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According to the State House Anti-corruption Unit (SHACU), during FY 2017/2018, ministry of Finance sent more than Shs 2 billion.
This was pension and gratuity for approved and verified pensioners in Pader district. However, Aber allegedly decided not to pay all the 19 pensioners who did not ‘cooperate’ in paying her bribes.
Additionally, in FY 2019/20, she reportedly paid one pensioner Shs 68 million instead of the approved Shs 28 million by the ministry.
Furthermore, she is accused of paying another pensioner only Shs 21 million instead of the approved Shs 48 million. She also payed salaries to four ghost persons who had died two years back.
SHACU spokesperson, Mariam Natasha, confirmed Aber’s arrest. She said that she’s currently in custody at Pader central police station as investigations continue. She will be transported to Kampala to stand trial before the Anti-Corruption court.
Aber’s case is not the first pension scam in the country.
About five years ago, four other individuals, including the late lawyer Bob Kasango, Jimmy Lwamafa (former secretary in the ministry of Public Service), Christopher Obey (late principal accountant in the pensions department), and Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa (former director of research and development), were sent to prison. This was for their involvement in the mismanagement of pension funds. They were found guilty of conspiring to forge a court order, a certificate of taxation, and a certificate of costs. This was directing the attorney general to pay Kasango’s defunct law firm Hall and Partners Shs 15.4 billion. This was meant for the pension and gratuity of more than 6,340 pensioners between 2011 and 2012. Kasango, the prime suspect, was sentenced to 16 years, Obey to 14 years, and Lwamafa and Kunsa to nine years in jail.
Check Also;
- State House Anti-Corruption Unit Saves Family Land From Serial Land Grabber
- President Orders Investigation Into Alleged Mismanagement Of PDM Funds
- District Officials Arrested Over Embezzlement Of Gov’t Funds
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![[dropcap]A[/dropcap] section of women in Bugongo parish and Nawangaiza parish in Nawandala Sub County, Iganga District have decried the near-impossible terms set for them to access GROW funds. They have now petitioned their woman member of parliament for Iganga Hon. Kauma Sauda Alibaawo to ask the government for revised terms and conditions. This is to enable them to benefit from the program. The disgruntled women accuse the implementers of the program of charging the money. They are also asking for their land titles and land agreements. They said that such properties are governed by their husbands. These, therefore want the government through their woman MP to intervene and revise the requirements for one to benefit. The women were on Wednesday at Namabwere primary school in Nawandala Sub County. They had gathered in their respective groups to receive over 300 chickens from Hon Alibaawo in her campaign to improve the livelihood of women in Iganga district. Each group was given 50 chicken as start-up capital in their journey to prosperity. Read what some leaders said; Ms Naigambi Lydia from Nawandala Trading Centre says, “They solicited money from us through opening bank accounts and depositing Shs80,000. They also asked for land titles and land agreements from us yet we don’t have such things. I was informed that I needed to have a business with a capital of Shs4m yet my capital was very small.” The chairperson Kisoboka Saving Group in Nawandala Ms. Nakagolo Faith said they were not able to join the program. This is given the many conditions attached. She also asked their woman MP to raise their concerns to the relevant offices. The MP condemned the mode of implementation of the program. She cited that it has turned to benefit the well-off class of women other than the intended group. She further asked the government to intervene saying the current strings attached to the programme are very tight to accommodate a common woman. GROW project is a Government of Uganda initiative that arose out of the need to respond to the needs of women entrepreneurs. This is especially those who want to grow their businesses, sustain their self-employment and create more jobs. Check Also; Iganga District NRM Leaders Urge Museveni To Fulfill Election Promises Of 2021 International Women's Day: Celebrating Progress Towards Equality](https://i0.wp.com/newslexpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Iganga-women-decry-tough-terms-to-access-GROW-funds-e1731738339732.jpg?resize=300%2C160&ssl=1)
