MPs AND MINISTERS FROM WESTNILE REGION WARN AGAINST PARISH DEVELOPMENT MODULE (PDM) MISMANAGEMENT IN THE REGION.

The Parish Development Model  a Government strategy or approach for organizing and delivering public and private sector interventions for wealth creation and employment generation at the parish level as the lowest economic planning unit and aimed at ensuring support for more Ugandans to increase their demand for goods and services.

Parish Development Model (PDM) is the last mile strategy for service delivery by Government of Uganda for improving incomes and welfare of all Ugandans at the household level. It is an extension of the whole-of-Government approach to development as envisaged under NDPIII, with the Parish as the lowest administrative and operational hub for delivering services closer to the people and hence foster local economic development. The PDM underlies the spirit of harmonization of Government interventions with every MDAs focusing on; delivering services closer to the people; and measurable results at the Parish level in order to ensure transformation of the subsistence households into the money economy. This transformation requires organized, integrated, well-coordinated and results-based efforts. 

The ministers from West Nile led by Hon Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny state minister for Northern Uganda have started the popularisation process in Arua City, Hon Dr Joyce Moriku minister of state for Primary Education, Hon Obigah Kania minister of state urban development, Hon Anite Evelyn minister of state privatisation and investment, Hon Huda Oleru minister of state for veterans affairs and MPs Hon Atima Jackson Arua Central, also Government Regional Whip for West Nile, Hon Paparu Lillian, Arua District, Hon Adriko Yovani Vurra county, Hon Lematia John, Ayivu West and Hon Feta Geofrey MP Ayivu East together with His Worship Sam Wadri Mayor Arua City,  Hon Malon Avutia Mayor of Ayivu Division, Mr Masaba Ismail Deputy Resident City Commissioner Ayivu Division, Mr Owanyi George District Resident Commissioner Arua District and his deputy Mr Ezama Ham. 

The meeting was also attended by  NRM executives from the local governments and the technical staff. 

Addressing stakeholders in Arua City the ministers and MPs warned the implementors especially technical staff against mismanagement of the program, that is aimed at up lefting the 39% Ugandan households or the 16 million people in subsistance economy, the people who most poverty stricken, landless, vulnerable and unemployed traped in the vicious circle of poverty. 

Government through parliamentary approval in the 2022/23 has earmarked over one trillion shillings to be used in the program, where each parish in Uganda will be given one hundred millions (100) on top of the seveteen millions sent in the finanical year 2021/22 

The MPs raised a concern over the formation of the Parish SACCOs and selection of entreprises, and called on the technical staff to ensure that they shouldn't divert from the guidelines and percentage allocation to the women, youth, people with disabilities, older people and others. The security team in West Nile was alerted to keep watch over any possible defrauding of government by individuals and certianly effect arrest where neccessary. 

The meeting resloved to do the execrise afresh in Arua City as it had alot of inconsistancies in the processes and tasked the town clerk and chief administrative officer respectively to avail the leaders with all the document on the SACCO accounts and the persons who are signatories, they also wandered how the accounts could be opened without the parish chieifs. The parish chiefs are principal signatories according to new government guidelines. 

PAC CENTRAL TAKES ON ARUA REGIONAL HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT.

The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC) earlier last week pitched camp in West Nile and grilled the management of Arua Regipnal Referral Hospital over a series of issues ranging from the disappearance of drugs and medical supplies, negilence and unproffessionalism among staff, the disappearance of the ambulance, and keeping large stocks of expired drugs in Hospital stores instead of disposing of them as required by law.

 

PAC learned that in the last one year the hospital has had over three hospital administrators, something that has affected the smooth operations of the facility, 

Hon Atima Jackson, the MP Arua Central Division which hosts the hospital expressed his displeasure by the managemnet for always refusing to attend to their immediate neighbours for lack of referral letters, poor professional attitude towards work by staff which in some cases lead to death, due to delays to  attend to patients, who allege that they are asked for bribes in a government facility. 

 

The committee chaired by Asuman Basalirwa the Bugiri Municipality MP directed the Arua Regional Hospital management to furnish the committee with a report on the current status of the staffing, infrastructure, stolen ambulance and expired drugs and the values of the stock. The committee was also interested in the drug procurement plan of the hospital.

The Auditor-General report queries alot of issues within the hospital and the management was put on notice to prepare to appear at Parliament with all the answers to the queries raised on COVID19 funds, staffing and procurement and managment of drugs and many others. 

Legislators raised concerns that when hospitals delay destroying expired drugs, they find their way back to the market, packaged by some unscrupulous elements. Committee members also wondered how drugs expire in public hospitals in large quantities when Ugandans suffer to get drugs in public facilities.

In their response, the hospital management told the committee that drugs in the stores are mostly ARVs that were discarded for prescription and they await  the National Medical stores to pick them and destroy them. 

They added that they have a challenge of our open borders and the refugees, who were not factored in during the budgeting and do access the services, hence the fast consumption of the drugs, as it serves many people. 

Meanwhile, the Public Accounts Committee also questioned the Arua Hospital official over the poor handling of  a child that resulted into death and was all over the media, and how has management responded to this, are there measures to discpline the staff involved. 

 

In their defense, they attributed it to indiscpline  by some staff and people who come to con people within the complex, but measures are undertaken to address the challenges. They called on the MPs to support the hospital and government increases its funding and development of infrastructure like new maternity ward, childrens ward, mortuary among others. 

