Neno DC facilitates transfer of “power hungry” social welfare officer Magomero

NENO-(MaraviPost)—Neno District Social Welfare Officer, Peter Magomero, has been transferred to Lilongwe after the officer persistently involved himself in squabbles with the  youthful District Commissioner (DC) for Neno, Memory Kaleso Monteiro.

 According to inside sources, Magomero was most of the times stubborn and wanted to wield power at the council not befitting his position, a development which angered the female DC.

The sources indicate that the social welfare officer’s transfer is as a result of a quarrel which he picked with the DC over a new vehicle allocated to Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP).

“Magomero wanted to have total control of the vehicle yet the DC is the one who has the powers to allocate vehicles to different departments and functions when need arise. Magomero wanted to take it as a personal vehicle, and I hope this is what angered the DC.

“No wonder he has been transferred. He was very stubborn as if he was the controller of the whole council,” said one of the workers at the council who spoke on condition of anonymity.

There has been bad blood between the two public officers since the inception of the Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) in the district in 2014, however, the past six months has seen the relationship worsening to the extent of exchanging revolting text messages.

Recently, speaking to Malawi News Agency, Kaleso confirmed the existence of the feud but was quick to point out that it was because Magomero said he does not recognize her as District Commissioner.

“I couldn’t work with someone who doesn’t recognize my existence that is why I had to find someone within the sector whom I could work with and reported the matter to the ministry. The ministry is somehow not helping us as they are taking long to make a decision. My powers are limited so I am just waiting for the PS to act on the issue so that we move forward,” she said as quoted by MANA.

In his defense, Magomero accused the DC on issues concerning his sector ranging from; failure to deliver services to non-provision of finances from Other Recurrent Transactions (ORT) funds that are meant for running of the office blaming the controlling officer for trusting people who were not on government pay roll.

“There is no way I can be expected to provide services when the office is not being funded. Whenever I write requests, they are torn to pieces so I just sat down,” Magomero said.