ARUA DIOCESE EDUCATION OFFICE WARNS HEADS OF INSTITUTIONS OVER RETAINING FOUNDATION BODY FEES

By Godwin Abedican

Arua

The heads of education institutions under Arua diocese are being cautioned against withholding foundation body fees collected by the institutions.
During the diocesan budget day for 2024 held at Christus Center Ediofe, on Monday 17th June 2024, it was reported that with a budget projection of 100 million shillings that was set to be collected and received as foundation body fees from the institutions in the diocese for 2023/2024 financial year, the department performed very well with one hundred seventeen million three hundred sixty nine thousand four hundred (117,369,400) shillings collected  yet many schools or institutions are said not to have submitted the mines they collected.

Rev Fr. Emmanuel Asega, the Education Secretary Arua diocese is therefore imploring parents to ensure that they crosscheck with schools such that they are not cheated because many issues of accountability have been raised yet the diocese is doing her best to ensure transparency about the monies collected as foundation body fee. “For us to do things, know that there is a coin being spent and that coin comes from nowhere else but from the contributions of the parents. I therefore call upon the stake holders to always go to the schools to ask whether they have receipts for submission of these monies to the diocese because all institutions that remit their monies are always given receipts by the education office. Those who can come to the diocese are free to come and we shall be able to show them the records,” Rev. Fr. Asega warned.

Charles Ondoga, the Head Teacher St. Josephs College Ombaci who doubles as the Chairperson of the Association of Catholic Educational Institutions in Arua diocese says, it’s shameful for institution heads under the church to do such things
“At the moment, the remittances are at a very low rate. There are schools in the rural parts of the diocese that lack basic needs that the diocese needs to help them in. This practice translates into poor performance in the schools if it continues among the heads of institutions,” he said.

As a way forward, Ondoga suggests that, there should be sensitization of institution heads and a call for them to remit the monies termly and consistently. “If you collect and don’t remit, it means you are using the money without permission from the owner. That money belongs to the church. Doing that is immoral. What belongs to the church needs to be given to the church,” he stressed.

As per now, each learner in nursery and primary schools under the diocese pays five hundred (500) shillings while those in the secondary and tertiary institution pay five thousand (5,000) shillings termly as foundation body fee collected by the heads of the institutions under the diocese.
Arua diocese currently has over 400 institutions under the diocese with projections of around 1 billion shillings which could be realized annually if all the institutions are able to remit the monies collected.

COVER PHOTO: Rev. Fr. Asega the diocesioan Education Secretary, Charles Ondoga, Chairperson and Kennedy Atibuni (center) deputy chaiperson heads of institutions discuss after the budget day By Godwin Abedican