Col. Katabazi notes that many projects of government are being abused within the region with few or sometimes no one in the respective offices of the president extensively monitoring their implementation.
Deputy Director General Internal Security Organization (ISO) Col. Emmy Katabazi speaks at a capacity building retreat for RDCs, RCCs, RISOs and DISOS in Gulu City on Tuesday.
The Deputy Director General of the Internal
Security Organization (ISO) Col. Emmy Katabazi, has urged representatives of
the President in the Acholi Sub-region to heighten monitoring of government
projects to ensure resources don’t go to waste.
Col. Katabazi notes that many
Government Projects are being abused within the region with few or sometimes
no one in the respective offices of the president extensively monitoring their
implementation.
He particularly emphasized Universal Primary Education
(UPE), Universal Secondary Education-USE, and the Parish Development Model (PDM), a government initiative meant to
alleviate poverty at the Parish level.
According to Katabazi, some government-aided
schools are overcharging school fees despite the government injecting money for
learners, a move he says has left many learners unable to attend schools.
“Ensure these children stay in school
because the government is paying the teachers in the UPE and USE schools. I
want you to monitor schools and understand what goes on in every school within
your area,” he said.
Col. Katabazi made the remarks in a keynote speech during a capacity-building retreat for
Resident District Commissions and their deputies, Resident City Commissioners,
and Assistant Resident City Commissioners in Gulu City on Tuesday.
Other participants were
Assistant Resident District Commissioners, Regional Internal Security Officers
(RISOs, and District Internal Security Officers (DISOs) from Acholi Sub-region.
He noted that PDM
remains a core initiative of the government which entails several government
pillars in addressing poverty at the parish level across the country. He added that ISO rolled out a digital monitoring tool that will be used by the Gombolola
Internal Security Officers (GISOs) to monitor PDM progress and detailed knowledge
of its beneficiaries.
He, however, cautioned RDCs, RCCs,
DISOs, and RISOs against engaging in fights among themselves and their juniors over work, but instead emphasized the need for teamwork and coordination to achieve the
common objective of monitoring projects.
Prof. Suudi Nangoli, the Managing
Director of the Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation(UPPC) in a
presentation highlighted political interference as one of the challenges that
still stifles the monitoring and evaluation results of key government projects.
He notes that from the World Bank
Study report, over 60 per cent of government officials agreed that political
influence greatly influences M&E results in the country.
Prof. Nangoli observed a need to train RDCs, RCCs, and their assistants with valuable skills in monitoring
to ensure improvement in the quality of reports they disseminate to the central
government.
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According to the World Bank
Global M&E index report, Uganda ranks in the 127th position out
of 190 countries in the M&E performance.
Sadat Kisuyi, a Principal
Economist at the Office of the President however says for the respective
representatives of the presidents to achieve in their role of monitoring government
projects, they must be good managers. He tipped the RDCs, RCCs, RISOs, and
DISOS to employ effective skills in planning, communication, ensuring feedback,
and teamwork.
Jane Frances Amongin Okili, the Gulu
Resident City Commissioner however says while some of them have in the past
tried their best in monitoring government projects, it hasn’t gone without
facing intimidation which remains a hindrance.
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Osborn Oceng, the Lamwo Resident
District Commissioner commended the office of the President for the capacity
building which he says will go a long way in developing their monitoring skills
and quality report dissemination.
