‘Pay Army Pensions Promptly’
Mar 30, 2004
PARLIAMENT has urged the Executive to ensure that there is prompt payment of pensions to families of soldiers who have fallen in battle.
By John Odyek
and Felix Osike
PARLIAMENT has urged the Executive to ensure that there is prompt payment of pensions to families of soldiers who have fallen in battle.
The House was debating the report on the supplementary schedule No.1 of 2003/04. Parliament’s committee on finance presented the report. It said pensioners’ arrears stood at sh250b.
Miria Matembe (Mbarara) told the House on Thursday that she lost a cousin in 1999, who was an officer in the UPDF but the deceased’s family had not received any payments to date because of the bureaucracy involved.
Matembe said she travelled to the army headquarters in Bombo several times to process the papers and went to the Ministry of Public Service in vain for payments.
“The families of army men who die don’t get their money. My cousin was at the frontline in Gulu and in Congo until he died in 1999. It is unfortunate if the widows have to look for the money like this,†she said.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga said she had similar problems in her constituency.
Ends
and Felix Osike
PARLIAMENT has urged the Executive to ensure that there is prompt payment of pensions to families of soldiers who have fallen in battle.
The House was debating the report on the supplementary schedule No.1 of 2003/04. Parliament’s committee on finance presented the report. It said pensioners’ arrears stood at sh250b.
Miria Matembe (Mbarara) told the House on Thursday that she lost a cousin in 1999, who was an officer in the UPDF but the deceased’s family had not received any payments to date because of the bureaucracy involved.
Matembe said she travelled to the army headquarters in Bombo several times to process the papers and went to the Ministry of Public Service in vain for payments.
“The families of army men who die don’t get their money. My cousin was at the frontline in Gulu and in Congo until he died in 1999. It is unfortunate if the widows have to look for the money like this,†she said.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga said she had similar problems in her constituency.
Ends