By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
The State Minister for Economic Monitoring in the Office of the President has announced plans of visiting Northern Uganda and West Nile regions in an oversight inspection of government projects.
Hon. Beatrice Akello Akori, made the pronouncement today, 30th October, 2023 during a media briefing at Uganda Media Center.
Minister Akori, who replaced Hon. Peter Ogwang says the inspection exercise will take off tomorrow, 31st October.
She says the exercise will be conducted in the Arua City and the sampled districts of Arua, Madi-Okollo, Adjumani, and Pakwach in West Nile, Alebtong, Otuke, Amolatar, Kole and Oyam in Lango Sub-region.
The Minister says despite government injecting massive funds in Physical Infrastructure Development especially Roads and Energy; Human Resources Development in areas of Education, Skills Development, Health, Water and Sanitation; Agriculture and Industry, there is still a general outcry by Citizens and Policymakers that resources have not resulted in effective Public Service Delivery.
Consequently, the Presidency has organized this oversight inspection exercise with the aim of assessing the implementation status of both Central and Local Government Projects with the aim of strengthening Accountability for Results and facilitating Learning.
“This is in line with the made of the office of the President and my mandate of carrying out Oversight Field Inspections/Monitoring to bring forward issues constraining service delivery for redress or Policy Review,” Akori says.
Previously, the ministry under Ogwang conducted similar exercises in Bunyoro, Busoga, Sebei, Bugisu Acholi, Greater Masaka, Kigezi, Ankole sub-regions, and Wakiso districts.
During those exercises, issues that required the Chief Administrative Officers and Town Clerks to handle administratively were put to their attention for redress and the rest were referred to the responsible entities for further Management including corruption cases.
For example, in Kanungu district, some projects that were abandoned were completed after committing the contractor, in Kalangala district, the Youth Livelihood funds stolen by the community development officer were recovered.
The number of contracts awarded under a lot in the UGFIT program has been reduced from 5 to a maximum of two and a half.
Akori says that out of the 117 case files opened, 4 officers have been charged in courts of law, 5 had corrective action undertaken, 72 closed and 116 cases were underway waiting for completion of investigations.
