Three NUSAF officials arrested in Pader for supplying blind cattle

Pader, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Three officials of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) in Pader district have been arrested for supplying farmers with blind and unhealthy cattle.

They are Anthony Toolanya, the NUSAF III desk officer, Robert Okeny, the District Veterinary Officer and district NUSAF III focal officer, and Bosco Otto, an animal supplier in the district. They were arrested on Thursday evening from Pukor sub county on the orders of the Resident District Commissioner Dusman Okee.

Toolanya and Okeny are accused of conniving with Otto to supply seven blind cattle among others, which were unhealthy and premature. These were part of the 36 heads of cattle supplied to Loyocak Animal Traction, Agungi Wii Gweng Animal Traction and Gangba Animal Traction on July 4.

The groups are part of the 17 beneficiary farmer groups in Pader district. The three NUSAF groups had reportedly paid 40.8 million Shillings to the contractor for the supply of 48 heads of cattle.

The concern was raised by Richard Ojwini, the Pukor sub county chairperson who told the RDC during a meeting that his office had received numerous concerns that some of the supplied cattle were unhealthy.

Okee then ordered for the arrest of the three who were instantly picked up by armed personnel and taken to Pader Central Police Station where they had their statements recorded on allegations of sabotaging government programs.

He also suspended any further transactions between the district and the three, until their matters are fully settled in the courts of law.

Richard Ojwini, the Pukor sub county chairperson said that he had conducted a monitoring exercise among the beneficiary groups and confirmed that the cattle they had was unhealthy and blind while the ox-ploughs were missing.

He also faulted the veterinary officer for allowing the distribution of the cattle much as he had raised the concerns to him before the exercise.

He applauded the RDC for taking swift action against the three whom he described as saboteurs who were working to entrench poverty in the Acholi sub region.

Earlier before the arrest, Simon Oroma ,the chairperson Loyocak Animal Traction group and his colleagues had raised a similar concern and tasked the RDC to apprehend the three noting that even when they raised the concern no action was taken.

While speaking in the meeting before his arrest, Bosco Otto, the contractor said that he had bought the cattle from Buliisa district while still healthy, noting that he was shocked to learn of reports that the cattle were instead blind and unhealthy.

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