Africa-Press – Uganda. Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Local Government has called for a formal investigation into Ntoroko District officials after they claimed that recipients of billions in government funds under the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Youth Livelihood Programme crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo and could not be traced.
The committee, chaired by Kilak South MP Gilbert Olanya, raised concern that Shs3.4 billion disbursed under the Youth Livelihood Programme since 2014 had a recovery rate of only 2%, and that the impact of another Shs12.2 billion under PDM was not visible on the ground.
In defence, the district’s Chief Administrative Officer, Moses Angum, told MPs that many of the beneficiaries are “cross-border residents” who flee once they receive the money.
“Most unfortunately, people in Ntoroko have two national IDs. So after getting money, they run to Congo. Tracing them becomes hard,” he said.
MPs were unimpressed, with Olanya describing the response as suspicious.
“Ntoroko must be investigated. They are not the only district at the border. Kisoro, Arua – they all neighbour other countries but are not making such claims,” he said.
“I think these people eat the money and then blame Congo.”
Gulu Woman MP Sharon Balmoyi Laker said the excuse was unacceptable and proposed withholding further government funds until the district accounts for previous disbursements.
“Why give them money yet it is foreign people benefiting? They need to first clean up,” she said.
The committee has recommended that the Inspectorate of Government and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit take up the matter for a deeper probe into possible collusion between officials and ghost beneficiaries.
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