Over 16 senior officers of Gulu district Local Government who have been in acting positions for the last 10 years are under pressure following the approval by the Ministry of Public Service for Gulu district to advertise these positions immediately.
According to sources, most Chief Administrative Officers (CAO) who worked in Gulu in the previous years have been receiving threats whenever they attempt to advertise these positions.
Many ended up abandoning the exercise or getting transferred before advertising the 16 positions.
However, the current CAO, Ms Dorothy Ajwang pilled pressure on the ministry to see that the positions get substantive officers since Omoro district is expected to kick off in July 2016.
When Omoro district takes, Gulu district will be expected to share staff with Omoro.
To this effect in a letter dated 22 September 2015 from the Ministry of Public Service and signed by Ms Asiimwe Jane for the Permanent Secretary clears Gulu district to fill the vacant positions of, Chief Finance officer, senior engineer, District engineer and Senior community Development officer.
Others are District Natural Resources Management Officer, senior Procurement Officer, clerk assistant, District production Officer, Principal Agricultural Officer, Principal Fisheries Officer, Principal Commercial Officer and senior Probation Officer among others.
In another letter dated 11th August 2015 signed by Mr Patrick K Mutabwire for Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Gulu CAO Ajwang, is praised for saving Gulu district Shs4, 100,997 and directed all Local government accounting officers to take of Ajwang Dorothy as an example to follow.
Some sources told Acholi times that some of the acting civil servants are also part of the team financing Gulu district councilors to fight the CAO
“Yes she has touched tails of tigers, most of these people never went back to school and they fear losing their positions, so they now want her to be fought out of Gulu,” a junior civil servant who preferred anonymity said.