DIVERT SHS. 20BN FOR REGIONAL SITTING TO PAY WAR CLAIMANTS, TEREGO WOMAN MP HON. ROSE OBIGA DEMANDS

Terego district woman MP Rose Obiga speaking before the parliamentary committee on government assurances and implementation. Photo by Morish Dramadri.
 
By Morish Dramadri

Arua city

The woman member of parliament for Terego district Hon. Rose Obiga has tasked the parliamentary committee on government assurances and implementation to inform parliament to consider diverting the 20billion shillings meant for regional parliament sittings to compensate the 22 groups of war claimants in Northern Uganda.

Parliament is to start conducting regional sitting across the country starting from August 28 to 30 at Kaunda grounds in Gulu and each region is expected to spend 5 billion Ugandan shillings with a primary aim of bringing parliament to the people.

This comes at a time when war claimants who were affected by the various insurgencies in Northern Uganda have not be compensated by the government for over 20 years.

Speaking during an engagement of the war victims with the parliamentary committee on government assurances and implementation in Arua city on Thursday, Hon. Rose Obiga suggested that, the 20 Billion shillings be used to compensate the miserable war victims. “If you have not compensated people and then you go back to the people, even without compensation they have voted for the government, Acholi sub region, West Nile, Lango, Karamoja, Teso this time we must put budget, instead of parliament going to Gulu, Mbarara, Masaka spending about 15 to 20bn shillings, give this money to the war claimants, I hear bringing parliament to people,” Rose Obiga lashed.

Noah Mutebi Wanjala the Member of Parliament for Nakasongola County and a member of the parliamentary committee on government assurances and implementation backed the suggestion saying “Instead of going to Gulu to conduct a regional meeting, going to Mbarara and going to other areas of Busoga and Karamoja, lets save that money and we solve some of the problems in the country, other issues we can discuss in Kampala, did we come to Gulu when we were taking decision to construct tarmac which goes through the park?” Wanjala questioned.

Hon. Joyce Bagala Ntwantwa the vice chairperson of the parliamentary committee of Government assurances and implementation when asked about this proposal, pledged that “Because members thought that instead of parliament coming to Northern Uganda that money should be given to them, our duty is simply to put that in our committee and then parliament will be tasked with the duty of considering that proposal by the members or the war claimants,” Bagala devoted.

Government is expected to spend about 2trillion shillings as compensation to the war claimants in Acholi, Lango, Teso, Karamoja, West Nile, Sebei, Bukedea and Busoga sub regions.