Gulu district education officer (DEO) Rev Vincent Ocheng Ocen has protested his transfer to the Omoro district. Omoro, curved out of Gulu will become operational on Friday this week.
Rev Ocheng Ocen has threatened that if his transfer to Omoro is not reversed by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), he will drag the Gulu Local Government to court.
Rev Ocheng’s name has been proposed among the names of civil servants in Gulu district to relocate to Omoro district.
But in a six page letter dated June 23, 2016, and copied to the District Chairperson LCV, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Members of Parliament and Permanent Secretaries Ministry of Public Service and Local Government among others, Rev Ocheng said he was ‘‘shocked’’ to find his name among those proposed to for transfer to Omoro.
Ocheng claims that the transfer was not done in accordance with the constitution, Uganda government standing order, the public service act and unnamed administrative instruments.
He termed his transfer to Omoro as ”forced” and a ”demotion.” He vowed to appeal to the District Service Commission.
In his letter, the Gulu DEO also warned that if need be, he will seek legal redress over the transfer.
He alleged that his transfer is connected to his principle of being transparent and hardworking, something he says could have not gone well with some officials in Gulu.
Since his appointment in August 17, 2006, Ocheng has come under heavy criticism from some sections for Gulu’s poor performance in the national primary examinations.
In the 2015, PLE exams results, Gulu district schools produced only 80 candidates in Division One out of the over 7,000 candidates who sat for the national examinations.
Gulu’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Dorothy Ajwang told Acholi Times that the Ocheng’s transfer is not a demotion since he will serve in the same capacity.
The CAO noted that as it is required by law, the new district will have to share senior staff for work to move on smoothly in the new district.
According to Ajwang, by writing a protest letter, it was an act of indiscipline by the DEO who is a head of department.
The DEO is expected to hand over office by June 30 to take up his new appointment in Omoro.
Additional reporting by James Ojok Onono
