OPM SCAM: Acholi MPs Plan Demo Over Probe Suspension

Beatrice Anywar One of the MP's

Geoffrey Kazinda Interdicted Former Principal Accountant in the Prime Minister's Office
Geoffrey Kazinda, the Interdicted Former Principal Accountant in the Prime Minister’s Office

Legislators from Acholi sub-region say they will ask electorates to show displeasure over the halting of the parliamentary probe into the financial impropriety in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Kitgum woman MP Beatrice Anywar says their meeting today will decide if they go and ask their constituents to stand up with them since they have failed to complete the matter in Parliament.

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga this week stopped the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) from further probe into the mismanagement of over 50 billion shillings by staff in the OPM. She said the matter is already before court. The money was meant for post-war recovery activities in Northern Uganda under the Peace Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP).

Some of the projects that were supposed to be carried out in Northern Uganda include building houses for Acholi traditional chiefs and resettlement of people from Internally Displaced People’s camps.

Anywar says they will not go to the Anti-corruption court or any other court to show government their disappointment over how the funds were misused in the OPM.

She also pleads with President Yoweri Museveni to take the issue seriously and not shelter those she says are making the whole of Acholi region suffer including the First Lady Janet Museveni.

Anywar says the President may be able to suppress them in many ways but he cannot afford to do away with them. The Kitgum woman MP says it is very possible to disorganize the President politically and ensure all he does is fly above northern Uganda but in reality he is not in control of the area.

To the donors the Acholi MPs say if they are not in connivance with the government this is the time to speak out about the financial fraud. She explains that the government used Northern Uganda as a cash cow to get money from them.

Kilak County MP Gilbert Oulanyah says the only hope they had as a community in Acholi was Parliament. So on Tuesday when Rebecca Kadaga announced on the floor of Parliament that the work of PAC had been halted, the whole region was paralyzed.

Oulanyah was hopeful that the probe would reveal who took the money and the PRDP money would have been refunded and given to the Acholi people.

He says they are organising a demonstration in Gulu district where they will mobilise people from Lamwo, Agago, Amuru, Kitgum and Pader to show their displeasure.

Christopher Achire, the Gulu Municipality MP says as the host, he is going to actively participate to make sure people of Acholi carry out the demonstration whether violently or peacefully as long as government gets to know what they want. Achire is doubtful the courts of law will handle the matter appropriately especially against top government officials.

Achire also calls upon the deputy speaker of Parliament as a son of the soil to join them in the demonstration.

This week Parliament heard that the DPP had written to Kadaga asking her to halt the PAC probe arguing that it is subjudice. This is because the case is before the Anti-Corruption Court.

About Post Author

1 thought on “OPM SCAM: Acholi MPs Plan Demo Over Probe Suspension

  1. It is in order to demonstrate because the Government is taking things for granted and it does not want to save the corruption situation instead there are continuing to swindle more money everyday.

Comments are closed.