MP accuses State House of abandoning FDC defector

Ms Susan Amero, the  Amuria District Woman MP

Kampala-A member of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has accused her party of abandoning a Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) supporter after luring him to join the organisation with a promise of sponsoring his studies abroad.

Ms Susan Amero, the  Amuria District Woman MP said on Wednesday that the man is frustrated because he cannot get his academic certificate from the institution before clearing the outstanding tuition bill.

“Somebody was hoodwinked from FDC when he was intending to contest for the youth MP seat. He joined NRM and was taken abroad for studies. To date, he has not paid tuition because he has no money,” Ms Amero said on Wednesday, at Parliament. “I do not know whether that was a donation or a pledge [by President Museveni to the young man]. He completed [the studies] but cannot get the [certificate].”

Ms Amero said that whenever the man tries to access President Yoweri Museveni, he is blocked by a “cocoon that doesn’t allow him to enter State House’.

However, for unknown reasons, Ms Amero did not mention the name of the man in question, the institution which is withholding his certificates, the year in which he intended to contest for the Youth MP seat and the constituency.

Ms Amero made the claims when a team State House appeared before the House Committee on Presidential Affairs.

Ms Lucy Nakyobe, the Comptroller of State House, said State House officials who handled the student told her that they had paid the tuition fees for the former FDC politician.

“Honourable Susan has raised [that] issue many times. I approached the people concerned and they told me they paid for that student and the student finished [the studies] and came back [to Uganda from abroad]”Ms Nakyobe said.

Ms Nakyobe said: “Abroad, you cannot study for three years and a white man leaves you to do so  without paying; it is not possible.”

Ms Amero insisted that the student has been forced to do some work to raise money to clear the university dues.