Government partners with Gulu University to boost operation wealth creation

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Government has entered into a partnership with Gulu University to help boost operation wealth creation in Northern Uganda.

General Salim Saleh, the Operation Wealth Creation National Coordinator told Uganda Radio Network – URN in an interview on Friday that the partnership seeks to address ways of how to fight poverty in the North.

Saleh revealed that government has injected close to 4 trillion shillings in Northern Uganda for nearly 26 years on economic recovery but noted that poverty rates in the region still remain high.

However, he noted that the strategic partnership with Gulu University on operation wealth creation will evaluate the impact of the project and also identify key challenges for redress.

He says further interventions in the region must focus on investments but not giving handouts to the beneficiaries as opposed to earlier interventions.

Saleh also revealed that government had proposed PRDP-4, Peace, Recovery and Development Plan for a continuity of government support in the region after the two decades of civil strife.

“We need to engage the youth in this region in the programming of poverty eradication which will start in the next one week,” he added.

James Ojok Onono, the Gulu University Deputy Public Relations Officer said the University is tasked to offer expertise to government on the implementation of operation wealth creation.

Onono revealed that the University and the team from Operation Wealth Creation in the greater North will soon release their evaluation reports on the impact of Operation Wealth Creation. He further explained that the team will look into the money injected in the region and the transformation at households and also to advise the government.

The Gulu University Vice Chancellor Prof. George Open-Juru Ladda has been appointed chairman of the Steering Committee.

The Uganda National Household survey of 2016/2017 put incidence of poverty in Northern Uganda as second highest in the country with 32.5 % of its population living below the national poverty line.

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URN