PAC to quiz Buluma on claims in resignation letter

Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of Parliament has summoned National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) former deputy chief executive officer Helen Buluma to learn more about alleged pressure she was receiving on fuel import contracts.

In the summons dated November 18 2022 which we have seen, PAC chairperson Joyce Chitsulo has asked Buluma to appear before the committee at Parliament Building in Lilongwe on Wednesday this week.

Reads Chitsulo’s letter in part: “My committee has followed reports regarding your resignation from your position. The committee has further followed reports that point to the fact that your employment contract was actually terminated.

“In that regard, I hereby summon you to come and appear before the committee. You will be expected to give evidence on the circumstances leading to your resignation and the status of your employment contract.”

In her resignation letter dated November 14 2022, Buluma said Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of Parliament has summoned National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) former deputy chief executive officer Helen Buluma to learn more about alleged pressure she was receiving on fuel import contracts.

In the summons dated November 18 2022 which we have seen, PAC chairperson Joyce Chitsulo has asked Buluma to appear before the committee at Parliament Building in Lilongwe on Wednesday this week.

Reads Chitsulo’s letter in part: “My committee has followed reports regarding your resignation from your position. The committee has further followed reports that point to the fact that your employment contract was actually terminated.

“In that regard, I hereby summon you to come and appear before the committee. You will be expected to give evidence on the circumstances leading to your resignation and the status of your employment contract.”

In her resignation letter dated November 14 2022, Buluma said Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba on board new suppliers and hand over Nocma’s Chipoka depot in Salima to a Malawi Congress Party official and his Asian business associate.

Reads her letter in part: “The final trigger for me has been the most recent meeting which was called by PS [Principal Secretary] Energy and chaired by yourself [SPC], held yesterday evening Sunday, 13th November 2022 at the OPC [Office of the President and Cabinet] boardroom whose main agenda was to discuss an expression of interest from GY and Sons to supply fuel for Nocma and the Mera board resolution which was not to declare a fuel supply emergency.”

Hours after Buluma’s resignation letter went viral, Zamba’s letter, dated November 15 2022, purportedly dismissing Buluma, also went into the public domain. The letter said the Nocma board terminated Buluma’s contract in compliance with an Office of the Ombudsman declaration that she be fired due to her unprocedural recruitment in 2019.

Findings of the Ombudsman investigations show that Buluma was recruited in 2019 following then president Peter Mutharika’s directive, which flouted Section 4 of the Public Service Act, as the appointment was not through an open and competitive process.

She began work as deputy CEO on August 26 2019, but her contract was signed on March 27 2020.