The statement from the Office of the Prime Minister says that sacked are former Director General, Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, Dr. Daphrose Gahakwa, who had been the Deputy Director General, Innocent Nzeyimana former Head of Animal Husbandry and Land Husbandry, Irrigation and Mechanisation Department and Violette Nyirasangwa, who had been the Head of Corporate Services.
On January 19th this year, the Cabinet suspended Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe from serving as Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB) Director General and immediately replaced him with Dr. Patrick Karangwa who, heretofore, had been the head of research department at RAB.
Speaking to IGIHE, the Agriculture Communication and Information Programme Manager at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), Ange Soubirous Tambineza said that the ministry was not given details of Bagabe’s suspension saying that it was in the capacity of the body that took the decision.
“It is the decision by the Cabinet Meeting as it is in their capacity,” she said.
“What matters is to have the institution well managed and impact the lives of farmers and the economy,” she said.
On the other hand, Dr. Gahakwa, Nzeyimana and Nyiransangwa had been suspended by Prime Minister Dr. Eduard Ngirente on November 22nd last year.
Recently, a reliable source told IGIHE that MINAGRI admits to the problems in RAB.
“RAB is a very big institution which implements all programmes in agriculture sector. The Ministry coordinates, establishes policies and seeks funding and capacity building for agricultural sector among others,” a source said.
As an institution which implements different responsibilities, it is easy to have many challenges, the source said.
According to source, Bagabe and Dr. Gahakwa among others had been under investigation.
For the case with Bagabe alone, the source said that he did not want to collaborate with his bosses in MINAGRI.
“Bagabe did not want to collaborate and respect his bosses in the Ministry. He just wanted to work as an independent institution without reporting to the Ministry,” a source said.
On February 19th when MINAGRI Minister, Dr. Geraldine Mukeshimana was appearing before the MPs’ plenary session responding to several questions regarding the ministry which were raised in different parliamentary committees’ reports, MPs requested questioned problems in RAB management.
Among the problems raised are irrigation machines which provide law production compared to the budget that spent on them, agro-collection centers and post-harvest handling practices.
MP Marie Josée Kankera questioned whether continuing rotation and dismissal of officials in RAB would not be the reason behind poor performance of agriculture sector.
“Replacing an official who does not implement responsibilities is normal, we thank for government efforts to hold into account leaders and dismiss those who fail to implement their responsibilities. But I want to stress RAB officials rotation. Particularly, I think that it affects our production and attracts these problem in agriculture,” she said.
She said that every official entering the institution takes time to analyse problems and initiate measures to solve them.
“A number of PhD holders who were appointed in that board did not last there, doesn’t this attract agricultural and animal resources’ problems that the board should have been responding to? I would like to know whether there are measures to make management of that board stable, because I think that when the management is working properly, all things go well,” she said.
Also read: http://en.igihe.com/news/what-is-rab-s-problem.html?var_mode=calcul
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