{{Following his dismissal by Rwanda Media Commission, Julius NDAYISABA, the RMC Former Executive Secretary, has elaborated the reason behind his dismissal in a letter addressed to Journalists.}}
{The Letter is read as following:}
{After analyzing the basis of my recent dismissal from duty, and a number of allegations put against me in the media, I would like to inform the Rwandan media fraternity and the general public that true reasons for RMC board to terminate my contract are described here below but not those created to confuse every one with a stake in the media sector.
1. I took a different position from the board on the reasons behind delaying the state of
media freedom report commissioned by RMC early 2015. This is when Ingabire Marie
Immaculate had reported to the media after Muvunyi’s resignation that the study on state of media freedom in Rwanda, commissioned by Fred Muvunyi alone not RMC because it was not on RMC action plan for the year 2014-2015. She deliberately said that she was not aware of the report when actually she and Me Mucyo Donatien, Prince Bahati briefed the consultant in the initial methodology consultation workshops, on behalf of the RMC board. I made it clear that the report was one of the activities on the annual plan we have in the secretariat for the year. Therefore, she would have consulted the custodians of RMC`s day to day filing before reporting inaccurate information to the media and the general public. Likewise, Prince Bahati did the same where he also confirmed to the media that Fred Muvunyi on this matter he took his personal decision to launch the study when they were not consulted, and Fred is found of taking many other decisions in a similar manner. This was not true because they attended board meetings to commission the study. I therefore, disagreed with their statements because they were not in favor of RMC’s credibility and the entire media fraternity.
2. Upcoming RMC elections to replace the vacant position of resigned chairperson is another point of disagreement in two ways as follows:
a) According to the RMC blue print, elections would not have been more than two
months period after the resignation of Fred Muvunyi. Today, it is only 7 days to go
yet nothing is clear to hold elections due to intentional frustrations on me.
b) Who and How to conduct elections is also another big issue here. I have with difficulty had a consensus with the Ag. Chairperson Mr. Cleophas Barore to initiate
and spearhead the elections but disagreed on the date to fix the elections so that we
communicate it to the general assembly. This is part of the delay tactics as the date
should not have been an issue since it is clear in the RMC blue print and internal rules
and regulations. He and the board would like the General Assembly to elect a
commissioner to join the board and then board itself elects the chairperson. This is
contrary to the blue print. The blue print stipulates that the chairperson, vice
chairperson and the secretary are elected by the general assembly not the board of
commissioners. I being an authority to oversee these elections discussed with him
how the road map should look like but apparently he was advised by his board
members to disagree with me as the later would risk him not to stay on chair.
Briefly the whole issue is not about mismanaging of RMC resources and incompetence but rather taking positions that are in the interest of the journalists and the general public. If it was incompetence I would not have designed a project that led RMC to Geneva for WSIS 2015 prize winners. My dismissal therefore is delay tactic for validating and launching the state media freedom report and also the upcoming elections to replace the resigned chairperson. Difference in position from that of the board is not misconduct and can never be a legitimate ground to terminate my contract and dangerously defame my role and my person.
Kind regards,
Julius NDAYISABA}
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