Africa-Press – Uganda. Two Pader District officials and a supplier have been arrested for allegedly supplying blind cows to farmers under the third Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (Nusaf III) programme.
The arrested officials include the Nusaf desk officer, Mr Anthony Toolanya; Dr Robert Saverio Okeny, the district veterinary officer; and the supplier of the cows, Mr Bosco Otto.
On Saturday, Mr Dusman Okee, the Pader resident district commissioner, said he ordered for the arrest of the officials for further investigations into the matter.
“They have to explain clearly what happened. A lot of money is being pumped into the district and people wonder where it all goes yet there are problems with the officials on the ground,” Mr Okee said.
He added: “We have rejected these cows and we want all the cows supplied to be inspected afresh and those that meet the required specification shall be taken.” A source at Pader Central Police Station told this newspaper that the officials were made to record statements and released on bond.
Before their arrest, Dr Okeny, the district veterinary officer, blamed the NUSAF desk officer for failing to guide him on procedures to follow while inspecting the cows.
“I didn’t have the inspection guidelines to know the specifications. The documents for inspections of the cows were never given to me and I didn’t inspect the cows,” Dr Okeny said.
What officials say
Asked if he was aware that the cows were blind prior to distribution, Mr Toolanya, the NUSAF desk officer, said he is not technical enough to prove the health condition of the cows, adding that this was the job of the district veterinary officer.
“I don’t know why Dr Okeny is saying he did not have the required documents yet he is the one who has been inspecting the cows since the onset of Nusaf I,” Mr Toolanya said.
Mr Toolanya added that he was not scared of any arrests since the mess did not come from his office. “The arrest is normal because if you want to investigate, you have to arrest someone and I have no problem with that,” he said.
The contractor, Mr Bosco Otto, also denied supplying any blind cow.
More than a week ago, three beneficiary groups under Nusaf-3 in the district reported that they received blind cows. The groups – Loyocak, Abang and Gangba Animal traction – claim eight of the 36 cows they received have eye defects.
The Agum-Wigwen Animal Traction group chairperson, Mr Samuel Oroma Akecha, accused the district leaders of failing to manage the project.
“Everything was done in a rush and we don’t know why. We were not even trained besides being given blind cows and others with different other complications,” Mr Akecha said.
Residents’ concerns
He added that “these cows were meant to be procured at Shs740,000 each but somehow they inflated the price of each of these calves to Shs840,000. I don’t know where they took some of the money because these calf supplies cannot reach Shs500,000.”
Pukor Sub-county chairperson Richard Ojwini Opiyo said some of the items meant to be distributed with the cows were not brought.
“Some of the assorted items meant to be delivered such as ox ploughs are missing and nobody from the NUSAF desk seems willing to give an account to it,” Mr Opiyo said.
IGG asked to intervene
Concerns
Meanwhile, the district leadership has asked the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate the alleged corruption tendencies surrounding NUSAF 3 project in the district.
Mr Fearless Obwoya, the district chairperson, said that a comprehensive investigation into NUSAF 3 in should be done to weed out possible corruption.
“The cows supplied do not conform to the required supply specifications and several other projects have been messed up,” he said.
According to him, the cows were meant to be aged between 2 and 3 years and must weigh at least 150kg but some of them weigh less than 100kg,” Mr Obwoya said.
Mr James Onying Penywii, the director of project risk management and control at the IGG, said they have taken up the matter.
“It’s good the police have taken up the matter, we shall do our investigation to which we should be in position to conclude within one week,” Mr Penywii said.
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