Martin Atuka, the NUSAF III Community Monitoring Group Chairperson in Agago District says out of the 136 members of the group, only 85 actively engaged in working on-site yet the executive leaders claimed to have paid all members.
Members of Oporot tree planting group in Patongo Town Council in
Agago district that benefited from the NUSAFIII project has resolved to sell
off properties of their executive members to recover 16 million shillings they
allegedly swindled.
The decision follows the failure by the executive members of the group to
account for the money since April this year. The money is part of 65 Million
Shillings the group received from the government in February last year and
meant to pay members for eucalyptus tree planting.
A total of 136 members drawn from Oporot North village were registered to
benefit from the government project aimed at eradicating poverty and
environmental conservation.
However, in June this year, members of the group accused their executive
leaders of paying ghost beneficiaries, inflating procurement figures, and
non-transparency in procuring a contractor for seedling supplies.
Martin Atuka, the NUSAF III Community Monitoring Group Chairperson in Agago
District says out of the 136 members of the group, only 85 actively engaged in
working on-site yet the executive leaders claimed to have paid all members. He
says when they had earlier raised the complaints to the district leaders, the
executive members acknowledged their faults and promised to pay but have only
refunded Two Million Shillings.
//cue in: “These group leaders…
Cue out:…to do that.”//
Rose Akidi a member of the group and resident of Patongo Town Council says the
executive leaders have been consistently lying to refund the money since April
this year.
Akidi says although the matter was reported to the Nusaf III desk officer and
Resident District Commissioner, the leaders have not made any strides to compel
the accused persons to refund the money fast enough.
Luo
//cue in: “Gin ma dong…
Cue out:…ke nen kong.”//
Akidi says with the end of the NUSAFIII project, members are worried that they
may never get back their payment and have since resolved to sell off their
executive members’ properties to recover the money.
Luo
//cue in: “Ma naka wan…
Cue out:…dano tiye marac.”//
Christine Lalam, Oporot Tree Planting Group Chairperson didn't
pick our repeated phone calls.
Agago Resident District Commissioner Andrew Onyuk however dismissed allegations
that he hasn’t been of help to the group beneficiaries in ensuring that they
recover their money. Onyuk says he has held meetings with the accused persons
more than once in which they acknowledged their faults and promised to pay the
money.
He however warned the aggrieved beneficiaries from taking matters into their
hands by attaching properties of the executive members citing such a move will
trigger clashes that could foil the recovery process.
//cue in: “for the group…
Cue out:… not allow that.”//
NUSAFIII project which became effective in March 2016 and implemented through
the office of the Prime Minister with funding from the World Bank came to an
end on June 30 this year.
