Busoga varsity ordered to refund Shs50m presidential pledge

NAKASEKE. The IGG’s office has ordered Iganga-based Busoga University to refund Shs50.5m presidential pledge.
According to the directive, the money must be refunded to the Iganga District Account for onward transfer to Makutu Seed secondary School.
The directive is contained in a september 17 letter signed by the Deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG), Ms Mariam Wangadya, to the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Lameka Kibikyo.
The IGG, in her letter, says the money was meant for Makutu Seed Secondary School in the newly created Bugweri District but was erroneously taken by Busoga University.
This was after the Ministry of Education and Sports credited the money to the Iganga District Collection Account for release to both Busoga University and Makutu Seed School, as pledged by President Museveni in 2011.
The money included Shs1.2b for Busoga University and Shs151m for Makutu Seed School, according to the IGG.
However, Busoga University, who under Prof Kibikyo’s leadership, was erroneously given all the money by the Iganga Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), was ordered to send Shs151m to Makutu Seed School but only released Shs100.5m.
Prof Kibikyo is quoted by the IGG as saying: “He was unable to remit all the money to Makutu Seed School due to woes the University has been having since 2016.”

Delays
“The delays in refunding the money to Makutu Seed School is due to the problems that the university has been having since 2016, including strikes, notice to revoke its licence and revocation of licence; but the money will be paid in instalments,’’ Prof Kibikyo is quoted as saying.
The IGG, however, notes: “The problems had no effect on the transfer of this money to Makutu Seed School because it (money) was received in 2014 - two years before the occurrence of the said problems and therefore there was no excuse for failing to remit the money.”
“It is noted that your explanation is not satisfactory since the problems occurred two years after receiving them. You are therefore directed to refund this money with immediate effect,’’ the IGG letter reads in part.
Efforts to get a comment from Prof Kibikyo were futile as several calls made to his known mobile phone went unanswered, with a source saying, “Prof does not answer calls these days.”