The State House Comptroller, Lucy Nakyobe has appealed to Ugandans to stop running to the President for financial offers but make use of the various poverty eradication mechanisms that the NRM government has established.
Nakyobe made the appeal while appearing before the Presidential Affairs Committee of Parliament on Tuesday where she revealed that the begging habit has become unsustainable. She noted that many people are frequenting State House and other presidential lodges daily for financial favors.
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“It is not the President that effects payment of any pledge, there is a system and an administration which sits at Okello House; it’s us who handle these requests and are responsible for clearing all the presidential pledges and promises,” Nakyobe told the committee.
“Is it poverty that is increasing in the country; everyone is now looking for the president. They hunt for him wherever he goes; on rallies, at State lodges and these include Members of Parliament with claims that he made pledges to them yet most of them are lying.” Nakyobe said.
The Comptroller clarified that when a pledge is made by the President, It is documented and at an appropriate time her office makes a call to the beneficiaries to pick it up.
“I therefore re-echo the words of the President that he can’t handle all Ugandans one by one because we are many, which is also time consuming to him because he has a lot of other presidential issues to handle.”
“That is why the President set up the Ministry of Microfinance so that the people could form SAACOs so as to receive financial help from government.”
“Government has gone ahead to set up the Operation wealth creation so that people could remain comfortable in their villages to receive seedlings form the UPDF officers; several programs have been set up under the Ministry of Gender which include the youth livelihood programs and the women fund which are all aimed at eradicating poverty.”