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Acholi MPs speak out on Oulanyah burial budget
Acholi Parliamentary Group chairperson Anthony Akol, addresses the media last month. He yesterday clarified that the budget earmarked for APG operations is Shs235m and not Shs312.9m. PHOTO / DAVID LUBOWA.
What you need to know:
- In the draft budget, the government allocated an estimated Shs2.5b for the burial of Oulanyah out of which Shs312.9m had been allocated to the Acholi Parliamentary Group
Acholi lawmakers yesterday dispelled what they called “distortions” in the Shs312.9m budget meant to facilitate part of the burial arrangements for the former Speaker of 11th Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah.
In the draft budget, the government allocated an estimated Shs2.5b for the burial of Oulanyah out of which Shs312.9m had been allocated to the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG). The purpose of the allocation had not been explained, stoking denigration on social media.
But the APG chairperson, Mr Anthony Akol, and other APG members, told Daily Monitor last evening that the budget earmarked for APG operations is Shs235m and not Shs312.9m.
He also clarified that the money is being managed by the local and national organising committee and not APG leadership.
“Information I got was that the money was about Shs235m and not Shs312.9m as reported….we do not know where the additional money came from,” Mr Akol said.
He added: “The biggest figure that made it to go high was about Shs50m because after the burial, we told the committee to put up a contingency fund and the money has to be given to the father of the late Oulanyah to help prepare for the people who will be coming home after burial. People will still go to his home even up to two months.”
Mr Akol explained that when Oulanyah died on Sunday, the MPs convened a meeting the following day to make sure the national organising committee included members from Acholi, Lango, and West Nile, who were tasked to consult the local authorities, the religious and cultural leaders on what needed to be done to ensure Oulanyah is accorded a decent burial.
After consulting the concerned stakeholders, he revealed that it was agreed that they upgrade a 42km road at Shs72m, Shs3m to be spent on transportation, accommodation and feeding of a traditional dance group from Patong that would perform Bwola dance both in Kampala and in Omoro, Shs28m would be spent on mobilising district officials, religious leaders, cultural leaders and making radio announcements.
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Mr Akol said it was also agreed that urgent Local Council meetings be held in Acholi, Lango and West Nile sub-regions, agree on the people to attend the burial, transport them to Omoro and accommodate them for one night at a total cost of Shs72m.
“The budget is about Shs235m ….. I’m wondering where the Shs312.9m came from. We are mourning our brother, we are not interested in making money from the government,” Mr Akol explained.
The APG secretary general, Mr John Amos Okot (Agago North), described the Shs2.5b budget as “weird” and warned that people shouldn’t take advantage of the death of APG’s fallen patron.
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“It looks very weird that you hire a funeral service at that much, I don’t think we are realistic about the figure regarding the burial. As members of APG, we are going to have a meeting to discuss that budget because people should not take advantage of our fallen member. We don’t want it, we don’t want to exaggerate figures,” Mr Okot said.
By Jane Nafula, Ritah Kemigisa & Karim Muyobo
