Prime
Karamoja MPs call for reforms in OPM
Left-Right: Members of Karamoja Parliamentary Group; John Bosco Ngoya (Bokora County), Remigio Achia (Pian County), Faith Nakut (Napak Woman) and Moses Aleper (Chekwii County) address journalists at Parliament yesterday. PHOTO/DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
The appeal comes in the wake of the iron sheets scandal that implicated senior government officials in diverting relief items meant for the sub-region.
The Karamoja Parliamentary Group (KPG) has asked the government to carry out reforms in the Office of the Prime Minister to address existing loopholes, which have left it wide open to corruption.
The appeal by KPG yesterday comes in the wake of the iron sheets scandal in which a string of senior members of government, including the Vice President, Speaker of Parliament, Prime Minister, ministers, MPs and officials were implicated in illegally diverting relief items meant for vulnerable persons in Karamoja Sub-region.
The KPG fraternity through their chairperson, Mr Remigio Achia, told journalists that “the absence of clear management systems in the Prime Minister’s office have, over the years, presented fertile ground for corruption, impunity and perennial arrests of technical people in that office.”
Area MPs from the sub-region called for “urgent reforms in the OPM” because “technical officers in the OPM” disappointed the public’s trust bestowed upon them.
“They knowingly assisted the executive to commit this act even though they really knew the right thing to be done,”Mr Achia said.
At the weekend, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Justice Jane Frances Abodo, indicated that files of 17 unnamed government officials implicated in the scandal were closed for lack of evidence – a conclusion which has since attracted considerable disbelief and suspicions of a cover-up among sections of the public.
Before court
So far, only Minister of Karamoja Affairs Mary Gorreti Kitutu and her junior minister Agnes Nandutu, along with State minister for Planning Amos Lugoloobi have been arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court in relation to the iron sheets scandal.
Mr Achia indicated that his colleagues are disappointed with Justice Abodo’s decision and, therefore only see hope in recommending that administrative changes be effected within OPM.
The iron sheets scandal broke after a criminal investigation found that the Shs39 billion relief and economic empowerment programme in Karamoja was abused by officials.
Vice President Jessica Alupo, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, Speaker Anita Among together with 22 ministers, 30 MPs plus relatives of implicated officials shared out thousands of iron sheets meant for distribution to reformed warriors and other vulnerable people.
On Monday, the opposition Forum for Democratic Change criticised Justice Abodo’s decision. Party spokesperson John Kikonyongo told a media conference that it was wrong for the DPP to claim that there was no evidence and yet implicated individuals had been found in possession of the stolen iron sheets and either returned them, or reimbursed the equivalent value in cash – thereby providing evidence of culpability.
The party warned that the DPP’s questionable decision to back off the case will demoralise the fight against widespread corruption in government.
