The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Apac, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Political leaders in Apac district have come under the spotlight for defaulting Emyooga funds.
Through Emyooga, the government sought to support 18 categories of associations, namely: boda boda riders, women entrepreneurs, welders, taxi operators, fishermen, journalists, veterans, performing artists, and elected leaders among others.
In Apac district, of the 36 groups that received 1.1 Billion Shillings, 360 Million Shillings has so far been saved but only 40 million has been recovered with politicians topping the lists of defaulters.
This comes after the District Commercial Officer James Ebony Oyuru, petitioned the Resident District Commissioner demanding an intervention to recover the money. In his letter dated December 6, Oyuru says dozens of the Sacco members took the money but didn’t refund it.
Kasim Muhad Azabu, the Apac Deputy Resident District Commissioner has now embarked on a name and shame approach, a move he believes will help in recovering the money.
He says they will soon launch out special monitoring to follow up on the defaulters.
Dickens Edwong, a member of Apac Municipal Political Leaders SACCO, also one of the municipal leaders whose bicycle was impounded for defaulting the loan, appealed to other beneficiaries of Emyooga to follow their repayment schedules to avoid embarrassments.
Apac district LCV chairman Odongo Asante blames the poor recovery of the Emyooga fund to lack of financial literacy and poor design of the project from the onset. Odongo suggests that the leaders be given a grace period to repay the money.
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