By Kenneth Haddebe (South Africa
Members of Parliament of the African Union Pan African Parliament (PAP) across Africa have petitioned the African Union Chairperson, His Excellency Moussa Faki Mahamat, through a strong petition, demanding the removal of PAP Acting President, Dr. Ashebir Gayo and Committee on Audit and Public Accounts (CAPA) Chairperson, Hon. Miles Sampa.
The petitoners have accused the duo of engaged in mass embezzlement of public funds of the Pan African Parliament and a daring power grab of the key lositions of the institution.
Below are the details;
THE ACTORS IN THE LOOTING OF PANAFRICAN PARLIAMENT
Dr. Gayo Asherbiri is an Ethiopian Medical Doctor, politician and Member of Parliament in the Parliament of Ethiopia. He is also the current Acting President of the Pan African Parliament as of August 2023.
Hon. Miles Sampa is an expelled Member of Parliament from Zambia. Sampa was expelled by his party the opposition, the Patriotic Front and he is embroiled in legal battles over his parliamentary position and hos stay in the party. Sampa is accused of holding an illegal Conference with the help of the government of President Hakainde Hichilema and he alleges that he was elected as President of the Patriotic Front.
At the Pan African Parliament, Hon. Sampa holds the powerful position of Chairperson of the Committee on Audit and Public Accounts (CAPA).
It is now considered that Miles Sampa has lost all credibility as the Chairman of the Audit Committee to provide oversight, as he has been on the fore-front of violating the rules and regulations.
This is because he has abused his role as a custodian of Pan African Parliament funds by his actions to allow and implement illegal orders that has led to the huge loss of PAP funds.
DEMANDS BY MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
We therefore call for PRC ( The Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) which comprises Permanent Representatives to the Union and other plenipotentiaries of Member States) and the Parliament’s action to immediately remove Miles Sampa as the Chairman of the Audit Committee.
Sampa has failed his mission as the guardian of compliance;
For Dr Ashebir W. Gayo, Acting President, has abused his powers by ordering that funds be used contrary to what Parliament approved for.
This is non-compliant with article 19 of the African Union (AU) financial rules.
Who is empowering Dr. Gayo in this blatant dictatorship in an organ that is looked upon and respected by all Africans?
Dr Ashebir W. Gayo has committed numerous financial irregularities that call for action in
accordance with articles 81 and 82 of the AU financial rules.
Daily subsistence allowances were paid to several MPs on behalf of CAPA when they had not been approved or budgeted for, thanks to Dr Ashebir W. Gayo and Mr. Miles Sampa.
The recruitment of “friends'” as Bureau staff constitutes a financial irregularity, nepotism, and misuse of funds dedicated to the African Continent.
We demand the PRC to take appropriate actions against Dr Ashebir W. Gayo and Mr. Miles Sampa; Article 83: due to his arrogance and abuse of power, the UNION has been paying two Directors of Bureau instead of one since August 2023, three Policy Officers instead of one since September 2023, two secretaries instead of one since August 2023, representing a loss to the Union and taxpayers’ money.
Dr Ashebir W. Gayo must be held accountable
as an individual for all these monetary losses;
Dr. Gayo violated Rule 64 of the AU Financial Regulations by recruiting his secretary and
offering her an international contract even though she is based locally in South Africa and without following the recruitment procedures;
We have witnessed harassment and threats by Dr Ashebir W. Gayo and Mr. Miles Sampa against PAP staff who do not accept their illegal directives.
This is contrary to rule 3.4 of the AU Staff Regulations.
PAP staff are union personnel per rule 2.3 of the AU Staff Rules and therefore, the Bureau should not be allowed to intimidate and harass staff who are performing the tasks for which they were recruited for;
We have witnessed a violation of rule 35 concerning the acting appointments by Dr Ashebir W. Gayo, as indicated above;
We have witnessed a breach of the PAP protocol by Dr Ashebir W. Gayo who assumes the role of the Clerk.
The protocol states that the Clerk of Parliament is responsible for all day-to-day administrative matters of the PAP.
We wonder when Dr Ashebir W. Gayo has been
appointed as Clerk of Parliament;
Dr Ashebir W. Gayo has violated the AU’s staff regulations regarding the formation of the
recruitment and selection committee.
The composition of the recruitment and selection committee is governed by AU staff regulations, but Dr Ashebir W. Gayo chose to ignore them due to his lack of integrity and abuse of power;
Dr Ashebir W. Gayo makes unilateral decisions by proclaiming himself A Bureau:
VIOLATION OF AU RULES AND REGULATIONS
Dr Ashebir W. Gayo and Mr. Miles Sampa are now the PAP procurement officers, contrary
to the AU procurement policy and manual;
Dr Ashebir W. Gayo and Mr. Milles Sampa are now the PAP’s recruiters and appointing
authority, contrary to the AU’s staff regulations and financial regulations;
According to the AU’s financial rules, the controlling officer is the head of an organ or
institution based full-time at the duty station. We wonder who made Dr Ashebir W.Gayo and Sampa full-time employees of the PAP. They make all the financial decisions, and when the Clerk of Parliament questions some of their decisions, they end up suspending her from her duties.
The PAP protocol defines the clerk as a controlling officer, but Dr Ashebir W. Gayo has violated this requirement and turned himself into the controlling officer, the Clerk, and the Bureau. Where is the separation of duty to ensure integrity, transparency, ethics, and good governance?
Dr Ashebir W. Gayo, who is second vice-president of Pan-African Parliament out of five vice presidents, presented himself to the PAP without invitation from anyone on August 22, 2023 and declared himself acting
president. He waited for Chief Charumbira to stand for election in his country and, without a Bureau meeting or agreement with the other members, he turned up at the PAP premises
at demanding the key to the President’s office, thereby removing the portraits of the President and the other two Vice-Presidents who had stood for election in their countries. This action is not only a Coup d’etat, but also a work of power-hungry individuals, and it is unfortunately not a the first time this kind of behavior has occurred at PAP.
We’ve had several such coups since the PAP was founded. A solution to this problem must be found, and urgently. In a democratic
institution and continental body such as this one, we don’t expect this kind of behavior.
The PAP is supposed to set standards of good governance for all member states.
The recruitment and appointment of all Secretariat positions should be carried out by the AUC Chair Person to avoid violations of the AU rules and regulations;
All decisions taken by Dr Ashebir W. Gayo since August 2023 should be rescinded as they are all illegal and violate the AU rules and regulations as well as the PAP protocol;
The PRC should form a team of experts to investigate and assess the massive financial
irregularities at the PAP, including embezzlement, use of unapproved budget lines, mis- payments, non-compliance
procurement, unapproved overspending/overpayments/underpayments, non-with rules and regulations, etc;
The PRC should form a special committee to deal with over 100 outstanding audit findings from external and internal auditors;
Dr Ashebir W. Gayo’s dictatorship must be ended and he must be banned from working on the day-to-day administration and stop threatening staff.
The secretariat should be allowed to do its work under approved rules, procedures, and guidelines. He should be reminded that the role of the Bureau is more of an oversight and not in the kitchen minding the day-to-day activities;
