SOROTI – The Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Hon. Rose Lilly Akello has urged the government’s investigative arms in Teso region to take keen interest in cases of corruption.
This was following the loss of 100 boxes of hand hoes and another 49 cartoons that went missing at Soroti City Council stores, on 25th June,2021 and 15th July, 2021 respectively.
These hoes that were meant to benefit the community disappeared and have to date not been recovered prompting the Minister Akello to caution the investigative arms of government in Soroti district.
During her visit in Soroti City, Minister Rose Lilly Akello met with Teso regional leaders at Soroti City Hall and bitterly expressed her concerns why cases of corruption are not being handled with keen interest.
The Minister who also doubles as the woman Member of Parliament for Karenga district and is only four-month-old in her office, told Teso leaders that she will not tolerate corrupt officials who take advantage of the common man for their own selfish interests.
She further cautioned the police, Office of the Inspectorate of Government (IGG), Chairperson of the districts and the Chief Administrative Officers (CAO) to desist from such acts as this makes them conduits of corruption in the region.
She encouraged the leaders to be transparent enough so that they can continue building the morals of the country.
Akello said, forums have been created for integrity focal point persons to help coordinate each department of her ministry on matters of corruption.
She further says, if this is followed, it will ease their work in fighting corruption and moral decadence in the region.
“Let’s not give up on reporting abuse of office and things will be rectified,” Akello said.
The Minister recommended that the corrupt officials should be published on all social media platforms to expose them and to keep everyone alert when engaging them.
Rev. Fr Dr Jerome Agelu said, there is no discipline among Teso leaders as most of them are looking for the slightest opportunity to swindle money from the public.
According to him, there is need for tougher measures to dissuade corrupt officials from continuing with the vice.
Meanwhile, Mr. Benson Ekuwe, the Executive Director Public Affairs Center (PAC) Uganda in Teso region said, the issue of politics in the anti-corruption fight must be avoided if leaders are ever to address the issue of corruption.
He also recommended that the government must address the issue of facilitation of government offices if civil servants are ever to desist from corruption.
However, the CAO Soroti district Mr. Luke Lokuda said, Soroti is one of the districts with a clean record on ghost projects and ghost workers.
He said, they have been working closely with the monitoring agencies and have tried to rectify most of the problems that arise.
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