About 78 village chiefs within Lira Municipality on Monday evening received their annual payment after months of accusations between the district and \municipal authorities over the money.
For over two months, there has been a standoff between Lira municipal and district officials over the alleged diversion of 9.4 million shillings from the district account. The money was sent from the ministry of finance to pay 2011/2012 ex-gratia for the lower local council officials. An ex gratia paymentis a payment made without the giver recognising any liability or legal obligation. It is sometimes paid to individuals as an appreciation for their long service without pay.
But after the money was sent to the district accounts, it was never released to the beneficiaries.
After the end of the 2011/2012 financial year, some village local council chiefs petitioned the district leaders when they realized that all their 762 colleagues had all been paid.
On Monday, Martin Oba Owiny, Junior Quarters B village chief and also the chairperson of all the LC1 officials within Lira town, castigated the manner in which the district authority made them plead for the money as if it was not meant for them.
After receiving his 120,000 shillings, Oba told URN that the money shall help him to send his children to school.
Leonard Obira, Jinja LC1 chief in Ojwina Division, blamed the district executive for delaying to effect their payment, adding that it ppeared there was an attempt to divert their money.
Benon Rwanguha, the chief administrative officer, admitted that there was delay to pay the village chiefs’ money.
Rwanguha says the money was sent to their accounts but there was no communication sent to the district informing them about the money.
