The State Minister of Mineral Development, Sarah Opendi has warned Members of Parliament (MPs) to stay away from the issues of Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
During an interview with this website on Monday, Opendi alleged that some greedy MPs have pocketed from big figures within the agency through igniting fights and wrangles amongst them.
The minister also claimed that she got information that the two sides fighting each other within the institution gave out money to MPs to fight for them their battles using the floor of Parliament.
“There is a lot of politics in REA and the top leaders have hired MPs to fight for them and that is why on Tuesday I’m tabling a report pinning them. The Executive Director is now 70 (reached the retirement age) and the board decided not to award him another contract, but he has refused to resign, this is because of politics by MPs and other politicians,” she said.
Opendi’s warning follows Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga’s order to the Parliamentary Disciplinary Committee to investigate how the motion to discuss on the issues REA came on the Order Paper last week.
Kadaga also ordered the committee to investigate into the allegations that Samia-Bugwe County North MP Gideon Onyango who was to introduce the motion before the House forged the signature of Busiki County MP Paul Akamba who was to second the motion.
Sources allege that Akamba wrote to speaker denying his awareness of the alleged motion. However, Onyango pinned Akamba for betraying him at the later time after receiving Shs20m.
Onyango alleged that Akamba plus many other MPs received money from big bosses in REA to intentionally refuse his motion to pass or be discussed.
However, Opendi has warned the legislators that they will vomit the money they have been receiving from REA officials because she is ready to clean up the agency by relegating leaders whose contracts are over no matter how much money they have paid MPs to fight for them.
“It’s time for politics to get out of REA, this is a serving institution to providing services to all Ugandans and no one was born to be an Executive Director, everybody can be and when your time is over that’s it, no one is mandated to lead forever. My agenda is to see that all these two comps in REA are eliminated, we need uniformity in this institution,” she added.
Opendi added that MPs are divided in camps( those on Executive Director Godfrey Turyahikayo’s side and those on the side of Deputy Executive Director Godfrey Welike).
“ People should learn to work together for the good of the country,” she said.
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