ACCORDING to well-placed sources within the Electricity Control Board (ECB) Chief Executive Officer, Siseho Simasiku, is said to be running the ECB as his own private company.

The CEO is said to be determined to replace his Personal Assistant and Public Relations Officer, Sedrik Mwilima, with his close friend and business associate, Fred Sekandi, a consultant he appointed in January 2010. The detail of the story is contained in a letter written to the Anti Corruption Commission last year, in which it is alleged that the “staff (do) not knowing what exact consulting services he (Sekandi) provides” to the ECB.

A credible source suggested that the only known work produced thusfar by Sekandi was the introduction of project management modules, which were apparently downloaded from the internet. “S n S did not initiate anything in ECB,” the inside source alleges.

“…Why the ECB have budgeted and created this position of PA to CEO for Mr. Sekandi, as the CEO already has enough support staff to assist and have been assisting him for the past 10 years,” reads the letter to the ACC in part.

Sekandi, under his consulting firm S n S Consultant, reportedly receives a monthly cheque of N$50 000, and since he works overtime, can get paid up to N$70 000 per month. The authors of the letter to the ACC claim that the ECB will advertise the position, but have however clearly created this position for Mr. Sekandi. “They already refer to him as the PA to the CEO.”

Sekandi rubbished the allegations as false, describing them as hollow. “I’m a consultant called to help with project management and my contract ends in November 2012. I did not apply for the position of PA to the CEO. I’m a retired 64-year old man and I’m not interested. I don’t understand why they are smearing my name. S n S was formed in 1989 while I was working for Rossing in Swakopmund in 1989 before I knew Simasiku.”

Sekandi says he had made an impact at the ECB by introducing management projects systems and assisting staff to manage projects. He also accused the current PA to Simasiku, Mwilima of not doing his work.

Simasiku has also reportedly appointed a General Manager of Finance and Administration (name withheld), who possesses questionable qualifications. She was apparently given N$50 000 to pay for her ticket to and accommodation in the United Kingdom to attend the funeral of an aunt. The money was reportedly never paid back to the ECB or might have been given as a donation, an ECB source told Informanté.

Another allegation contain in the letter is the unsuitable appointment of Manager for Legal Services (name withheld), who was given N$100 000 in S&T fees to travel abroad on condition that she arrange and pay for her own accommodation. She reportedly arranged for accommodation together with her air-ticket on ECB’s account and did not repay the money. Simasiku also stands accused of having appointed a driver to escort his children to and from school in his official vehicle. “This is not part of his package, but misuse of power,” the disgruntled worker wrote to the ACC.

ACC Director, Paulus Noa says, “I have no opinion on those points, but it looks like administrative complaints which should be reported to the State-Owned Enterprise’s Board,” says Noa. Simasiku refused to shed light on the allegations, saying the matter is in the hands of the ACC.