NOOSE TIGHTEN! PDM bosses cited in shs7bn communication cash scandal

The State House Anti-corruption Unit has been tipped to pick interest into how Local Government ministry bosses earmarked and intend to allocate shs7bn for publicizing the Parish Development Model (PDM) program gospel.

We have exclusively learnt that Local Government bosses have set aside shs7bn for communication purposes as far as the PDM program is concerned.

The funds are reportedly to facilitate some individuals and media houses who will in turn give good publicity to the program.

They will further help to break it down for the wananchi to comprehend what the project is all about rather than being intoxicated by opposition elements who tend to criticize any government project—good or bad.

However, the PDM project, still in infancy, continues to get bad publicity because the shs7bn allocation has been messed up already, if the info we are getting is to go by.

SHACU has been tasked to establish who are the beneficiary media houses and individuals? How much are they getting? And whether there is value for money.

Media houses like UBC and Vision Group are already running the program in the hope they will be paid sometime in the future.

About Shs2bn has been earmarked for the two houses. According to sources, they are wondering why PDM bosses are taking them for granted (maybe because they are government entities) by not paying them promptly. As a result they are soon planning to announce a blackout on the PDM programs.

We have further been told that PDM bosses also earmarked shs3.5bn for private TV stations. The money will reportedly be sent to an association that unites them. However, some broadcasters have expressed concerns. Their protest is that once this money goes to the association heads, it may end up going to one TV station. They have now vowed not to broadcast anything good-related to PDM until they are engaged one on one.

This publication has further established that PDM bosses are earmarking about shs1bn to pay to social media influencers on Twitter, Facebook, Tik-tok, WhatsApp, Youtube, Instagram, Snapchat, Telegram and others.

Surprisingly they have allocated shs500million to one purported influencer with a twitter following of less than 20000.

Investigators want to find out whether PDM bosses were coerced into giving him this deal because of his closeness to a son of one of those in corridors of power.

This is a story for another day.

PDM bosses have been contacted for a comment.

WIDER PICTURE

The new developments come at the heels of a story we exclusively reported recently. It can be accessed here.https://redpepper.co.ug/exclusive-panic-at-pdm-secretariat-as-iso-probes-top-bosses/129579/

According to security sources, President Museveni was shocked to hear allegations of extortion and mismanagement of PDM cash by leaders in Acholi Sub-region during his recent tour.

On probing further, Museveni received an intelligence brief indicating that the problem could be at the PDM secretariat where staff are in serious beefing, sources say.

ISO has now been directed to investigate the chaos there following a tip off from a section of staffers.

Museveni wants to know whether the PDM secretariat is incapacitated and not ready for the task at hand.

Reports show that the PDM secretariat is insufficient in areas of evaluation, monitoring and research.

Since ‘fish rots from the head down’, Museveni is aware that there is no way regional leaders/coordinators will do a good job when their bosses (at the secretariat) are not clean at all.

‘ILLEGAL’ SECRETARIAT

Information obtained indicates that ISO investigators want to find who in the first place allowed PDM bosses to establish a secretariat.

Sources point out that when the PDM program was being discussed in Cabinet, it was resolved from the word go not to have a fully-fledged secretariat.

This was reportedly to stop wastage of part of the resources (meant for beneficiaries) to go into facilitating the secretariat in terms of salaries, allowances, cars and other perks.

Instead, the Cabinet proposed the appointment or recruitment of two national coordinators who were to be placed under the ministry of Local Government to run the PDM program.

That is how former MP Galabuzi Ssozi was appointed PDM National Coordinator with Jovrine Kaliisa (also former Mp) as his deputy.

Curiously, there was a diversion from the Cabinet directive. Bosses at the Local Government ministry instead went on a recruitment drive for personnel to fill positions for the PDM secretariat.

ISO investigators also want to find out how this ‘illegal’ recruitment process was carried out.

This follows a tip-off that bosses’ friends, allies, acquaintances, spouses, relatives, tribe mates, girlfriends, boyfriends and among others were recruited.

Shockingly, some of those recruited are not based in Uganda.

However, they continue to receive a salary at the end of every month including a car, fuel, field inspection allowances among other comforts.

One of them permanently stays in the United States of America. She reportedly studied Hotel Management but was appointed head of Monitoring and Evaluation at PDM secretariat.

One wonders the strategic expertise she can offer. She gets all her full salary and other allowances yet she is based in the USA.

Could this explain why the regional based leaders/coordinators are doing whatever they want because their supervisor is not on ground and out of touch with them? ISO investigators will find out.

Another is based in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. She was appointed head of research at PDM secretariat.

The two are listed to be actively engaged in PDM field work related activities whereas not.

ISO investigators now want to find out why PDM intended beneficiaries in rural areas are still waiting for poverty alleviation money, yet these two officials’ salaries and allowances in millions are sent at the end of every month directly to their respective bank accounts.

CHAOS @ SECRETARIAT

We have now established that the other ‘illegally’ recruited staffers at PDM secretariat claim of being overworked yet other staff (in U.S and Das) continue to receive pay for no work done.

It is this serious beefing that prompted some to petition ISO.

This is a scandal that is developing and we shall keep updating you.

While addressing Mps on March 14, at Kololo independence grounds, President Museveni vowed to mess whoever will mess up with the PDM program—a silver bullet he hopes can propel rural Ugandans out of poverty.

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