Goabab ‘fired’

THE man who occupied the highest post in the Secretariat of the National Assembly was not just suspended, he was fired, The Namibian has reliably learnt.

Nama Goabab, who held the post of Secretary to the National Assembly for 23 months and all that time on probation, vacated his office on October 9, but should have done so nine days earlier. According to a letter seen by The Namibian, the Secretary to Cabinet, Frans Kapofi, did a U-turn last month in a letter to Goabab, telling him to vacate his office by September 30.A few months earlier, Kapofi sent a letter to the Public Service Commission (PSC), recommending Goabab should be permanently employed.However, the PSC decided against it, the main reason being Goabab’s “public behaviour”, a source close to the PSC told The Namibian yesterday.”The PSC had sent a list of issues to Speaker against the permanent appointment.Already the extremely long probation period, usually only extended up to 12 months in Government, indicates that not all was well with that appointment,” the source added yesterday.On Tuesday, Goabab told The Namibian that no reasons were given why his service was terminated.Goabab and a senior accounting official at the National Assembly, Abraham George, were arrested in June 2007 for allegedly contravening section 43 of the Anti-Corruption Act.That section makes it an offence for any public official to directly or indirectly use “his or her office or position in a public body to obtain any gratification, whether for the benefit of himself or herself or any other person”.Goabab had been receiving a monthly vehicle allowance as part of his salary.It is alleged that Goabab was renting a car at the same time, and that he instructed the NA’s Chief Accountant to authorise the payment of the car rental company’s bill out of public funds.Goabab allegedly ordered George to issue a cheque of about N$18 000 to pay for the car rental.According to a letter seen by The Namibian, the Secretary to Cabinet, Frans Kapofi, did a U-turn last month in a letter to Goabab, telling him to vacate his office by September 30.A few months earlier, Kapofi sent a letter to the Public Service Commission (PSC), recommending Goabab should be permanently employed.However, the PSC decided against it, the main reason being Goabab’s “public behaviour”, a source close to the PSC told The Namibian yesterday.”The PSC had sent a list of issues to Speaker against the permanent appointment.Already the extremely long probation period, usually only extended up to 12 months in Government, indicates that not all was well with that appointment,” the source added yesterday.On Tuesday, Goabab told The Namibian that no reasons were given why his service was terminated.Goabab and a senior accounting official at the National Assembly, Abraham George, were arrested in June 2007 for allegedly contravening section 43 of the Anti-Corruption Act.That section makes it an offence for any public official to directly or indirectly use “his or her office or position in a public body to obtain any gratification, whether for the benefit of himself or herself or any other person”.Goabab had been receiving a monthly vehicle allowance as part of his salary.It is alleged that Goabab was renting a car at the same time, and that he instructed the NA’s Chief Accountant to authorise the payment of the car rental company’s bill out of public funds.Goabab allegedly ordered George to issue a cheque of about N$18 000 to pay for the car rental.