By Vicent Emong
KUMI
Anna Grace Asio, a one hundred years old resident of Oladot, Kadami Sub County in Kumi district has revealed how Nyaguwo Parish PDM bosses defrauded her Shs100,000.
Speaking during a community interaction with the Assistant RDC Kumi, James Akodai on Monday, January 13, 2025, Asio says despite coughing up the money, her name was left out in the beneficiaries’ list.
She accuses her Sacco group leaders that include David Arikod, secretary and Otema Justine Sacco chairperson of soliciting money from her up to the tune of Shs100,000 in pretense of enabling her access parish development model funds.
“They used to call several meetings where they tasked every member to pay money to facilitate them in the preparation of files”, Asio narrates.
Asio revealed that she did not have her personal money to pay to the Sacco leadership but her son used to support her financially with hope of getting the loan but she was only shocked after some of her group members benefiting from PDM program and her name was left out.
She tried probing the Sacco leadership to find out why her name was not among the list of the beneficiaries and she was only told that her National identity Card was faulty including the phone and the sim Card.
“I was told to wait with hope that they will consider me in the next registration”, said Asio.
This follows the recent arrest of the parish chief and a Sacco chairperson of Nyaguwo in Kadami Sub County where the office of the RDC headed by the assistant RDC and police went on the ground to probe allegations of extortion of funds from PDM beneficiaries.
However, several community members expressed their displeasure with their Sacco leaders picking money from them and yet did not consider them to be among the beneficiaries.
According to them, responsible stakeholders should work hard to ensure that people in question should pay back their money.
Simeon Shane Malinga, the LC3 chairperson of Kadami Sub County says he has been receiving reports from community members about extortion of funds adding that he appreciates the office of the RDC for going to the ground to investigate the matter.
Malinga states that any technical staff or Sacco leadership found guilty should face the law for sabotaging government programs and he encouraged community members to refrain from paying any money in order to benefit from government programs.
James Akodai, the assistant RDC of Kumi hinted that as the presidential representative in the district, he cannot watch people sabotaging government programs and he pledged continuous arrests.
Akodai noted that RDCs office is working hand in hand with police to ensure that such cases are investigated and the perpetrators face the law.
