EASTERN PROVINCE

Rwamagana—Geoffrey Muhire, the human resource and finance director for Eastern Province has been fired over forged academic paper, a high-ranking source has revealed.

The sacking, one of many recently, appears to have come directly from executive secretary Charles Gasana.

The sacking followed an appeal to the Ministry of Labor, currently investigating the dossier.

While the case is officially still under investigation, the province has already begun placing advertisements in media outlets for a replacement. But Muhire says its nothing about papers.

"I was sacked on grounds that my performance in the year 2006, according to the evaluation, was poor,” Muhire says. "Legally, the province has no right to sack me.”

Both alleged degree; one in business management from the International Professions Academy in Uganda, and an advanced diploma in human-resource management from Cambridge International college, were seen by The New Times.

In a related development another provincial worker identified as Claudine Kabahire was also sacked by the province authorities on grounds of holding ‘inadequate’ academic credentials.

"I went for my annual holiday only to find when coming back that my job had already been given to another person which compelled my appeal to the Ministry to intervene,” Kabahire says.

"I see it as an injustice. Imagine preparing your sacking letter when you’re still on leave.

I don’t know what is behind their move but still the Ministry says that I have the qualifications and I am waiting for the ministry’s response.”

As for the case of Geoffrey Bahirwe, Charles Gasana says he approved the sacking after finding that Bahirwe was a ‘non-performer’ which disqualifies him to continue working with the province.

Gasana also explained that the allegations of forgery had not yet been proven.

"It is the province which has the mandate to sack the non-performers and it is the province which works with him and also carries out evaluation to its workers,” Gasana said. "I find it legal to sack him.”

Bahirwe allege that the province has no moral authority to design the sacking letter since all province workers are employed and paid by the Ministry of Labor.

Ends