RA charges alleged whistle-blower
Employee raked over coals for speaking to media
The company's CEO said he is the only one allowed to speak to outside parties, adding that the RA's communication protocol ought to be followed.
About a month after the Roads Authority (RA) suspended one of its expats Teklu Adamu, the road agency has levelled several charges against him for allegedly blowing the whistle on a project that was said to be inflated by millions.
He was suspended after raising concerns to works minister John Mutorwa and the Engineering Council of Namibia (ECN) about a kilometre marker project without his employer’s consent.
He also questioned the election of Sophia Tekie as ECN president. Adamu lodged a complaint about Tekie with the council.
In documents seen by Namibian Sun, Adamu accused Tekie of gross failure over the N$12 million project she allegedly supervised.
The project involves kilometre markers for surfaced roads completed during the 2017 and 2018 financial years by the RA's roads management system division.
In a post-project review, Adamu said the cost of the project was inflated, with the consultant Element Consulting Engineers allegedly paid N$1.7 million instead of the contracted N$1.2 million.
“In addition... RA spent an amount that could not be established in this report for promoting the kilometre markers in print and electronic media after the completion of the project,” it read.
He declined to comment when contacted yesterday‚ referring all queries to the RA.
Five charges
Namibian Sun has learnt that on 9 October‚ RA communicated in a four-page letter its intention to bring Adamu before a disciplinary hearing on five charges.
In the letter, the authority alleged that he “wrongfully accused RA of implementing projects which you claim are technically and economically not viable, wasting public funds, compromising on road safety and overspending and/or inflating the said project price”.
He is further accused of bringing the name of the company into disrepute, an inability to work harmoniously with the divisional team, character assassination, false accusations against a line manager and unauthorised communications to external parties.
According to the missive, Adamu informed Mutorwa that Tekie was in charge of a project that was not successfully implemented and could not be at the helm of the ECN while she is investigated by the same body.
RA said Adamu has demonstrated that he is unable to get along with his colleagues and that he subsequently caused division, low morale, unhappiness and low productivity with the sub-division.
He is also accused of having betrayed the team and invoking incidents that were already resolved and to which he agreed had been closed and resolved.
Prove it
“In that on or about 31 August, you - being the senior specialist of the traffic surveillance division - intentionally and wilfully to the prejudice of your employer submitted unfounded allegations about Sophia Tekie regarding her supervision of the kilometre markers on paved road project to external parties such as the works minster, the [ECN] and Jemima Beukes of the media first without exhausting internal processes,” the disciplinary notice stated.
Adamu, who has already been disciplined by the RA for writing to Mutorwa, was also asked to prove his claims in a new disciplinary hearing scheduled from 17 to 19 October.
RA head Conrad Lutombi said he is not aware of the matter, but stressed that only he has the authority to speak to the media or outside parties and that there is a communication protocol that ought to be followed within the company.
“There was no approval from my side that authorised the person to speak to the media or the minister. The only spokesperson is the CEO. There is nothing wrong to talk to the minister as an ordinary person,” he said.
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He was suspended after raising concerns to works minister John Mutorwa and the Engineering Council of Namibia (ECN) about a kilometre marker project without his employer’s consent.
He also questioned the election of Sophia Tekie as ECN president. Adamu lodged a complaint about Tekie with the council.
In documents seen by Namibian Sun, Adamu accused Tekie of gross failure over the N$12 million project she allegedly supervised.
The project involves kilometre markers for surfaced roads completed during the 2017 and 2018 financial years by the RA's roads management system division.
In a post-project review, Adamu said the cost of the project was inflated, with the consultant Element Consulting Engineers allegedly paid N$1.7 million instead of the contracted N$1.2 million.
“In addition... RA spent an amount that could not be established in this report for promoting the kilometre markers in print and electronic media after the completion of the project,” it read.
He declined to comment when contacted yesterday‚ referring all queries to the RA.
Five charges
Namibian Sun has learnt that on 9 October‚ RA communicated in a four-page letter its intention to bring Adamu before a disciplinary hearing on five charges.
In the letter, the authority alleged that he “wrongfully accused RA of implementing projects which you claim are technically and economically not viable, wasting public funds, compromising on road safety and overspending and/or inflating the said project price”.
He is further accused of bringing the name of the company into disrepute, an inability to work harmoniously with the divisional team, character assassination, false accusations against a line manager and unauthorised communications to external parties.
According to the missive, Adamu informed Mutorwa that Tekie was in charge of a project that was not successfully implemented and could not be at the helm of the ECN while she is investigated by the same body.
RA said Adamu has demonstrated that he is unable to get along with his colleagues and that he subsequently caused division, low morale, unhappiness and low productivity with the sub-division.
He is also accused of having betrayed the team and invoking incidents that were already resolved and to which he agreed had been closed and resolved.
Prove it
“In that on or about 31 August, you - being the senior specialist of the traffic surveillance division - intentionally and wilfully to the prejudice of your employer submitted unfounded allegations about Sophia Tekie regarding her supervision of the kilometre markers on paved road project to external parties such as the works minster, the [ECN] and Jemima Beukes of the media first without exhausting internal processes,” the disciplinary notice stated.
Adamu, who has already been disciplined by the RA for writing to Mutorwa, was also asked to prove his claims in a new disciplinary hearing scheduled from 17 to 19 October.
RA head Conrad Lutombi said he is not aware of the matter, but stressed that only he has the authority to speak to the media or outside parties and that there is a communication protocol that ought to be followed within the company.
“There was no approval from my side that authorised the person to speak to the media or the minister. The only spokesperson is the CEO. There is nothing wrong to talk to the minister as an ordinary person,” he said.
[email protected]
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