By Andrew Cohen Amvesi
ARUA
The ongoing fight between two groups of South Sudan fishmongers in Arua central business division has sharply divided the newly elected Uganda national chamber of commerce and industry (UNCCI) Arua city branch leadership.
This is after one of the top executive members of the chamber was quoted on a local radio station in Arua making bribery allegations against a top government official in Arua city.
The allegation of money exchanging hands was made by the chamber official on Wednesday, 10TH January, 2024 evening shortly after the arrest of two South Sudanese fishmongers who were accused of leading a fight against their colleagues at Arua main market.
According to the chamber official, it is the mysterious ‘money eaten’ which is fueling the fight between the South Sudanese fish suppliers’ association and Leudier and Goi fish traders’ union.
The allegation which went viral forced Arua resident city commissioner (RCC) to summon an adhoc meeting in his office that lasted for more than five hours today, Thursday, 11th January, 2024.
However, shortly after the meeting, Dr. Ronald Debo, the UNCCI Arua city branch chairperson bitterly disagreed with his subordinate’s allegations, saying those were personal views expressed by an individual whom he didn’t even delegate to represent the chamber.
“That member (of Arua city chamber) knows that he is out of order. He relies on rumors, okay! Actually, I want to disassociate the actions of that member from the chamber because in the chamber, we had our team that we had put in place to handle that matter, so the member wasn’t in that team. So, that is rumor mongering which is not true, and those allegations he made are not on behalf of the chamber,” Debo said.
“For chamber I speak myself or somebody I delegate. I didn’t delegate anybody to speak to the media concerning those allegations because they are not true. We have discussed the matter and we have realized those are all lies, total lies! This group says they gave money there, the other says they gave money there, which is a strategy to divide and rule the management or the leadership of the city. There is no money that was given to anybody,” Debo emphasized.
Similarly, Ham Muzamil Ezama, the Arua Deputy RCC in charge of the Central Division said the UNCCI Arua branch executive member who addressed the press over the bribery allegation had his personal interest.
“We don’t know why because he pretended that he was presiding as chairman of the chamber of commerce but the chairperson of Arua chamber distanced himself. He said no, he disowned him. So, it is as if there is a bit of personal issue, maybe he is being influenced because of different interests which I can’t explain,” Ezama remarked.
The Deputy RCC said he stands bold, not threatened and not even worried because he was aiding a legal process to make sure that those people fighting should be arrested, an action which is within his mandate.
