Arua Deputy RDC Takes Fight Against Corruption To Villages
Denis Okwai Jawoko, the Arua Deputy RDC. Photo Credit_ Andrew Cohen Amvesi
ARUA. Denis Okwai Jawoko, the Arua Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC), has taken the fight against corruption to the grassroot people in the villages of the district.
Okwai strongly believes that by involving the local people in the fight against corruption, the vice can be detected and easily fought to save taxpayers’ money from being stolen.
Speaking during a community baraza in Olevu, Ajia sub-county on Saturday, August 10, 2024, Okwai encouraged the community members to own the different government programs in the area and also join the local leaders in the fight against corruption.
“I come to you here in Ajia sub-county, Olevu Parish in fulfilment of my Constitutional mandate as a representative of the President to monitor performance of government programs in Ajia sub-county, but also to ensure that there is total security in the sub-county. We have received reports on cases of extortion of money especially under programs of the Parish Development Model (PDM),” Okwai said.
He added that: “I want to sound a warning to those who are involved that extortion of money especially from PDM beneficiaries, is a criminal offense and whoever is involved in that should stand warned but most importantly, those who have picked money from the PDM beneficiaries must return those monies back but also the PDM beneficiaries should not be lured into giving money to PDM SACCO leaders.”
Okwai said the government is giving shs250,000 every quoter to cover administrative costs of the Parish Development SACCO leaders. Besides, he noted that the government also sends shs500,000 every financial year to help in other PDM administrative costs.
As a result, Okwai said there is no reason as to why PDM SACCO leaders should go ahead and pick money from the beneficiaries.
“So, PDM beneficiaries shouldn’t be lured into giving any money to PDM leaders. Where anybody tries to extort money from you, kindly report that person to us so that we can take action because that is corruption. You need to help us in this fight. The fight against corruption requires a joint effort which involves you and me if we are to get the services we need from the government. A lot of money meant for service delivery is being lost through corruption,” Okwai told the locals who later promised to cooperate with the office of the President in the district to fight corruption.
The Deputy RDC equally sounded a warning to errant youths trying to jeopardize the prevailing peace brought by the NRM government in Arua district and the country at large, saying their time is up.
“They should actually drop any idea of causing insecurity in this area and the community should embrace the element of neighborhood watch where you get interested in getting to know what happens in your neighborhood. When you see strange faces, you see strange activities taking place in your neighborhood, please notify your area LC1 chairperson but also try to find out who this person is, where he is coming from, what he is doing, things like that because your security starts with you as an individual,” Okwai advised.
Earlier on, Okwai’s boss, Geoffrey Okiswa, the Arua RDC, also appealed to the people of Arua to join hands with their leaders in fighting corruption.
“We condemn corruption in the strongest terms possible and we know that NRM government is on zero tolerance to corruption particularly, money which is meant for the poor of the poor since socio-economic empowerment program is an equivalent of the PDM empowerment because it is targeting the power community and these are poor community members who need to be empowered,” Okiswa said.
He warned that for somebody to play around with the poverty which is biting the ordinary people yet the NRM government is helping them to get out of the situation can’t be tolerated completely.
“So, we are going to be very serious about this matter. Probably, we can do it while smiling because our core value of patriotism indicates love. We shall come to you while we are smiling but we shall grab you decisively and ensure that you vomit that money that you have stolen and you go through the courts of law and then you defend yourself. Secondly, I want to appeal to our people of Arua district to ensure that for us as a district, the peace which has already come here must be sustained for not only development but for socio-economic transformation,” Okiswa stressed.