Bernard Ogwel’s era as the National Council of Sports (NCS)’s chief accounting officer could come to a drastic end according to instructions from the Ministry of Finance permanent secretary Ramathan Ggoobi.
Citing section 11 (2) (g) of the Public Finance Management Act 2015 (as amended), Ggoobi, in his July 25 letter, which Daily Monitor has seen, said: “Based on the recommendations from the Auditor General and Internal Auditor General for FY 2024/25, the current Accounting Officer, Dr. Bernard Ogwel, is ineligible to continue executing this role.”
Ogwel joined NCS in 2017 as assistant general secretary to Nicholas Muramagi. When Muramagi was decapitated by a motor accident in late 2018, Ogwel became acting general secretary until he assumed full responsibility in April 2021 to-date.
However, Ggoobi’s directive did not mention the fate of Ogwel’s general secretary position.
NCS General Secretary Patrick Ogwel. PHOTO/COURTESY
In response, NCS chairman Ambrose Tashobya, in a July 30 letter said he convened a special meeting in which the Council resolved to: seek further clarification and more information “from you on the issues raised by the Auditor General and the Internal Auditor General for FY 2024/25; “draw your attention to the provision of Section 39 (3) of the National Sports Act Cap 151 which states “The General Secretary shall be the Accounting Officer of the Council.”
The council also resolved: “To request that this matter be formally drawn to the attention of the First Lady/Minister of Education and Sports for further guidance given the centrality of the Government projects currently being executed by the National Council of Sports and that the General Secretary of the Council be re-instated as the Accounting Officer for FY 2024/2025.”
2017: Assistant general secretary
2018: Acting general secretary
2021: Substantive general secretary
