Nine ward councillors in Karonga have petitioned district commissioner Paul Kalilombe to remove the council’s director of public works Allan Chitete for alleged underperformance and arrogance.

In the petition, the councillors said the underperformance has resulted in poor drainage of Karonga Main Market, delayed mortuary project at Chilumba Rural Hospital and delay to release money for Chihepusha-Mphinga and Nyungwe-Vuwa road projects.

Msukwa: The concerns are genuine

But after receiving the petition on Thursday, Kalilombe told the councillors to refer to sector reports during full council meetings, saying when the Directorate of Public Works brought its report on the same projects, they adopted it.

He said: “We will discuss poor workmanship of projects such as the drainage system at the main market and mortuary at Chilumba Rural Hospital and map the way forward.”

Kalilombe said such decisions cannot be made by one segment of the council.

He said: “Therefore, I would not accept to act on a letter based on one segment of the council.

“All parties such as chiefs, members of Parliament, representatives of interest groups and councillors should be there and make a decision on an issue that affects the whole council.”

However, the council’s chairperson Belium Msukwa said the concerns raised in their petition were genuine, saying the market is always flooded with water whenever it rains.

“As elected leaders, we are concerned and disappointed with the shoddy work done by the contractor that the director of public works  chose to work on the market’s drainage system,” he said.

But in an interview yesterday, Chitete said the accusations were from disgruntled councillors who have a hidden agenda.

He said: “The council has an internal procurement and disposal committee comprising selected sector heads which awards contracts after evaluation.”

The post Remove director of public works, demand councillors appeared first on The Nation Online.