APAC- The Minster of Gender Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi, has ordered police to arrest civil servants in Apac district for allegedly extorting money groups in order to consider them for the Parish Development Model [PDM] funds.
While meeting local leaders on Tuesday during the sensitization drive on the PDM, Amongi said it was illegal for government officials to collect money from the people yet PDM, which she said goes against the PDM guidelines.
She said all the 146 districts across the country were given money for administrative costs, which include printing, distribution of bylaws and certificates, saying that it is an offence to pick money from the groups to do the same activities.
Minister Amongi’s concern and subsequence directives followed a red flag raised by the LCII and III chairpersons in the district against public servants entrusted by the government to enroll groups to benefit from the PDM.
Some of the accused are the community development officers at the sub-counties and Parish Chiefs. They are said to have collected money ranging from Shs 20,000 to Shs 50,000 for a group to secure certificates and bylaws.
Bob Ola, the chairperson of Atik division in Apac Municipality said the enterprise group members are disappointed because of the rampant money extortion.
“The programme is okay because it is to fight poverty but officials are collecting money from the poor communities, which could make the programme fail,” Ola warned.
Francis Milton Obote, the chairperson LCII Chegere Parish who heads all the LCII chairpersons in the district said his subcounty (Chegere) which has 210 groups, had each part with Shs 20, 000, others Shs 50,000 to secure bylaws and the registration certificates.
He alleged that the community development, Jacob Okello directed him to alert all the group chairpersons, to rush to Obanga Dit Computer Centre with Shs 20,000 to pick both certificates and bylaws for their groups.
Minister Amongi asked the District Police Commander to immediately take statements from those who have made the allegations, and investigate and arrest any civil servants that would have been found culpable.
“I am shocked that even when the district had been given money for administrative costs, some of the CDOs, parish chief, and technical people are still collecting money,” she added.
She said the government is going to deal with those who want to undermine the progress of the PDM in the rural areas.
She said that the formation of new SACCOs is ongoing including recruitment of new members to benefit from the PDM.
The Apac Resident District Commissioner, Abdul George, told the minister that, they have opened a general inquiry file against the officials for the alleged extortion of money from the community in order for them to benefit from the PDM funds.
https://thecooperator.news/masindi-pdm-saccos-receive-their-certificates-of-registration/
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