Sub-county leaders in Pader district have rejected 7.9 million shillings allocated for Covid-19 activities.

Twelve sub-counties in the district were allocated the money in April this year by the district task-force to facilitate COVID-19 related activities. The money is part of the 165 million shillings the district received from the government for COVID-19 fight.

Each of the sub-counties was supposed to receive 220,000 shillings every month for three months.

However, John Gandy, the senior accountant in-charge of the health department says that none of the sub-county leaders has signed for the funds. He says that the funds are lying idle at the account of the health department.

The Pajule sub-county chairperson, Brilliant Tito Okello says that all the chairpersons declined to sign for the money claiming unfairness in allocation of the funds. He says the money cannot facilitate COVID-19 activities in all the 96 villages and six parishes in his area.

Okello says the central government should withhold sending COVID-19 fund to the district until the discrepancies in allocation to lower local government is addressed.

Robert Okane, the secretary-general of Pader district sub-county chairpersons association Pader says the meagre COVID-19 fund allocation to sub-counties is questionable considering their contribution to COVID-19 fight.

He notes that they have also withdrawn their services in response to any COVID-19 activities in the district.

The Pader Resident District Commissioner who also doubles as the district Covid-19 taskforce chairperson, Dusman Okee has directed that the unspent fund be returned to the National Treasury.

Unlike in Pader district, the COVID-19 taskforce in Agago and Kitgum districts allocated to the sub-county task-force committees 2.2 million shillings with 100 litres of fuel and shillings 1.5 million shillings with 45 litters of fuels respectively.

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