By CHIMPREPORTS
Gulu District LCV Chairman, Hon Christopher Opio Ateker, has issued a stern warning to local leaders who have defaulted on refunding Emyooga funds, stating that their names will be publicly circulated.
Ateker highlighted that, among the 18 Saccos that received money under Emyooga, the Local Leaders Association exhibited the poorest performance in terms of refunding the funds. He emphasized that all leaders, ranging from Councilors to LCs, who received Emyooga funds, must refund them promptly to allow other individuals to benefit from the initiative.
Deputy RDC of Gulu district, Cosmas Okidi, recently convened a meeting with all Emyooga Sacco groups to acknowledge and reward the best-performing ones. Okidi disclosed that the Leaders Association did not participate in the Review Meeting, offering no clear reasons for their absence.
Furthermore, Okidi revealed that the district received an additional 40 million shillings in funding under Emyooga, bringing the total sum to 600 million shillings in Gulu, benefiting over 1,200 individuals.
The Coordinator of Emyooga in Gulu district, Ms. Caroline Alaroker, expressed confusion over the leaders’ failure to refund the received funds, stating that the Saccos received a total of 50 million shillings. However, the reasons for their non-compliance remain unclear.
In response, the deputy speaker of Gulu District Council, Hon. William Obwoya, who also serves as the Chairman of Local Leaders Saccos, attributed the leaders’ low refund rates to challenges such as poor agricultural yields and resource constraints. Obwoya explained that many leaders anticipated Council allowances after meetings, but due to low revenue collection, sittings were infrequent, causing Councilors to miss out on allowances that could have facilitated the repayment of Emyooga funds.
Obwoya urged for patience, assuring that the leaders would refund the money gradually over time. He also appealed to the leaders to set an example by promptly repaying the funds.
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