On Thursday morning, staff from other ministries including that for Information and Communication were locked out and only those going to the National Police Service allowed to get in/CFM
The order came from the Office of the President to relocate all other departments from Jogoo House A to Teleposta Towers to pave way for the National Police Service top management which was previously housed at the Deputy President’s Office.
On Thursday morning, staff from other ministries including that for Information and Communication were locked out and only those going to the National Police Service allowed to get in.
Senior Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Interior and National Coordination Nakhali Waopembe said the affected departments had not been alerted of the intended eviction.
“Let me tell to you, there is no official information telling us to move. No government official will resist moving if adequately informed,” he affirmed.
“The ministry of housing will however be the final department to talk about this because they are the people who accommodate government officers.”
He added that, “It is unfortunate and unfair that this situation can get to this. The staff found the gate locked but the Ministry of Lands and Housing is negotiating with the property manager at Teleposta Towers to get space for the affected staff.”
Talks between the government and the property manager had been going on since Wednesday night, but no solution had been reached by Thursday morning.
“We understand the contract has not been signed and terms agreed upon, that is where the problem is,” an official said, adding “it is all about money.”
Waopembe further noted that, “If Teleposta was a government building we could have just walked in.”
He says other than officials from other departments; housing, devolution, information and children services, more than 250 officials from the interior department were affected.
“The best thing we can do is just to stay here; we cannot work from the streets.”
One of the affected government official from the interior department told Capital FM News that she was denied access even after arriving at the gates at 7.30 am ready to resume her duties in the offices.
“We were locked out like strangers, the police officers at the gate just told us they are acting under instructions,” she said.
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