Soroti youth reject sh20,000 transport refund

Apr 24, 2013

Youth leaders in Soroti district on Tuesday walked out of a meeting convened by the eastern youth MP Peter Ogwang.

By GODFREY OJORE      

Youth leaders in Soroti district on Tuesday walked out of a meeting convened by the eastern youth MP Peter Ogwang, rejecting sh20,000 transport refund saying it was too little for them.


Ogwang had called the youth councilors in the district to discuss how they could benefit from government programmes like the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) and the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS) among others.

The state minister for Teso affairs Christine Amongin Aporu was to explain to the youth about the programmes and also get their grievances since they had complained to Ogwang that they had not benefited from most government programmes.

Besides rejecting the sh20,000 transport refund, the youth also protested the delay by Ogwang and Amongin to arrive at the Lukiiko hall where the meeting was slated to take place.

The meeting was scheduled to begin at 3.00pm but both Amongin and Ogwang arrived at the venue at 6:30pm.

"Which meeting do you want to begin at 7.00pm? We demand for our refund then call us on another day but now we are not ready to meet you," one of the councilors shouted as the minister watched on at a distance.

Ogwang explained that they delayed in Ngora and Serere districts where they were meeting youth leaders on similar issues.

Efforts by the Soroti district LC5 chairperson George Michael Egunyu and the resident district commissioner (RDC) Ben Etonu to calm the angry youth fell in deaf ears as they insisted on more on top of sh20,000.

Ogwang accepted to top up the refund to sh30,000, which the youth received and left.

 "The youth have been calling me demanding an explanation towards government programmes but I am disappointed that the very youth have turned rowdy over money," Ogwang said.

Amongin explained that the youth in Soroti have also been asking her to connect them to meet the President.

 "We shall organize another day for Soroti since my programme is to meet all the youth in eastern Uganda," Amongin said after the meeting aborted.

 

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