Some 176 LC3 parish councilors in Lamwo district are protesting the unexplained reduction of their annual honoraria allowances for the 2021/2022 financial year.
Countrywide, each councilor representing a parish and the special interest groups in both Sub County and town councils is entitled to a monthly honorarium allowance of 35,000 shillings that is cumulatively paid in arrears at the end of the financial year to a tune of 420,000 shillings each.
However the Padibe town council speaker Godwill Onen who also doubles as the chairperson of Lamwo Sub County Leaders Forum says the councilors from the 9 affected Sub Counties and 2 town councils were being told to receive only shillings 158,000 instead of shillings 420,000.
It’s reported, however, that a circular was issued directing accounting officers in the two newly created town councils and six sub-counties to utilize funds disbursed as startup funds for the units.
According to Onen, last Friday the respective Senior Assistant Secretaries from the affected administrative units had implored their councilors to sign for 158,000 shillings instead of 420,000 shillings as their honoraria allowances which they all declined to receive.
On Saturday the leaders through their respective council speakers convened a meeting where they unanimously resolved not to pick money partially and have petitioned the office of the RDC, CAO, LCV, CFO and DPC seeking an explanation why the gross reduction off their entitlement.
Onen says the councilors have also agreed to lead a peaceful procession on Monday to the district headquarters where they will pitch camp and have vowed never to leave unless all their pending dues in honoraria allowances are settled in full.
The deputy speaker of Padibe sub-county Harriet Amony says paying their colleagues in the new administrative units in full and partially settling them without any clear commitment on the remaining balance is discriminatory and unfair.
Amony says the partial payment will have an adverse effect on them since the money they receive as sitting allowances is meager, coupled with the current biting economic situation that has reduced them to beggars yet they are entitled to the stipulated allowances.
The Lamwo district LCV Chairperson Sisto Oyet Ocen acknowledges having received the concern and concurs with the affected councilors saying his office has directed the Chief Executive to ensure that the honoraria allowance be paid soon and in full.
The Chief Administrative Officer Felix Alex Majjeme didn’t disclose the reason for the anomaly although he pledged to investigate the disparities and ensure that the clerk to the council who is in charge of the payments does the needful in addressing the matter.
However, a district official who preferred to speak on anonymity, attributes the anomaly to a shortfall in the funds disbursed from the Ministry to cater for the allowances, due to an Indicative Planning Figure (IPF) which is not commensurate to what was required for payment of the allowances.
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