NCS’ Ogwel and the underlying questions 

It is a week since the permanent secretary of the ministry of Finance, Ramathan Ggoobi wrote a letter to the National Council of Sports (NCS) chairman, Ambrose Tashobya.

In Ggoobi’s letter, he informed Tashobya that the general secretary of NCS, Bernard Ogwel, was no longer fit to be the accounting officer of the body. This was after the auditor general’s report that had actually found Ogwel not to have done well in accounting for funds under his docket. Just as Ggoobi, the auditor general did not disclose which funds Ogwel failed to provide accountability for.

However, although Ogwel was declared unfit to continue in his accounting role, that did not translate into him being sacked from NCS, which has created another bizarre situation. As it is, Ogwel keeps his job, although that should prove a challenge for the person assigned with the duty of being the accounting officer of the NCS.

How do they control the NCS finances while the person they are supposed to have replaced, remains around, overlooking them, and whatever decision they take? Is it not under similar circumstances, that after Ogwel was found unfit to continue as accounting officer, he should have been told to step aside as investigations are done?

Individuals that have previously been caught in related circumstances involving money, have normally been told to step aside. That was seen in 2023, when the Uganda Netball Federation president, Sarah Babirye was told to leave office for three months (although she has since been out for one and half years now), to allow for easy investigations.

That aside, Ogwel was right in the middle of the accountability problems that befell netball, and even though he faced counter-accusations of having asked for kick-backs from them, that allegation appeared to die on arrival. Every mud that was thrown at Ogwel did not stick even when so much that had been said about him looked compelling.

For example, asking Babirye to account for over Shs 400 million, yet she claimed to have received only Shs 186 million seemed like a smoking gun. This was followed by the inspector general of government (IGG) also releasing a report that stipulated that Ogwel had to account for Shs 100 million.

Yet, all that died out. The minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, did not call out Ogwel. Instead, she appeared to back Ogwel all the way since he continued in his job undisturbed. This appears to have changed suddenly, which has caught many by surprise.

The minister has continued to keep silent on the matter, even though Tashobya, in his response to Ggoobi, subtly suggested that she has the ultimate power over whether Ogwel continues in his accounting role or not. This appeared to be putting Ggoobi and the Mrs Museveni on a collision course. Nothing has emerged from it though, since then.

But the fact that the minister of Education and Sports has maintained her stance of silence, and not coming out into the media to talk, ever since the accountability issues first broke in 2022, has raised questions on whether she has decided to leave Ogwel out to dry.

One federation official, who preferred anonymity, noted that there have been a lot of financial scandals over the last couple of years that have involved Ogwel and some sports associations.

It should be made clear that none of those scandals have declared Ogwel guilty even though heavy fingers have been pointed at him. In light of that, it has been argued that the state will take its time to investigate without creating much uproar. Apparently, once they have all the information they require, they let the law take its course. Could that be what is happening to Ogwel now?

Previously, reports from the auditor general regarding these accountability matters have been called for. Yet, none was released to the public, to either exonerate Ogwel or declare him as guilty of fraud, his main opponents in all these issues, that included Babirye or Moses Muhangi, the president of the Uganda Boxing Federation.

Ggoobi’s letter discontinuing Ogwel as accounting officer of the sports funds from government is resounding. Perhaps it changes a lot as far as Ogwel’s clout is concerned.

But he, like many others interested in this matter, must feel like this is a checkmate on the chessboard, where neither opponent knows not what the next move to take will be.

jovi@observer.ug