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Youth leaders threaten to boycott national celebrations over allowances
A section of NYC Youth leaders protest over poor quality food, corruption and meagre allowances at Soroti University during a foiled council meeting on August 11, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Mr Jacob Eyeru, denied allegations of corruption saying that they have been directing resources to the districts' accounts except for last financial year which was affected by the general budget cuts.
- Mr Musa Ecweru urged the youth to always exercise patience and protect their reputation in public occasions irrespective of the situations for a brighter future.
As Uganda joins the rest of the world to mark the international youth day, the youth leaders under their umbrella body, the National Youth Council (NYC) have threatened to boycott today's national youth event in Soroti City, Eastern Uganda over unpaid allowances.
The threats were issued last evening at Soroti University after the youth disagreed with the organisers of today's event over the allowances they were supposed to be paid.
A meeting had been scheduled to take place at around 2pm ahead of today’s celebrations to enable leaders to harmonize matters to be presented to the president during the national even in Asuret primary teachers College in Soroti District but the meeting was called off after chaotic scenes played out.
They castigated their NYC boss Mr Jocob Eyeru and the assistant private secretary to the president in charge youth affairs Ms Brenda Kiconco who is the secretary for female affairs at the NYC leadership structure for allegedly mismanaging their resources.
The youth who foiled the meeting as they rejected shs 1M offered to them as part of the allowance threatened to boycott and disrupt the international event if their allowances are not fully settled to the dot.
“Unless our allowances are paid fully, we shall not attend that event,” Mr Rakibu Kiyimba, the Mayunge District youth chairperson said.
Attempts by the minister in charge of youth affairs, Mr Balaam Barugahara, minister of state for works and transport Mr Musa Ecweru and other top leaders to quell the situation were futile as the rowdy youth leaders filled the house with noise.
Mr Barugahara had suggested that the youth leaders accept to sign for the available one million shillings as they wait for the additional money tomorrow.
The youth minister was backed by Mr Ecweru who said that his conversation with the minister of gender, labour and social development Ms Betty Amongi signaled that the additional allowances would be delivered tomorrow morning.
Despite putting spirited efforts to calm the youth, their submissions were all quashed as leaders expressed fears that their money would end up in the hyena’s jaws.
“Right now, we don’t trust anybody, we don’t trust our leaders and we don’t trust ourselves the only answer we want is money, if the money is not with the ministry go and borrow from any bank, " one youth chanted.
Mr Jorem Odeke, the finance secretary NYC for Ngora district said that they cannot let chances slip because the level of corruption at head office is leading them to lose trust in their leadership.
“Government has been giving shs 4B to the youth to run their activities through the national youth council,” Mr Odeke said.
Mr Jacob Eyeru, denied allegations of corruption saying that they have been directing resources to the districts' accounts except for last financial year which was affected by the general budget cuts.
Mr Musa Ecweru urged the youth to always exercise patience and protect their reputation in public occasions irrespective of the situations for a brighter future.
