HARD TIMES! Anxiety grips Financial Intelligence Authority staff over impending layoff

If you take the temperature of how several staffers at the Uganda Financial Intelligence Authority are feeling at the moment, the scale would likely read “uneasy.” They have good reason to feel anxious.

Top bosses have alerted them to prepare psychologically and physically for the impending recruitment process. Some are now worried that their jobs may be on the chopping block.

The Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), is a government agency established by the Parliament of Uganda to monitor, investigate, and prevent money laundering in the country. It is also responsible for the enforcement of Uganda’s anti-money laundering laws and the monitoring of all financial transactions inside the country’s borders.

We have learnt that this exercise has been entrusted with Paula Ddungu, Manager, Human Resource, Registry & Security. Because she may be overwhelmed, the Alinaffe Kalule led board is closely guiding her not to make any mistake. Other board members are Rita Mitala Balaka, Titus Mulindwa, Ret Maj. Odomaro Manyire, Charles Alfred Elem-Ogwal, and FIA’s Executive director, Sydney Asubo.

However, a section of staffers are not happy with what is going on and have already put board members on notice. First, they allege that the process is being done by a manager (Paula) whose academic credentials reportedly don’t match the task she has been assigned. There are also allegations that the recruitment is focusing on frustrating and kicking out people hated by some top bosses. And in the grand scheme of things, these must be replaced with bosses’ friends, allies, acquaintances, spouses, relatives, tribe mates, girlfriends, boyfriends and among others.

It has been reported that a public service consultant has been hired to set a certain bar for FIA employees, a move that some see as deliberate to kick them out. And one of them is setting high requirements and standards which can’t be met by the incumbent staff. That some positions which previously required at least a bachelor’s degree have been designed now to accommodate only those with a masters degree. That in doing so, most experienced employees who have been there for five to ten years are likely to be kicked out in favour of Johnny-come-lately.

“The advert will come out very soon but it’s a mess. The job requirements have been changed to demand a masters degree before shortlisting so that they block some staff from progressing. The recruitment will promote officers who have worked for only less than a year, and eliminate those who have worked for more than five years,” a source knowledgeable about what is going on whispered to this publication. There are allegations that even people with criminal records will benefit. For legal reasons we shall not reveal the names for now.

FIA SPEAKS OUT

Contacted for a comment, FIA’s Executive director, Asubo dismissed all the allegations as false. He says the exercise is being done transparently and just like any other organizational restructuring process, some staff have to be affected. He adds that there is no way FIA can recruit criminals yet they are the ones at the forefront of fighting them. (DO YOU HAVE A HOT STORY (CHEATERS, DIVORCE, VIDEOS, CORRUPTION, LAND WRANGLES, EXPOSES …ETAL) YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PUBLISH? CALL/TEXT/WHATSAPP 0777959024 OR EMAIL redpeppertips@gmail.com)