Hon Feta Geofrey of Ayivu East raised the issue of unfriendly working environment amongst the staff, a case in point is the failure to hand over officially to the new hospital administrator 

 PAC LOCAL GOVERNMENT DETERMINES TO CLEAN MESS IN WEST NILE.

Members of Parliament on the Local Government Public Accounts Committee  quizzed officials from District Local Governments and Municipalities in West Nile over a wide range of issues involving the management of their payroll systems, pension, staffing, over and under payments.

The MPs led by Committee Chairperson, Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, expressed concern over non-payment of salaries, underpayment of pensions and gratuity as well as delayed access to the pension payroll.

Meeting officials from Terego, Koboko, Yumbe, Madi Okollo, Zombo, Nebbi, Maracha, Arua District and Arua City as well as Koboko and Nebbi Municipalities led by Chief Administrative Officers and Town Clerks,  accompanied by political leaders together with RCCs and RDCs, the MPs put the officials to task to explain why they alwyas fail to pay for salaries and  remain on the district account contrary to Section B-a (7) of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders.

The officials were appearing before the committee to respond to issues raised by the auditor general to Parliament.

"Playing around with pensions is not something we are going to take lightly. My expectation is that when you come back before this committee, we do not want to hear that somebody was not paid when the money is there," Mapenduzi said.

In his report to Parliament Auditor General John Muwanga observed that these local government entities had issues related to millions of unpaid in salaries, contrary to Section B-a(7) of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders.

"Non-payment of salaries leads to accumulation of arrears. I advised the accounting officer to liaise with the Ministry of Finance to ensure arrears are paid and ensure that they have their banking details assessed," noted the Auditor General.

Regarding payroll data, the Auditor General's report also noted variances between amounts on the payroll and payments to individual pensioners. "Under and non-payment of pension leads to accumulation of arrears and affects the livelihoods of the pensioners. The accounting officers attribute this to budget cuts and non-receipt of supplementary funding," reported the Auditor General.

The Resident District Commissioner for Arua District George Owanyi raised the issue of resistance from some local government staff who normaly say that " We are children of the land and nobody will manage us, they all come and go, but leave us here"  

'Hon Chair, this makes our work hard to supervise some of these people and ensure proper implementation and accountablility of government funds' noted Mr Owanyi 

In respone the MP for Arua Central Atima Jackson urged the committee to propose amongst its recommendations to ensure that people who are recurited by districts are rotated to serve in other areas, so as to fight coordinated corruption and failing of government programs, the current arrangement where only the town clerks and chief administrative officers are transfered, it leaves alot to be desired. 

Hon Ojara Mapenduzi  stakeholders that as Parliament they will do their best to address bottlenecks within local governments, but rallied technical people to always do their best to ensure proper implementation of government programs and accountability of funds, aviod wastage and possible cause of loss to government. 

MP ATIMA JACKSON CALLS FOR INCREASE IN ROAD FUND TO ARUA CITY.

Hon Atima Jackson MP Arua Central in Arua City has called upon government mandated to handle road infrastructure like Uganda National Roads Authorities (UNRA), Uganda Road Fund (URF) and Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) to increase on the funding extended to Arua City to improve on the road network. 

During the tour of his constituency roads, on the utilisation of funds from Uganda Road Fund for the financial year 2022/22 which is over six hundred millions (600) advanced to Arua City 

Uganda Road Fund (URF), a government body responsible for financing routine and periodic maintenance of public roads recently released funds to government agencies to work on roads and ensure they faclitate  business across the country. 

The Uganda Road Fund has a duty to finance the implementation of the Annual Road Maintenance Programmes that are carried out by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), and the other designated agencies responsible for District, Urban and Community Access Roads.

The City Engineer informed the MP and his team about the under staffing of his department and late release of funds which comes almost at the end of the finanical year, which makes the maintance and opening up of other roads difficult. 

' As of now, we are hiring equipment to work on roads in Arua City, because we don't have them' noted the City Engineer.

Hon Atima toured roads in Kenya, Tanganyika, Pangisha, Awindiri, Mvara and Bazaar wards with the Central Division councillors led by the Speaker Osuga Rasul and his deputy Victor Vidal. 

MPs EXHBIT UNITY IN KOBOKO SCHOOL FUNDRAISING.

In a fundraising drive for the construction of classrooms, a domitory and mosque at Koboko Gural Quran School led by Hajati Medina Naham the Director for Finance and Administration in NRM and supported by Hon Atima Jackson MP Arua Central, Hon Charles Ayume MP Koboko Municipality, Hon Avako Melisa Gule MP Yumbe District, Hon Aate Sharifah Taban MP Koboko District and Hon Huda Oleru MP Aringa and minister of state for veterans affairs, over ninety millions (90) were raised in cash and twenty million (20) in pledges. 

Rt Hon Thomas Tayebwa the Deputy Speaker of Parliament made a donation of ten millions (10), and other contributions were from Hon Chemonges William, Hon Ayoo Tonny, Hon Kabanda Daniel, they rallied the population to foster unity more so in West Nile, so as to ensure that people benefit from all government programs and for their own security.

Hajati Madina appreciated the people who contributed to the cause ans encouraged the beneficary school to utilise the funds for the planned project and transparently. ' It would be bad for people who have sacrficed the little they had and contributed to hear that the school head or management have been arrested for misuse of the funds' noted Hajati Medina

The muslim fraternity from across West Nile generously contributed to the cause, as well as Muni University.

Source; Golooba Richard.