LIRA-Itek Okile Rice Growers Cooperative Society in Itek Sub-county, Lira district has registered success after settling a leadership row where some leaders and managers were accused of financial mismanagement.
The cooperative has registered 1,546 members now from1,200 recruited last year and opened 1,800 acres of rice, according to the district commercial officer Santos Olade.
The cooperative comprised members who were rice growers at Olweny Swam Rice Irrigation Scheme but a misunderstanding erupted over Shs 52 billion, released by the World Bank to revamp the scheme, forcing some farmers to revoke their membership.
The rice scheme became bushy during the Lord’s Resistance Army [LRA] insecurity prompting a halt in rice production.
After the war and people trekked back to the villages, the World Bank released funds to revamp the scheme with a target to boost production and deal with household poverty caused by war.
But Olade said the money was utilised to rehabilitate the scheme, set up stores, administration offices, and procured farming equipment like three tractors which some members and a section of political leaders were not aware of.
He said the World Bank money was channeled through the ministries of Water and Environment and Agriculture, Animals Industry and Fisheries.
“They thought that the money was channeled directly to the cooperative’s account, prompting them to start demanding for accountability and financial report from the leadership,” Olade said.
Olade said the sacking of the cooperative’s chairperson, Engine Morish Okene, vice Ojede Abenego and treasurer, Ayugi Eunice was not proper, as there was no evidence they embezzled the cooperative’s money.
“When I called a meeting and told the members that Itek Okile Cooperative was just given responsibility to use the scheme and manage the farmers but the money didn’t go through them,” he said.
He said the issue is sorted out and the cooperative is performing very well though there high demand.
https://thecooperator.news/low-rice-production-in-bunyoro-blamed-on-sugar/
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