KWANIA, September 26, 2023 – 16 leaders and members of Owiny PDM SACCO in Ayabi Sub-county were made to record statements with the police following the allegations of extortion and misappropriation of the Parish Development Model [PDM] funds.
The PDM is a government programme that was launched in February 2022 by President Yoweri Museveni as a means of uplifting 39 percent of Ugandan households still encircled in the subsistence economy to the money economy by availing Shs 100 million to each parish in Uganda every financial year for investment in the agricultural value chain.
In June 2023, Owiny PDM SACCO just like any other 49 PDM Parish SACCOs in Kwania, received Shs 107mln to be disbursed to eligible members of the programme.
However, during the launch of the ongoing verification exercise of the PDM beneficiaries by Kwania district LCV chairman, Geoffrey Alex Ogwal Adyebo, it was discovered that leaders of Owiny PDM SACCO gave the money to ghost members, but also members from the same households received the money, contrary to the PDM guidelines.
Adyebo ordered the arrest of the Owiny PDM SACCO chairman, Robson Oyugi, but also summoned Pasqueli Ebong, the LCI chairman of Owiny Itenge village and his three children, Jimmy Ocen who is not a bonafide resident of Owiny parish, Ronald Okello and his wife, Bob Ebil, his wife and the daughter, Solomon Okwir and his wife, and Thomas Ebong, a primary school teacher.
Others summoned were Caka Isaac and his wife, all members of the same family. They were all ordered to record statements with police at Kwania Central Police Station and each of the culprits was asked to refund the Shs 1mln to their PDM SACCO account within a period of two weeks.
Adyebo said the number of people who have misappropriated PDM funds in Kwania district is overwhelming, adding that they intend to have a desk at the police station to handle complaints and recover the money given to ineligible beneficiaries of the programme.
“There are overwhelming numbers of culprits that we have uncovered. We want the police to give us a desk to handle complaints. Our target is to recover the PDM money given to wrong people, “he said.
He added: “The whole of this week, I will be in the field to assess the implementation of the programme. For instance, if one household has more than one beneficiary, if somebody not from a given parish has benefited from the money sent to that parish, or if you are a technical person and have received the PDM money, kindly refund it to the SACCO account so that by the time we reach your place, you just present to us the receipt of payment and we leave you.”
Kwania Resident District Commissioner, Arikwanga Richard Noon, cautioned the PDM SACCO leaders in the district against politicising the PDM.
“These government programmes like Emyooga, the Youth Livelihood Fund, the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme and the PDM are meant to fight household poverty. You the PDM SACCO chairpersons, if you are an NRM, do not only recruit NRM members. Include those who belong to other political parties,” he said.
He added: Please, these programmes are for all Ugandan citizens irrespective their political affiliations. If your chairperson has refused you to join the parish SACCO because you are not a member of the NRM, please report him to authorities.”
John Denis Ebu, the Ayabi town council LCIII chairman said the PDM is doing exceptionally well due to regular training of the PDM SACCO leaders.
Kwania District Commercial Officer, Patrick Bura blamed the irregularities in PDM to the weakness of the PDM SACCO leaders. “The problem is the SACCO chairpersons who have selfish interests. Most of them are sending money to the accounts of their relatives and this is what we are working tirelessly to fix,” he said.
https://thecooperator.news/kwania-youth-decry-discrimination-in-allocating-pdm-cash/
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