The decision by the Ministry of Education and Sports to remove board members or members of the governing council as signatories to the accounts of government-aided schools and institutions has backfired throwing the ministry into chaos.
Two weeks, ago, the new permanent Secretary Ministry of Education Ketty Lamaro, wrote to all head teachers of government aided secondary schools and principals of Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) institutions, asking them to drop the board members or members of the governing council as signatories to their accounts.
In the circular, Lamaro noted that for board members to be signatories on bank accounts does not only compromise the principle of good governance but also causes a conflict of interest between management and governing bodies.
However, the directive did not go down well with the foundation bodies such as the Church of Uganda and Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.
The Provincial Secretary of Church of Uganda, Rev Canon William Ongeng described the directive as intimidating and inexplicit on some issues, saying before writing the circular the ministry should have consulted the foundation bodies.
On Friday, the UMSC Education Secretary Sheikh Juma Bakhit Cucu also told Lamaro that her directive was a blunder since the ministry did not consult the foundation bodies. Following the responses from different foundation bodies, the ministry has halted the implementation of the directive.