State House NAADS Monitoring Unit has recovered Shs 20,978,000 that was embezzled from Amuru district NAADS account at the district headquarters by a number of implicated district officials.
According to the Senior Presidential Advisor on NAADS Affairs in State House, Rev. Sr. Mary Grace Akiror, following reports of the missing NAADS funds in Amuru, an audit was done and as a result, the Shs.20 million was recovered.
“The officials implicated were found guilty and given a time frame within which to pay back the money. Stanbic Bank, Gulu branch statements were availed indicating the realization and the recovery of over Shs.20 million which had been deposited on the Special Account for recoveries of the embezzled NAADS funds,” Rev. Sr. Akiror said.
A task force, instituted under the Ministry of Agriculture, resolved to establish a Special Account for recoveries (Amuru District NAADS Recovery Account No 01410034362601) to which the money was deposited.
Sr. Akiror noted that although the said amount of funds have been recovered involving only Amuru district headquarters, her team is yet to ensure similar efforts that must lead to the recoveries of funds mismanaged and embezzled at the Sub-County level in various districts.
Sr. Akiror said that other districts in the country that have been implicated in gross mismanagement of NAADS funds include Iganga, Mbarara, Kanungu, Luweero, Kibaale, Buliisa, Gulu, Nebbi, Isingiro, Yumbe and Nakapiririt. She advised all the officials in the mentioned districts, to take steps and ensure that the NAADS funds are recovered to benefit the development programmes that the government instituted for the people.
“We must fight corruption that is in the bone marrow of public officers who are supposed to be custodians of funds earmarked for government development programmes.
If public officers are found to have embezzled they must be disciplined and made to refund those monies”, she said.
Sr. Akiror stressed the need for District Service Commissions in the country to lay emphasis on issue of integrity in their operations. “There is a lot of connivance in district service commission to deprive wananchi the benefit of the development programmes instituted by government. There must not be traces of tribalism and nepotism in appointments if we have to deliver services very well. Get people who are focused and ready to work for the development of the country”, she said.
She also noted that fighting corruption entails concerted efforts urging the Police Force to reprimand people who embezzle government funds.
“Why is money disappearing in Amuru when it is supposed to be used for development programmes? Let us have a change of heart”, she concluded.
The officials including CAO, DPC and District NAADS coordinator from Amuru district said that the culprits have been given one month to return all NAADS funds that have not been accounted for.
