Last Updated on: 1st April 2023, 04:44 pm
The Deputy IG Dr. Patricia Okiria Achan has concluded two days of monitoring and inspecting the Sustainable Environment and Natural Resource Management (SENRM) projects in Moyo and Adjumani, Madi sub-region.
The projects are being implemented under the Development Response to Displacement Impact Project (DRDIP).
TND News now understands that between the financial year 2020/2021, and 2021/2022, the two districts received shs9.2 billion to implement 104 sub-projects of SENRM.
Dr. Patricia Okiria Achan, the Deputy Inspector of Government said the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Implementing Partners to support DRDIP sub-project implementation for SENRM.
She said the IG noted some irregularities in the support rendered to sub-projects by the Implementing Partners which led to their suspension until OPM issued implementation modalities to mitigate risks.
She revealed that a team from IGG carried out follow-up monitoring and compliance inspections of sub-projects under SENRM in Moyo and Adjumani districts to establish whether the implementation of SENRM sub-projects is in line with the new implementation modalities issued by the Office of the Prime Minister.
Some of the irregularities the IGG identified during the financial year 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 included failure to maintain woodlots by the community, poor work exhibited in the construction of choker stoves for the fishing community in Adjumani, lack of accountability for the Obogubu and Ngungu woodlots in Obongi district.
“We reviewed sub-project documents specifically bank statements, requisitions, clearance forms for sub-projects to access funds, payment vouchers, proforma invoices, delivery notes, receipts, acknowledgments, Bi-weekly attendance registers, and payment schedules, IP work plans, Activity reports,” she said.
Mr. Rajab Hussain Oluka is the Local Council One Chairperson of Obogubu village. He is also a beneficiary of the Obogubu and Ngungu community woodlot and said the community of Obogubu is planning to protest and demonstrate in the RDC’s office because of the failure to pay the money for the community.
“We opened up 15 acres of land since the 2018/2019 financial year, but we have not received any money, we are demanding shs50 million for the work,” Oluka said.
Ms. Annet Twine, the director of projects risk monitoring and control from the Inspectorate of Government revealed that of the shs9.2billion Moyo district received in the financial year 2020/21 and 2021/22, shs3,717,804 was for the establishment of woodlots while Adjumani district got shs5.5billion for the SENRM projects.
The resident district commissioner of Moyo Mr. Gore Gofin told the Deputy IGG that the people who mismanaged the sub-projects must be held responsible without much delay.
“We have taken too long to act on these irregularities, you have written and I read your reports, what is remaining for us is to take action,” Gore said.
The district vice chairperson of Adjumani Mr. Richard Kaijuka, while speaking to the Deputy Inspector of Government said the district has tried to follow the guidelines of DRDIP to ensure money is put to the right use and for to intended beneficiaries to get services.
“We shall try to work with the technocrats to ensure some of the observations made by the DIGG are corrected,” Kaijuka stated.
Background
Under the second component of DRDIP of the Sustainable Environmental and Natural Resource Management (SENRM), Uganda got US$38.5m (Shs1.4trillion) from the World Bank to invest in integrated natural resources management including access to alternative energy sources.
Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP) is a five-year World Bank-funded project currently implemented in fifteen refugee-hosting districts of Uganda.
The districts are Arua, Koboko, Terego, Madi-Okollo, Yumbe, Moyo, Adjumani, Obongi, Lamwo, Kiryandongo, Hoima, Kikuube, Kyegegwa, Kamwenge and Isingiro.