RDC ON THE RUN FOR FRUSTRATING RECOVERY OF PDM MONEY

BY MICHAEL OJOK

OBONGI Matata Buga, Obongi Resident District Commissioner is on the run for allegedly frustrating efforts by the government to recover over 30 million shillings Parish Development Module.

The money is part of the 208 million shillings diverted by technical staff of Nwoya district last year. At the time, Andrew Leru, the current Chief Administrative Officer, Obongi District was deployed as the CAO, Nwoya district.

Joveline Kalisa, the Deputy National Coordinator, PDM Secretariate revealed to our reporter that they had on several occasions asked Buga to arrest the implicated Leru in vain.

Having used ISO to net the CAO, Kalisa said he (Leru) was on Tuesday arrested from Obongi, and taken to Arua Central Police Station where he spent the night only to be accompanied by the LCV Chairperson of Obongi to the bank to withdraw the 30.680 million shillings.

According to Kalisa, when they went to pick up the CAO, they also had directives from the State House to arrest Mr Buga, who fled the district on knowing they were going to the district.

“So far of the 208 million shillings PDM Funds diverted, the secretariat is left with recovering 66 million shillings from two district officials who were this week detained by the State House Anti-corruption unit. They are Mark Odong Osineri and Samuel Awanga, who are to refund 33 million shillings each,” says Kalisa.

Daniel Opio Okumu, the Anaka Town Council LCV Councilor said there`s need for more concerted efforts in fighting corruption especially among the technical staff assigned in the districts.

Okumu said that a lot of money is injected into the community under the supervision of the technical staff who instead tend to divert the funds for their personal gains.

Christopher Omara, the Nwoya Resident District Commissioner said a comprehensive investigation will be launched immediately after all the 208 million shillings has been recovered, saying the investigations will also cover other projects including civil works.

According to Omara, actions will be taken against the implicated officers upon the full recovery of the funds.

The government last year disbursed Shs 417 million as a start-up fund for the implementation of the PDM programme activities such as administrative costs, salaries, procurement of equipment, and revolving fund to approved groups in Nwoya.

According to a special investigation conducted in September last year, approximately Shs208 million was diverted into individual accounts. Out of Shs262 million meant for the revolving fund for 44 parishes, only Shs104 million was deposited.