By Our Reporter,
NATIONAL
The speaker of parliament, Rt. Hon. Anitah Annet Among has returned the 500 Guage 32 iron sheets she allegedly received without prior requisition from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) meant for the vulnerable people in Karamoja sub-region.
She made the revelations at the opening of the plenary on Wednesday (March 15) when she informed the house that she has already instructed her personal assistant to take the iron sheets back to OPM.
Earlier reports implicated the speaker Among top government officials that benefited from the Karamoja ‘mabaati’ bonanza but she insisted that she had already donated the 500 iron sheets to different schools in her district of representation, Bukedea district. Not withstanding, Among denied having stolen the iron sheets noting that they were given to her without knowing that they were meant for Karamoja sub-region.
To clensen her hands, Among said she found it important to buy the iron sheets and send them back to OPM.
“Since the iron sheets were not for Bukedea and were already given out, I have decided to buy 500 iron sheets and give them back to the Office of the Prime Minister,” said Among
The opposition Chief Whip, John Baptist Nambeshe who represented the leader of opposition in today’s sitting lauded the speaker for the gesture towards the needy people of Karamoja, the original beneficiaries of the iron sheets.
FDC’s Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, also the Kiira municipality members of parliament commended move by the speaker to return the allegedly stolen Mabaati appealing to all ministers implicated in the scandal to follow the suit so that the project benefits the exact beneficiaries.
It should be recalled that MPs from Karamoja sub-region recently asked the minister in charge of Karamoja Affairs to resign and pave the way for investigations into allegations of diversion of relief items meant for the vulnerable communities in Northeastern Uganda.
In a February 15 statement, the legislators under the Karamoja Parliamentary Group (KPG) accused the docket head, Mary Gorretti Kitutu, of diverting iron sheets, goats and foods that were meant to benefit Karamoja citizens, who in the recent past were affected by starvation and spates of insecurity.
