Ministry rift : Director was reverted to old post

DETAILS have emerged that Ministry of General Education permanent secretary Felix Phiri had ordered permanent secretary Felix Phiri had ordered Teacher Education and Specialised Services (TESS) director, Grace Chikombola Chilekwa, to leave her office soon after her appointment by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC).

DETAILS have emerged that Ministry of General Education Permanent Secretary Felix Phiri had ordered Teacher Education and Specialised Services (TESS) director, Grace Chikombola Chilekwa, to leave her office soon after her appointment by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). Meanwhile, Dr. Chilekwa is now walking a tight rope at the ministry as she is being accused of leaking information about her predicament to the Daily Nation and plans are underway to manipulate the TSC to reverse her appointment as the PS is not ready to work with her. Records now show that three months after her appointment, Dr. Phiri ordered Dr. Chilekwa to go back to Mufulira College of Education where she was the principal before her appointment and wait for instruction from his office. According to Dr. Phiri, he was not aware that Dr. Chilekwa was still at the ministry after attending the joint annual review meeting and asked her to go back as he was in the process of sending internal auditors to address one of the issues raised by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). In a letter dated September 3, 2018 and copied to his counterpart in education services, Dr. Phiri asked Dr. Chilekwa to revert to her position before her appointment to the current position. “It has come to my attention that you have been in Lusaka from the time you came for the joint annual review meeting and have not reported back at your duty station. You are kindly reminded to revert back to your station in Mufulira and await further instructions from this office. “The ministry is in the process of sending internal auditors to address one of the issues contained in the letter from the Anti-Corruption Commission dated 31 March, 2017, hence the request that you go back to your station to be available once the auditors arrive,” Dr. Phiri wrote. But the Zambia Direct Democracy Movement (ZDDM) has warned it will have no other option but to write to President Edgar Lungu to deal with Minister of General Education David Mabumba for tolerating the truancy from the permenant secretary. ZDDM president Edwin Sakala said it was annoying that Mr. Mabumba was acting as though everything in his ministry was OK when not. “Since when did the permenant secretery assume the role of appointing directors in the ministry? What then is the role of TSC? Why is Dr. Phiri victimising Dr. Chilekwa? Is it because she is a woman? Who appointed Alexander Phiri to the position of director when the council had already appointed Dr. Chilekwa? Where is the minister?” Mr. Sakala asked. Meanwhile, the exposure has riled Dr. Phiri who has allegedly accused Dr. Chilekwa of being an informer. “The PS is bitter with what you are writing because he thinks Dr. Chilekwa is the one giving you all this information. He is determined to ensure that she is kicked out of the ministry. She is living in fear right now because she is under constant threats. Dr. Phiri openly brags that he can hire and fire because he is connected,” the source said.