Youth petition speaker Among over Arova Reality Limited job scams

Lira | Over 500 youth from the Acholi, Lango, and Teso sub-regions have petitioned the Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among requesting for an investigation into Arova Reality Limited’s business dealings.

Betty Amongi, Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, owns the labour export company mentioned above.

Amongi, who is also the MP for Oyam South, is alert that her company continues to be accused of job scams, extortion, and sexual harassment.

On July 24, 2024, the affected youth petitioned Speaker Anita Among, stating that they have lost a colossal sum of money totalling shs700m due to promises of better paying jobs in Qatar.

Steven Okullo, representing the youth, told the media at Valley Resort Hotel in Lira City on Saturday that the money was collected from them between 2021 and 2022.

He further said that they were mobilised during that time. The money was intended for medical examinations, passport acquisition, and registration.

After paying the money, he said the company became hesitant due to a lack of proper communication channels, and when they applied pressure to find out why the process was delayed, the company responded that some of them did not qualify and that jobs in Qatar were not available.

Okullu, however, claimed that some of the young girls who were unable to pay on time were lured into sexual ‘transactions’ to cover their payments.

Currently, he told Saturday’s press conference that they are being intimidated by the administrators of Arova Reality Limited, who are threatening their lives.

 “I want to tell the Speaker that we are not only in need of our money but also the justice that we deserve, our rights and freedom have been swept off,” Okullo said.

Frida Akello, one of the victims, said she paid Arova Reality Limited shs790,000 and was promised a job that would pay her shs2.5m per month.

She asserted that the company was requesting far more money than that, and that Solomon Okello, the administrator of Arova tricked her into having sex in order to write off other outstanding payments.

“I am facing a lot of stigma. I am now 30 years old. I can’t even get married because of what happened to me and that money I paid to them would have done alot for me by now  because I wanted to start a business,” Akello said.

When contacted, Josa Yafari, the manager of Arova Reality Limited, denied all of the accusations, claiming they were politically motivated.

He stated that those who complained had their money refunded, and a few passports had been processed.

Yafari stated that those who had forged receipts would not be considered by the Amongi owned labour export company.

By Felix Omara.