Anti-graft agencies tasked to work together
Mr Stephen Obitre, the Maracha District chairperson, addresses a consultative meeting in Arua City on Tuesday. PHOTO | CLEMENT ALUMA
What you need to know:
- Mr Bernard Atiku, the Arua City land board chairperson, said the government should strengthen anti-corruption agencies, some of which, he said, seem to be working in an isolated manner.
A cross-section of leaders in West Nile Sub-region have welcomed the new government anti-corruption strategy and called for the harmonisation of other anti-graft agencies to fight the vice.
Mr Bernard Atiku, the Arua City land board chairperson, said the government should strengthen anti-corruption agencies, some of which, he said, seem to be working in an isolated manner.
“Under which law are these anti-corruption agencies executing their mandate because we have the Anti-Corruption Act where we have the IG as the main agency?” Mr Atiku asked.
“We have a State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Ministry of Integrity, and another for Economic Monitoring in the State House. Which law are they [corruption agencies] using to effect the implementation?” he added.
He made the remarks during the dissemination of a report on anti-corruption by the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity on Tuesday in Arua City.
“We get punishments, but they are not commensurate with the acts of corruption that have caused to the society,” Mr Atiku said.
The Resident District Commissioner, Mr Geoffrey Okiswa, said while the report was fine in other aspects, it needed to be clear on enhanced salaries of public officers regarding the increment.
The Directorate of Ethics and Integrity assessed the implementation of the Zero Tolerance to Corruption Policy 2019 and the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2019-2024.
According to the anti-corruption survey, about Shs2.3 trillion is lost due to absenteeism of public officers.
Mr Robert Nangai, who led the assessment team, said some of the positive findings from the assessment was the integration of information technology in key areas such as procurement and E-recruitment.
Mr Nangai called for political commitment to implement the findings.
The Arua Central Division MP, Mr Jackson Lee Atima, said there was little evidence that the policy implementers like the Inspectorate of Government, police, and others are working yet Parliament appropriates money.
“These funds do not yield any impact as far as service delivery is concerned. There is a poor road network in all districts, and business people are counting losses because of breakages of bridges when they have not stayed for a year or two and these are all challenges of corruption,” Mr Atima said.
More agencies
During Labour Day celebrations in May, President Museveni promised to set up another anti-corruption unit inside State House, with the proposed body this time being dedicated to combatting bribery in public offices. The new unit will join a considerably long list of constitutional bodies like the Inspectorate of Government, Auditor General, Parliament, Judiciary and police in the fight against corruption. There are at least two known parallel organs inside State House doing the same purpose: The State House Anti-Corruption Unit and Health Monitoring Unit, which is supposed to keep tabs on public health service delivery.
