MPs give ultimatum over PS Bigirimana

MPs yesterday accused the government of “pampering” suspects in the Office of the Prime Minister, who were named in the suspected theft of billions of shillings meant for northern Uganda and Karamoja.

The accusations came against the backdrop of a Monday suggestion by President Museveni that he needed time to consult before interdicting Mr Pius Bigirimana, the permanent secretary at OPM.

“Even if the government decides to protect Bigirimana, the angry spirits of the people whose lips were cut and those who were killed by rebel leader Joseph Kony will not allow him to rest,” Mr Haruna Kasolo (NRM, Kyotera) said. “Those shielding Bigirimana should know that the ghosts are not sleeping and they will not let him off the hook.”

The lawmakers, who reiterated that they would not rest until Mr Bigirimana is removed from office, also rebuked a government plan to refund the stolen donor money in the OPM scam using taxpayers’ money.

Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi at the weekend said the government was considering refunding the money from an unnamed source. “There is no way government can use taxpayers’ money to pay on behalf of thieves,” Opposition Chief Whip Winnie Kiiza said, adding, “unless they want to tell us that people at the Office of the Prime Minister stole the money for the suffering people of northern Uganda on behalf of government.”

There were also echoes of discontent in the corridors of Parliament yesterday over what is seen as the government’s delay in adhering to a House resolution passed last week requiring that Mr Bigirimana be interdicted immediately.

The chairperson of the Acholi Parliamentary Group, Mr Reagan Okumu, told Daily Monitor that they would seek a meeting with diplomats from nations that have been financing reconstruction efforts in northern Uganda.

Mr Okumu said they would ask that the donors stop funnelling their support for the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan through the OPM and instead send the money directly to the people.

‘Blood’ money
“This is our blood money and whoever had a hand in stealing it will face the bitterness of spirits of our people who died in the conflict,” Mr Okumu said. “Mr Bigirimana knew about the stealing and he must leave office. He must take responsibility unless government wants to tell us that he is immune. How come Jimmy Lwamafa (PS Public Service), who was not directly linked to ghost pensioners, was immediately given marching orders?”

The President told the NRM parliamentary caucus on Monday that Mr Bigirimana was the one who blew the whistle on the OPM scam and that he needed time to consult on the matter. “If President Museveni continues massaging Bigirimana, we will know that he is involved in the loss of donor funds,” Ms Kiiza said. “If Bigirimana is clean, how come he doesn’t want to leave office to pave way for investigations? Bigirimana must answer for the whistle he blew that is now catching up with him.”

As the government continues to play “hide- and-seek” on Mr Bigirmana’s fate, the Daily Monitor understands that a group of MPs from Northern Uganda and Karamoja are considering boycotting Parliament if government does not interdict Birigimana by tomorrow.

The Greater North Parliamentary Group chairman, Mr Felix Okot-Ogong, confirmed the planned boycott, but said they had decided to first give government the benefit of the doubt.

Quoting from the Auditor-General’s report, which detailed how more than Shs50b disappeared from OPM, Ms Lilly Adong (Nwoya Woman) and other lawmakers, said Mr Bigirimana needs to explain why he overpaid companies that supplied food for aiding disaster stricken communities by more than Shs8.6 billion.

Ms Adong observed that a number of these companies were later found to be ghost entities. The AG found that there were insufficient records to support Shs13.7 billion paid out to one firm, Farm Engineering Industries Limited, for ploughing in Karamoja.

Cover-up plan
As the government remained silent on the Bigirimana affair, Mr Patrick Nsanja (Ntenjeru South) and other MPs talked of attempts to cover the truth of fraud in the Office of the Prime Minister by quickly suspending a number of junior support staff.

Mr Kennedy Lubega – an office messenger who was disguised as a research officer, Mr Dennis Oyuki – a driver, Mr Isaiah Oonyu, paying cashier and Ms Lydia Nalwanga, an accounts assistant, were named as the junior staff who were suspended in this feared cover-up plot.

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