The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Agago, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of Oporot tree planting group in Patongo town council in Agago district that benefited from the NUSAF III project have 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 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 2 Million Shillings.
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.
Akidi says with the end of the NUSAF III 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.
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.
NUSAF III 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.
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