NIP hearings drag on
Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP) acting CEO Mecky Nghipandulwa has confirmed that disciplinary hearings into the activities of its five suspended executives are still under way.
The NIP in June last year suspended its chief operations officer Harold Kaura, chief financial officer Cleophas Mbahijova and chief strategy and business development officer Jennifer Kauapirura. This was followed by the suspensions of chief human capital officer Monika Pendukeni and chief technology officer Valerie Garises in August.
Former NIP CEO Augustinus Katiti was suspended in June 2018 and subsequently fired in September. Providing an update on the matter, Ngipandulwa said: “This is not public information. The process started last year and is in the hands of the lawyers.”
Nghipandulwa would also not be drawn into how the absence of the five suspended executives was affecting the NIP.
“I cannot comment on those matters,” said Nghipandulwa.
At the time of their suspension Katiti, Kaura, Mbahijova and Kauapirura faced charges of failing to protect the interests of the NIP and bringing the name of their employer into disrepute.
Katiti was also accused of approving a tender exemption for the procurement of IT infrastructure and the transportation of specimens from health facilities in the Zambezi, Omusati, Kavango West and East and Ohangwena regions without board approval.
Pendukeni was suspended for allegedly allowing three positions to be created in the company without board approval, while Garises was accused of allowing a tender for the procurement of IT infrastructure to sail through without following proper procedures, it was earlier reported. Public enterprises minister Leon Jooste had voiced concern about the vacuum created by the suspensions. At the time, Jooste wrote to former health minister Bernard Haufiku to express his concern.
“Experience has shown that the outcome of most of these suspensions is less than ideal, and to the detriment of the public enterprise from both a financial as well as an operational point of view,” he wrote.
OGONE TLHAGE
The NIP in June last year suspended its chief operations officer Harold Kaura, chief financial officer Cleophas Mbahijova and chief strategy and business development officer Jennifer Kauapirura. This was followed by the suspensions of chief human capital officer Monika Pendukeni and chief technology officer Valerie Garises in August.
Former NIP CEO Augustinus Katiti was suspended in June 2018 and subsequently fired in September. Providing an update on the matter, Ngipandulwa said: “This is not public information. The process started last year and is in the hands of the lawyers.”
Nghipandulwa would also not be drawn into how the absence of the five suspended executives was affecting the NIP.
“I cannot comment on those matters,” said Nghipandulwa.
At the time of their suspension Katiti, Kaura, Mbahijova and Kauapirura faced charges of failing to protect the interests of the NIP and bringing the name of their employer into disrepute.
Katiti was also accused of approving a tender exemption for the procurement of IT infrastructure and the transportation of specimens from health facilities in the Zambezi, Omusati, Kavango West and East and Ohangwena regions without board approval.
Pendukeni was suspended for allegedly allowing three positions to be created in the company without board approval, while Garises was accused of allowing a tender for the procurement of IT infrastructure to sail through without following proper procedures, it was earlier reported. Public enterprises minister Leon Jooste had voiced concern about the vacuum created by the suspensions. At the time, Jooste wrote to former health minister Bernard Haufiku to express his concern.
“Experience has shown that the outcome of most of these suspensions is less than ideal, and to the detriment of the public enterprise from both a financial as well as an operational point of view,” he wrote.
OGONE TLHAGE
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