MOH BOSS UNDERGOES POLICE PROBE AS NURSES PLOT STRIKE

By Our Reporters

Rebecca Nassuna, the Ag Registrar for Uganda Nurses & Midwives Council (UNMC which is one of the many entities under the Health Ministry) is being investigated by police for suspected fraudulent activities and transactions. Headquartered at Mulago, UNMC boasts of over 30,000 registered members and all nurses (both in government and private facilities) are mandatorily required to annually renew their membership by paying subscription. Nassuna’s criminal investigations by police were prompted by health ministry PS Dr. Diana Atwine who had previously obtained an internal audit report which showed the extent of fraud resulting into billions of the tax payers’ money being lost. UNMC is a statutory body created by an Act of Parliament and it’s therefore funded from the consolidated fund. It’s an independent vote for which the Council Registrar is the Accounting Officer. It’s the body mandated to register, enroll, oversee training and disciplining of all nurses and midwives in Uganda. Nurses and midwives are a very critical component of our health system because it’s them doing much of the donkey work in hospital wards with doctors doing supervision. Speaking of the impending industrial action by the 30,000 nurses and midwives (protesting UNMC mismanagement by Nassuna), a source said: “We can’t tell what is going to happen because these cadres are the backbone of the hospital system. The doctors [led by Dr. Ekwaru Obuku] whose strike paralyzed the country last year are very few compared to these nurses and the moment they down tools, the entire country will be at standstill.”

WHY DISLIKE NASSUNA;

Upon perusing relevant documentation (contained in court, audit and police papers), one gets to see why Nassuna is unwanted. UNMC members and board are angry her mismanagement has left the Council crippled to the extent of failing to pay staff salaries for four months. MoH Commissioner in charge of Nurses and Midwives Petua Kiboko Clobo, who directly supervises UNMC, says that besides failing to account for Shs2.6bn, Nassuna is also responsible for accumulated arrears in water and electricity bills UNMC has accumulated leading to rampant disconnections. She also says the entity can’t fuel its cars many of which are in very bad state all because of the Registrar’s mal-administration of the secretariat. She adds that Nassuna committed enormous irregularities when she spent billions of taxpayers’ money for the FYs 2016/17, 2017/18 and the 1^st quarter of FY2018/19 without basing on any approved budget. Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng wrote several letters reminding Nassuna of the dangers of doing this but the powerfully ageing lady simply ignored. Affidavits deponed by MoH officials show that Aceng several times summoned Nassuna and spoke to her but she obstinately refused to change. This prompted Aceng to instruct her PS Atwine to take some disciplinary action.

ATWINE SWINGS;

On 9^th November, Dr. Diana Atwine called a crisis meeting in her board room to discuss the rotten state of affairs at UNMC whose board and top management members attended including Registrar Rebecca Nassuna herself. In that meeting, Atwine referred to the internal audit report and the investigations conducted by Health Monitoring Unit (HMU) of State House. There was also the December 2016 whistle blower report to her as PS. She said they all indicated Nassuna was too fraudulent to continue holding office of Accounting Officer at UNMC. In her opening remarks, Atwine accused Nassuna of “misusing public funds and committing fraudulent transactions” and the board chairperson supported her conclusion that indeed Nassuna (a former nurse in Nakaseke hospital) was ripe for disciplinary action. Quoting from the audit and HMU/police reports, Atwine summarized the accusations against Nassuna to include spending billions without approved budget, acting with impunity, intimidating and cowing secretariat employees, concealing hand over report from her predecessor, arbitrary promotion of staff without doing any appraisal and failing to account for over Shs1.1bn realized in annual membership fees. The meeting was appalled to learn that nurses and midwives were being asked to pay direct cash as opposed to using electronic ways like banking the money. It emerged that this had encouraged fraud to the extent that much of the money paid in membership subscription ends up being stolen because it’s never paid in the bank. This is something Aceng had warned Nassuna against previously after concerned staffers reported it to her. The Council, which has lots of donor funding, has been accumulating and acquiring properties and assets but Atwine faulted Nassuna for making sure there is no asset register in place for her supervisors to keep track of these assets. In the same meeting, Nassuna was also indicted for paying Shs235m to M/S Horizon Printers without following procurement procedures. Quoting from the September 2017 internal audit report, Atwine also referred to the “unvouched expenditure” of Shs218.6m and another Shs191m to M/S Wave Media Graphics which auditors and HMU investigation findings branded “a fictitious” entity. Why? They were paid the money without any binding contract in place obliging UNMC to pay for anything. The two companies were ostensibly paid for supplying printing and stationary services. The audit report questioned why they were paid before delivery of any goods. There is another Shs15m paid to Paradise Hotel in Jinja for conference services. The cash was paid before delivery of goods which Atwine says was irregular. Nassuna was also pinned on the ShsShs1.1bn wastefully spent and itemized as payment for Uganda Gazette services. There was also another Shs1.7bn that was spent without following any approved budget contrary to UNMC Act. In that November meeting, Atwine (who was unanimously backed by all stakeholders present) asked Nassuna to defend herself showing cause why she shouldn’t be disciplined. She contemptuously kept quiet as if to tell the PS “do what you can.” Saying she had been instructed by her Minister Aceng to act and report back to the MoH Senior management team, Atwine announced she was suspending Nassuna to allow deeper investigations that would be aided by Auditor General and CIID detectives attached to HMU some of whom were in the meeting. She directed the Board chair to work with her office to identify a suitable officer to run the show as Nassuna serves suspension.  As she adjourned the meeting, the Board members proposed an HR Audit to ensure all secretariat employees previously involved in fraudulent transactions are identified and decisively handled. Atwine made it clear there was nothing personal, doesn’t hate Nassuna and stressed fraud and impunity would be punished even if those perpetrating it are her close friends.

NASSUNA FIGHTS BACK;

After the meeting, Nassuna (who it’s said intends to apply when the Registrar job is substantively advertised) plotted to frustrate any administrative efforts trimming her wings. She filed a Judicial Review application in the High Court on grounds that Atwine has no powers to discipline her (but it’s the Board). She also argued natural justice rules had been violated including right to be heard first. She sued Atwine and made UNMC and the Health Services & Midwives Commission and the AG 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th respondents. Justice Musa Sekana’s order reinstating her in the Accounting Officer position has since been widely criticized as interference in the exercise of Atwine and Aceng’s exercise of administrative discretion. The main application will be disposed in February and in meantime, Sekana decreed that Nassuna bounces back. As they await February, the MoH officials and UNMC are concerned that Nassuna can potentially access documents, revenge on potential witnesses and generally interfere with ongoing police investigations into dubious transactions. Her return to office was greeted by the UNMC Secretariat staff with apprehension and paralysis has only been escalating, something that has prompted the more than 30,000 nurses and midwives (who are UNMC primary stakeholders) to plot a strike showing their displeasure with her continued stay in office. Some nurses and midwives are questioning why court would force back someone already being accused of such fraud and specifically insist she returns as Accounting Officer. They also say the acting period can’t exceed 6 months yet Nassuna is now counting years as Ag Registrar. There is also nervousness that Nassuna could lobby and become the substantive Council Registrar yet she has only 3 years to her retirement. The health ministry has responded by writing to Stanbic bank directing that Nassuna be restrained from carrying out any transactions on the Council accounts. In her capacity as the Accounting Officer of the Ministry, Atwine has also ensured no funds are availed to the UNMC as long as Nassuna is in office. Nassuna maintains the health ministry officials, board members and secretariat staff have vendetta against her otherwise she is innocent. For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.