LIRA CITY — At least 14 Gombolola Internal Security Officers (GISOs) across the Lango sub-region have returned money they received under the government restocking program, according to Regional Intelligence Security Officer (RISO) Lango, John Masamba.
Masamba revealed that of the 14 GISOs who returned the money, 4 are from Lira City, 6 from Kole District, 3 from Otuke, and 1 from Lira District.
He said the returned money amounted to Shs58 million — but when he went to deposit it into the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Affirmative Action account, he deposited only Shs57,950,000 because one Shs50,000 note was found to be counterfeit.
"One of the Shs50,000 notes was fake. So I deposited Shs57,950,000," Masamba said.
He added that GISOs in the other districts "did their best" in the restocking program.
The revelations came during an exit meeting for the Minister of State for Economic Monitoring, Hon. Sandra Santa Alum, after her tour of four Lango districts: Apac, Dokolo, Otuke, and Lira District.
Minister Alum issued a stern warning to civil servants, saying the government will not tolerate any corruption.
"We will not allow any corruption tendency by civil servants. This time the President is not tolerating any corruption under the theme 'No More Sleep.' Anybody or civil servant caught in corruption on PDM, restocking, or Emyooga will face it rough," she warned.
She also cautioned civil servants against diverting resources meant for local communities.
Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hon. Sam Engola, who addressed the exit meeting at Margarita Palace Hotel in Lira City, said the engagement brought together government officials and key stakeholders from across the Lango sub-region.
The meeting focused on reviewing findings from Minister Alum regarding the implementation of government programs and service delivery.
"I was pleased to receive constructive feedback from local leaders, who highlighted both notable successes and the practical challenges facing their respective districts," Engola said.
He revealed that the Prime Minister last week assigned three ministers to monitor the restocking program across the Lango, Teso, and Acholi sub-regions. Their mandate is to investigate reports of payments made to ineligible beneficiaries.
"I will personally be joining this fact-finding exercise in Lango to guarantee that these restocking and compensation funds are protected from mismanagement and reach their intended recipients," Engola vowed.
