Prime
Representatives of ex-UEB staff speak out on terminal benefits
Representatives of Ex-UEB workers, Ms Josephine Nakafeero (L), Mr George Mutyabule-Wanume(C) and Mr Paul Nyamarere show documents of beneficiaries who signed for their terminal benefits in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY ephraim kasozi
What you need to know:
Clearing the air. The group moves to dispell allegations that the money was not paid to the claimants.
Kampala
Representatives of former workers of the defunct Uganda Electricity Board (UEB) yesterday said their terminal benefits are being processed and paid out to them as directed by court.
The members, Paul Nyamarere, Josephine Nakafeero, John Walugo and Edward Rogers Kiwanuka won cases in which about 2,000 ex-workers had sued the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited, UEB liquidators, and the Attorney General for pension and gratuity.
Speaking to journalists in Kampala, the group said complaints of loss of part of the benefits were false, with the intention of attracting sympathy to avoid paying legal fees for cases which have lasted more than 10 years without pay.
“It is only us as legal representatives who are authorised to conduct and speak on behalf of all the beneficiaries. We procured the lawyers and pursued all the cases on their behalf without any payment made. We secured judgements on their behalf and the money,” Mr Nyamarere said. He added that the report was by ‘unscrupulous’ persons without a right to represent anybody or report anything about the cases already completed in courts of law.
“The issue of losing Shs7.9 billion is misdirected because this was a service offered after negotiation and it was agreed upon and sanctioned by court. For any grievance, the right recourse is court and not politics involving or implicating lawyers who have never represented us,” said Ms Nakafeero, showing a list of people who have been paid.
Ms Nakafeero revealed that the lawyers, M/s Bashasha and Company Advocates, have represented more than 2,000 former workers for the last 13 years and have recovered more than Shs80 billion.
“How then can we avoid paying their services?” she said.
They showed documents comprising hundreds of beneficiaries who signed for their money.
“Of course, there is still a balance which is not yet paid because the government has not paid in full. And this is a fact known to every beneficiary since there have been meetings whenever money is paid,” said Mr Nyamarere.
Mr Alex Bashasha confirmed representing the ex-workers of UEB but said he is entitled to fees for the work done. “Any issues with the legal representatives has to be resolved by court, but not attacking persons and law firms who helped them to recover benefits. The latter are also entitled to payments for the services offered for more than a decade,” said Mr Bashasha, in an interview with the Daily Monitor.
Mr Rogers Kiwanuka, who represented four complainants; Charles Bakulu, Borny Lukanga, Bartholomew Lule and John Ndawula, said there is no claim. “We paid benefits to the late Bakulu through his son, who has powers of attorney in names of Charles Kabenge and the others were paid through their respective banks,” Mr Kiwanuka said. “It is only a few of those disgruntled individuals who are trying to dodge payment for the work done.”
