wrote in a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' permanent secretary, Mr Vincent Bagiire Waiswa.
Mr Ocheger added: "I have taken the hard decision to withdraw the office’s signatures to the High Commission Accounts with Stanbic Bank IBTC and have instructed that Mr Tusubira no longer be recognised as the accounting officer for this vote."
The High Commissioner explained that despite attempts to accommodate Mr Tusubira after his appointment as accounting officer on June 15, his continued absence and behaviour led to his return to Kampala for redeployment.
In his August 6 letter to Mr Bagiire, Mr Ocheger said: “The officer only returned on July 17, for the handover, during which he refused to sign the report. He then travelled on July 23, supposedly for a meeting of accounting officers and has not returned since.”
When contacted, Mr Bagiire said the law does not permit Missions to choose their accounting officers.
“Accounting officers are appointed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act, 2015. There is no provision for a Mission to determine who its accounting officer should be,” he said.
The crisis has also allegedly affected the construction of the chancery. During a site visit last week, the State Minister for Works, Mr Fred Byamukama, learnt from the project manager, Mr Taiwo Olumuyiwa, that the Mission had fallen behind on payments, delaying the completion of the embassy offices and staff residences.
“We have a certificate that has been pending for over a month. We were supposed to be paid within 30 days, but that deadline has passed. The contractor needs the funds to pay suppliers and subcontractors,” Mr Olumuyiwa said, revealing that the outstanding amount is approximately $1.5 million (about Shs5.5 billion).
When contacted last evening, Mr Tusubira said: “What is the source of your information. Do you know what is happening in Abuja? If I had committed any administrative wrong, I would have been recalled. The matter is at a political level.”
In addition to Mr Tusubira's recall, the First Secretary at the Mission, Mr Stilson Muhwezi, was also prematurely recalled for redeployment.
Mr Muhwezi expressed confusion, stating that his posting was not yet complete, as he had six months remaining in his 36 to 48-month assignment.
In a letter dated August 20, Mr Bagiire informed Mr Muhwezi that he had been recalled "in the interest of service" and was to report to the ministry by August 26 for further instructions.
The turmoil at the Abuja Mission comes amid similar issues in Uganda’s diplomatic posts in Canada and the United Arab Emirates.
Last month, Canada expelled Uganda's High Commissioner Joy Ruth Acheng, declaring her "persona non grata."
Similarly, Uganda’s Consul General to the UAE, Ambassador Henry Mayega, was recalled last month for investigation following reports that gambling machines, shipped under diplomatic cover, were operated at the Ugandan Consulate in Dubai.
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