HOIMA– The State Minister for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama has halted the disbursement of funds under the Parish Development Model [PDM] in Hoima district over irregularities.
Byamukama who was in the district to sensitise Sub-county leaders and technical officers about the PDM on Thursday ordered the chief administrative officers to write to the banks to hold the Shs 7 million which was recently wired to PDM SACCOs accounts to be given to the beneficiaries.
He said that they have realised some guidelines were not followed during the registration of beneficiaries.
He noted that managers of the programme are LCII chairpersons, parish chiefs, chairperson women and youth representatives, chairperson disability council, parish NRM Chairperson and opinion leaders. In some districts, he said, opinion leaders, NRM chairpersons and LCIIs were not included on the PDM SACCOs committees.
He added that in other areas leaders such as district councilors and technical officers such as community development officers and sub-county chiefs have owned the programmes and they want to be part of the managers of the programme, which he said is not allowed.
Byamukama noted that unqualified individuals such as councilors and their relatives were registered to benefit from PDM yet the programme is meant to benefit the poor people in the community.
He added that the PDM management committees have not been sensitized about the programme, adding that they need to first rectify this mistake before they release the money to beneficiaries.
The Minister who launched the PDM in Hoima district and flagged off leaders to go and start sensitizing the community about the programs, warned political leaders against sabotaging the programme for their personal interests.
He advises the district leaders and technical officers to back off the PDM money, adding that they should only guide the poor people who are meant to benefit from the programme.
He noted that the Emyooga programme has almost failed because leaders and technical officers registered relatives and family members for their personal interest instead of registering the target group.
He warned that the government will arrest and prosecute all leaders, technical staff, and rich people who will register to benefit from this program and asked the resident district commissioner to keep an eye on this program to ensure that they deal with anyone sabotaging it.
“Some leaders and technical officers want to own this programme and this is why you find one village having a group of 40 people. This money is not going to be given to groups only like some people think. It is also going to be given to individuals and each family will receive sh1 million. All those who were misguided should go back to the district or to the sub-county to benefit from other government projects such as Emyooga,” he said.
Byamukama underscored a need to double effort in sensitising the public about PDM because many are still ignorant about the programme.
He said some people are still mistaking PDM to be like Emyooga and Operation Wealth Creation [OWC], adding that in some districts political leaders and technical staff have failed to agree on who should implement the programme.
David Karubanga, the Kigorobya County MP called on the PDM implementers to follow the guidelines if the government programme is to be successful. He noted that government projects have always failed to achieve their goals due to the failutre of officials to follow specific guidelines.
Harriet Businge, the Hoima district Woman Member of Parliaments called on the public to embrace the PDM and avoid mismanagement of the funds in non-productive ventures such as alcoholism and womanising.
He noted that this money is not a political incentive but seed capital aimed at helping people to improve their household incomes, adding that the PDM will help fight household poverty.
Hellene Murumba, Hoima district female councilor for workers, Immaculate Businge, district councilor for Buseruka and kabaale Sub-county, commended Minister Byamukam for orienting leaders about the PDM, adding that as leaders, they had been left out on sensitisation.
Patrick Rusoke the district councilor for Buraru Sub-county and Elisa Karisa the Kitoba Sub-county chairperson among others, faulted the government for excluding the district leaders from benefiting and managing the PDM.
They expressed concern that though the government is encouraging them to monitor and ensure the success of the programme, it will be difficult when they are not part of the management committee. It is from this point that they demanded that government find a way of including the district leaders on the management committees which are headed by the parish chiefs.
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