ISAAC NIWAMANYA: Open Letter to PM Nabbanja On NAADS, Wealth Creation

The Rt Hon Robina Nabbanja has now turned out to be a slow actor even when directed by the President on matters of national importance.

On 22nd April 2022, HE Gen(Rtd) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni directed the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS) to Pay for the Passion Fruits Seedlings supplied by a youths group Passion Focus Uganda Ltd in September 2017 and March 2018 planting seasons in Western Uganda under the guidance of Operation Wealth Creation.

The Prime minister has given a deaf ear to the directive yet the youth group is walloping in absolute poverty at the helm of corrupt officials from the NAADS.

Since 2018 when the invoice was submitted, the NAADS has failed to comply and pay for the seedlings. Ministry of Agriculture(MAAIF), Operation Wealth Creation and NAADS verified the nursery beds which the group supplied to the farmers, the group had as well scored 75% in the verification exercise but the corruption at NAADS made them kicked out on the basis that they had not submitted powers of attorney.

However, all that was planned to frustrate the youths who had been recommended by the Chief Coordinator OWC Gen Caleb Akandwanaho Salim Saleh in 2016 to the NAADS since he had tasked them to develop the Passion Fruits Enterprise in Western Uganda.

What was the reason behind NAADS Tossing the Youths Group?

The OWC was launched by HE YKM to transform the 68% subsistence farmers into commercial farmers, NAADS had failed to do that, there happened internal conflicts between the Soldiers(OWC) and the NAADS had been filled with corruption geared by air supplies, the OWC soldiers came as a supervisory body, this led to the layoff of some workers of NAADS, NAADS started finding it hard to steal, this made them uncomfortable and had always wanted OWC out of agriculture since they were becoming a force to fail their corruption deals when OWC recommended the hardworking youths group that has been voluntarily engaging farmers in Commercial Passion Fruits growing, NAADS took them as spies on behalf of OWC hence the tossing.

NAADS at first paid the first bill in 2017 March, however, it was a struggle as the group had to first report the NAADS to the Statehouse Anti-Corruption Unit which was then led by Lt Col Edith Nakalema, ACU directed NAADS to pay the group within two weeks after citing that NAADS had indeed played them in a very corrupt way. The group had been tossed several times.

About the Current Bill unpaid

In May 2017, the Group was forwarded to the NAADS by OWC to be considered to supply 3 Million seedlings, the Letter was forwarded to ED NAADS, copying the DCC OWC (By then) Lt Gen Charles Angina, NAADS received the letter but instead started playing the group. It is on this letter that the group was able to deliver over 700,000 Local Purple Passion Fruits seedlings. All this was known by NAADS, OWC.

Remember NAADS requested the group to include Mangoes, and Oranges such that they get pre-qualified for supplying all three commodities, however, this was a move aimed at frustrating them after heavy investment. The group did all as requested, NAADS verified all their nursery beds but in the end, they didn’t qualify them. The OWC Chief Coordinator had to recommend the group to Microfinance Support Center to get a loan of 11M to be able to deliver seedlings to the trained farmers, this was done successfully and OWC, Subcounty Chiefs, and Agriculture Officers all acknowledged and witnessed the supplies in all Districts of Rubanda, Rukiga, Kabale, Rwampara, among others.

The group submitted the invoice to OWC, made some investigations and then forwarded it to NAADS for payment consideration. But NAADS gave a deaf ear.

The group petitioned the President, who convened a meeting with group members and directed that NAADS pays and officials who were tossing the team be investigated and punished, the President directed the Prime minister to execute the orders, in a copy of Attorney General, Ministry of Agriculture, Vice President and the Passion Focus Uganda Ltd.

However, the petitioners have tried to get feedback from Nabbanja but all in vain, Nabbanja could have been compromised by NAADS which has been doing so throughout this whole exercise.