Dear Editor,
It is a matter of deep concern that officials in positions and who assumed office at the change of Government, when before the parliamentary oversight body on Government spending, are unable to answer questions and provide explanations and clarity to queries. Their standard response, it seems, is reposed in the position that they were not in the position of the officer in charge at the time of the questionable transaction.
This is ludicrous and flawed, and cannot be allowed to be the acceptable norm of response from incumbents. Once the position has been offered and the appointment formalised, the responsibility to find out and know all dimensions of previous transactions and which to account for is an expectation that becomes even more important and crucial.
From reports, it seems proper handover/takeover procedures are not in place, or observed, since the haste to get rid of previous holders precludes these basic administrative observations.
And so current incumbents are hauled before the committee ill-prepared, clumsily trying to give plausible explanations to what they do not know of, while those who know and can provide answers are long gone. Can it get any more bizarre than this?
Sincerely,
Shamshun Mohamed
