Public servants warned

National

By JAMES GUMUNO
SOME public servants working in Western Highlands and engaging in politics recently face demotion and even termination from their job.
They will know their future when a disciplinary committee goes through evidence they have gathered.
Deputy provincial administrator Stanely Maip said yesterday that 17 teachers, including headmasters, and nine public servants working at provincial and district levels were allegedly engaged in politics.
Maip said it was against the public servants’ general orders and that a circular was sent out to them early this year by the provincial administrator informing all public servants not to get involved in politics.
He said that the message was “very clear and all public servants were aware of it”.
He said when the committee sat, they would go through the evidence and make decisions.
Maip said that they would apply two penalties, some public servants would be terminated from their jobs while others would be demoted.
“We do not want to see public servants leaving their paid jobs to become campaign managers and playing active roles in front of other people supporting their candidates,” he said.
He said political candidates were still in the third week of their eight-week campaign and any other
public servant seen engaging in politics would face the same consequences.
“I want to appeal to the rest of the public servants to continue with your normal duties and leave the politics to the politicians to play their game,” he said.