By KT Reporter
The Acholi Paramount Chief David Onen Acana 11 has asked President Museveni to honour his pledge of 1 billion shillings to operationalise the Savings and Credit Cooperative Society for chiefs.
Acana reminded the President recently, while in Gulu, to discuss a workable solution for compensating the people who lost their cattle in the region during the interwar period.
He noted that in his recent tour of 44 of the 57 established chiefdoms across the region, like his subjects, the chiefs need to be economically supported with revolving funds.
He argues that, currently, all the chiefs are deliberately participating in the economic transformations of the sub-region with mass mobilisation of the people for commercial farming.
Without empowering the chiefs, they are limited to reaching out to the people, yet it is easy to mobilise the people to participate in the government programs under the chiefdoms.
“Your Excellency, I want to remind you that four years later, when you promised us, we haven’t seen the money for our Saco,” Acana told President Museveni.
He, however, commended the government for initiating the parish development model, saying it is a good strategy for fighting poverty is fully implemented.
“Parish development model is a good strategy, but the problem is, it isn’t linked to agro-processing and cooperatives where people are,” Acana observed.
Meanwhile, Acana criticised the different government programs in the region with limited impacts on the social and economic recovery of the region due to corruption, and all factors in the implementation value change with leadership and governance in key planned sectors to trigger sustainable growth and development.
“About 3.8 trillion has been pumped to post-war Northern Uganda with limited impacts on social and economic transformations, and this has been because of corruption and mindset change of the people for sustainability”, Acana noted.
With a population of nearly 2 million people, the National Population and Census report of 2024 put Acholi at over 68 percent poverty, the poorest in the Country.
The state minister for Northern Uganda, Dr. Kenenth Omona, has, however, commended the traditional leaders for supporting the government projects for their people.
“Mr. President, I am your servant (nyampara) you sent to this region where poverty is the highest, but I want to report to you that both the cultural and religious leaders are working together to transform this area”, Omona stated.
He explains, for the region to walk out of poverty, agriculture must be taken as a priority, where people can be supported to add value to their products to attract a better market price.
“These people have started planting crops with high market values, and I want to thank the cultural leaders for rallying support, especially towards coffee production”, Dr. Omona added.
Although he did not give a time frame in response, Museveni directed the State House Controproller, Jane Barekye, to address the issues raised by the Paramount Chief with urgency.
“The Paramount Chief has raised very important issues to me, ensuring to address all the concerns the Chief put forward”, Museveni directed Barekye.
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