{UAH} Betty Bigombe fired from World Bank
|
6:40 AM |
No comments |
Betty Bigombe fired from World Bank
By Owen Kibenge
Posted on May 31, 2016
Betty Bigombe Uganda's former minister of state for water and Member
of Parliament Amuru, Betty Bigombe, has been dismissed from her job as
senior director of fragility, conflict, and violence at the World Bank
headquarters in Washington DC.
Saroj Kumar Jha, a former regional director for Central Asia and a
ten-year veteran of the Bank, replaced her.
Bigombe's appointment to the senior director position was shrouded in
controversy after African Finance ministers criticized the Bank
leadership for not doing enough to increase African representation in
the upper echelons of Bank management.
In a stinging article published by DEVEX, a social enterprise and
influential media platform for the global development community, the
World Banks lack of diversity came up for discussion.
"We learned how during the Banks recent Spring Meetings, Kim abruptly
left a meeting with African finance ministers who sit on the board of
governors after being asked why not a single African is among the new
senior directors for global practice and cross-cutting areas."
An inside source in the Bank said the expulsion of Bigombe is an
implementation of a policy that tends to favour 'economic strength
representation.'
"We have no voice, and our countries are not financial heavyweights,
it is easy to dismiss a Ugandan than a Chinese, Japanese or South
Korean," said the insider who did not want their name used for fear of
reprisal.
Another staffer at the Bank mentioned two theories that could have led
to the departure of Bigombe.
When the Obama administration appointed Jim Yong Kim as president of
the World Bank, his marching orders were to overhaul the cloistered
institution.
The restructuring that Kim undertook instituted a two to three-year
ceiling for all new hires and sought to realign the Banks departments
to respond to emerging global threats.
Described as overzealous Kims approach targeted permanent staff at the
Bank, who had become comfortable with the usual way of doing things.
Rattled by the new boss, one of the Banks most influential figures
Mukhtar Diop the vice president for Africa, attempted to join the
African Development Bank.
He did not get the job, and his overtures spilled into the Bank corridors.
He will be leaving in a couple of months.
Bank officials insinuated that Bigombe might have been a victim of the
two to three-year ceiling, but others shot down this theory saying
that she was appointed in July 2014 and was replaced in February 2016
several months before her tenure was due to expire.
The other theory is that Bank officials created an environment that
afforded her no option but to throw in the towel.
When we contacted the Banks spokesman David M. Theis, was cagey about
the reasons for her dismissal.
"Our human resources policy are respectful of confidentiality and
therefore do not allow us for us to discuss the circumstances of staff
departures," he wrote in an email.
Informal discussions among African staff at the Bank intimated that
the appointment of Saroj Kumar Jah shows the influence of the 'Asia
Mafia' that has stiffened the back of the president, a former
University professor who is currently facing the highest turnover of
staff in recent memory.
Ugandans bruised by the abrupt departure of Bigombe are looking at
another chance to nominate a candidate for the rotational executive
director position that is expected to fall vacant in the coming
months.
Richard Kaijuka, a former minister of trade who left after a
corruption scandal, was the last Ugandan alternate executive director
at the World Bank.
Former finance minister and current presidential advisor on the
Bretton Woods institutions Maria Kiwanuka is heavily favoured to be
Uganda's candidate.
However, some Bank employees think she would be more suited for the
influential vice presidency position, which will be vacated by Makhtar
Diop of Senegal in the coming months.
--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
By Owen Kibenge
Posted on May 31, 2016
Betty Bigombe Uganda's former minister of state for water and Member
of Parliament Amuru, Betty Bigombe, has been dismissed from her job as
senior director of fragility, conflict, and violence at the World Bank
headquarters in Washington DC.
Saroj Kumar Jha, a former regional director for Central Asia and a
ten-year veteran of the Bank, replaced her.
Bigombe's appointment to the senior director position was shrouded in
controversy after African Finance ministers criticized the Bank
leadership for not doing enough to increase African representation in
the upper echelons of Bank management.
In a stinging article published by DEVEX, a social enterprise and
influential media platform for the global development community, the
World Banks lack of diversity came up for discussion.
"We learned how during the Banks recent Spring Meetings, Kim abruptly
left a meeting with African finance ministers who sit on the board of
governors after being asked why not a single African is among the new
senior directors for global practice and cross-cutting areas."
An inside source in the Bank said the expulsion of Bigombe is an
implementation of a policy that tends to favour 'economic strength
representation.'
"We have no voice, and our countries are not financial heavyweights,
it is easy to dismiss a Ugandan than a Chinese, Japanese or South
Korean," said the insider who did not want their name used for fear of
reprisal.
Another staffer at the Bank mentioned two theories that could have led
to the departure of Bigombe.
When the Obama administration appointed Jim Yong Kim as president of
the World Bank, his marching orders were to overhaul the cloistered
institution.
The restructuring that Kim undertook instituted a two to three-year
ceiling for all new hires and sought to realign the Banks departments
to respond to emerging global threats.
Described as overzealous Kims approach targeted permanent staff at the
Bank, who had become comfortable with the usual way of doing things.
Rattled by the new boss, one of the Banks most influential figures
Mukhtar Diop the vice president for Africa, attempted to join the
African Development Bank.
He did not get the job, and his overtures spilled into the Bank corridors.
He will be leaving in a couple of months.
Bank officials insinuated that Bigombe might have been a victim of the
two to three-year ceiling, but others shot down this theory saying
that she was appointed in July 2014 and was replaced in February 2016
several months before her tenure was due to expire.
The other theory is that Bank officials created an environment that
afforded her no option but to throw in the towel.
When we contacted the Banks spokesman David M. Theis, was cagey about
the reasons for her dismissal.
"Our human resources policy are respectful of confidentiality and
therefore do not allow us for us to discuss the circumstances of staff
departures," he wrote in an email.
Informal discussions among African staff at the Bank intimated that
the appointment of Saroj Kumar Jah shows the influence of the 'Asia
Mafia' that has stiffened the back of the president, a former
University professor who is currently facing the highest turnover of
staff in recent memory.
Ugandans bruised by the abrupt departure of Bigombe are looking at
another chance to nominate a candidate for the rotational executive
director position that is expected to fall vacant in the coming
months.
Richard Kaijuka, a former minister of trade who left after a
corruption scandal, was the last Ugandan alternate executive director
at the World Bank.
Former finance minister and current presidential advisor on the
Bretton Woods institutions Maria Kiwanuka is heavily favoured to be
Uganda's candidate.
However, some Bank employees think she would be more suited for the
influential vice presidency position, which will be vacated by Makhtar
Diop of Senegal in the coming months.
--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment