http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=58111
The local government accounts committee of parliament has ordered
Kabarole district to recover 300 million shillings it advanced to staff.
According to the Auditor General’s report of 2011, in the 2001/2002
financial year, a total of 323 million shillings was advanced to 21
district staff and were supposed to pay back the funds in a period of
one year. However the district managed to recover only 23 million
shillings.
The committee chaired by the Rukiga County MP, Jack Sabiti put to task
Nicholas Ochakara, Kabarole district Chief Administrative Officer, to
explain why the remaining funds had never been recovered.
In his response, Ochakara told the MPs that the district failed to
recover the funds because some of the district staff who were given the
funds died, retired, while others were transferred to other districts.
Ochakara also stunned the committee when he said that he had proposed to
the district council to waive repayment of the funds.
His revelations didn’t go down well with the committee, who accused the district technical staff of misusing tax payer’s money.
Peter Ogwal, the Youth Eastern MP, said that the district should be
given six months to recover the money and that the district council
should reject the CAO’s proposal of waiving repayment of the funds.
Ogwal said that the balance is too much and can used to improve on
service delivery in the district.
Ogwal also said that the committee received information that some of the
staff who were advanced the funds are still working at the district,
but have stubbornly refused to refund the money.
//Cue in: “it’s unfortunate for the district…
Cue out: “…it’s embarrassing.”//
The committee also put Ochakara to task to explain to them why the
district chairperson, Richard Rwabuhinga was in 2011 advanced a loan of
10 million shillings using district coffers to purchase a personal
vehicle. However Ochakara said that Rwabuhinga didn’t have an official
car, so the district executive committee resolved to advance him a loan
and that he is still paying back the loan in installments.
Abdi Fadhil Kisos Chemaswet, the Kween County MP, accused the technical
staff of diverting money to non-priority sectors. He said that the money
advanced to the district chairperson to purchase a car, should have
been used to equip health facilities.
//Cue in: “there are unfunded priorities…
Cue out: “…expense of people who voted them.”//
Other queries raised by the attorney general include the failure by the
district public accounts committee to present its reports to the council
and the district technical staff reporting late for work, which leads
to delays in implementation of activities and failure to meet council
targets.
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