Ministers to be oriented

President Peter Mutharika has directed that all Cabinet ministers must undergo a three-day orientation seminar from tomorrow to understand their functions.
Information Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa confirmed the development Friday, explaining that the President does not want to leave anything to chance because he expects high and disciplined performance from his Cabinet.

 
This is the first time in recent memory that Cabinet ministers, after being appointed, are being orientated on their duties.
“It is true that all Cabinet ministers will be attending an orientation seminar in Mangochi between Monday and Wednesday next week. The seminar will be opened by His Excellency the President himself,” Nankhumwa confirmed.
He said the President felt it was important that his ministers should be oriented so that they are efficient and effective when providing leadership in their respective ministries, while refraining from causing problems that affected some ministries in the past.
“Besides the fact that government is pursuing a new agenda, which must be understood by all, the President is keen to see to it that all ministers understand their duties to ably spearhead policy implementation and ensure discipline in their ministries,” he said.

 
Part of the need to have the ministers oriented, Nankhumwa explained, has arisen from the discovery that in the past some of the ministers have encroached into areas that are ordinarily for controlling officers and technocrats in their ministries, thereby creating conditions for corruption and fraud.
“As you will recall, the President has warned on two occasions that ministers must never interfere in areas that are by their nature a preserve of controlling officers, including financial matters,” he said.
Nankhumwa said the President himself will present a paper which will provide the guidelines for the orientation.
“Let me find out the other presenters at the seminar,” he said. n