NRM coordinators cautioned against corruption
State House comptroller, Ms Jane Barekye addressing the NRM coordinators at the party offices in Kyambogo on February 7, 2023
The newly appointed regional coordinators of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Office of the National Chairman (ONC) have been cautioned against corruption which may affect their performance in following up the implementation of government programmes.
During the opening ceremony of the three-day training seminar of the coordinators at Kyambogo NRM office on Tuesday, the state House Comptroller, Ms Jane Barekye urged them to focus on the core principles of the NRM government manifesto and the presidential directives which denounce all forms of corruption in the public service sector.
State house comptroller, Ms Jane Barekye (R) and the senior presidential advisor on political affairs, Ms Uzeiye Namyalo (L) during the opening ceremony of the NRM coordinators' seminar at the party offices in Kyambogo ye
Equally, Ms Barekye asked the coordinators to mobilise their communities to embrace commercial agriculture as preached by the president in his drives to stamp out poverty.
“You are going to the communities to serve the grassroot people, corrupt officials will bribe you with money and other incentives but work to ensure justice to the Bazzukulu (grandchildren) who have decried poor service delivery in their respective local governments,” Ms Barekye said.
She added: “The president has talked about commercial agriculture which can either be intensive or extensive. Majority Ugandans fall under intensive agriculture because of the size of the land and tools they use. You (coordinators) are living among Ugandans who are poor and you have the knowledge, why don’t you help them?”
She further proffered that people still love the president (Museveni) but they need to be guided on how to improve their incomes through various government interventions such Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga which are meant to alleviate people from poverty.
“Even those with small pieces of land should be guided on how to utilize them. They can engage in poultry farming, piggery or do Zero grazing of cattle. Select model farmers in your communities, equip them with the skills so that they can also replicate the same ideas in their homes,” Ms Barekye added.
This financial year 2022/2023, government allocated Shs1 trillion to PDM project to uplift over 16 million Ugandans in subsistence farming into the money economy. Last month, the minister for Local government revealed that at least 8,600 parishes have been cleared to invest the PDM money.
NRM Office of the National Chairman Coordinators during the opening ceremony of their three-day training seminar at Kyambogo
Speaking at the same event, the senior presidential advisor on political matters, Ms Uzeiye Namyalo urged the coordinators to be good cadres of the president and ensure that concerns of Ugandans are raised to the national level through the office of the NRM national chairman.
“Ugandans are facing a number of challenges such as land grabbing, corruption among others, be the voice of these desperate Bazzukulu. The NRM government and the president are fed-up of corruption, therefore, if any of you accepts bribes he or she shall be charged and interdicted,” Ms Namyalo said.
Over 100 people were appointed as regional coordinators for the ONC and these shall be working alongside RDCs to monitor government performance and service delivery at local government level.
