Arua councilors boycott budget meeting

ARUA-Some councilors of  Arua hill division this week walked out of a meeting meant to draw the budget at the division premises.

 

This arose from a similar meeting that was also scheduled to  draw the budget but was prematurely adjourned last week.

 

Two councilors of Arua hill division Ephraim Acidri, the male councilor representing People With Disabilities (PWDs) and Alphonso Buzuru were last week suspended over indiscipline however on Monday they still turned up for the meeting meant to lay the 2018/2019 budget.

 

The speaker Morris Munduga sent the duo out and as a result other councilors also boycotted the meeting.

 

The youth councilor, Arua hill division Fred Tabu was disappointed in the way some councilors matched out of the council meeting.

 

"This is the second time we are coming for a similar meeting and we use monies inform of refreshments and allowances yet we are using taxpayers money, which is so unfortunate", he said.

 

Arua district councilor representing Arua hill division, Night Asara was disappointed in the manner that the councilors were suspended where she was later also sent away from the meeting.

 

‘'What is wrong in a councilor saying we never received documents  of the five year development plan that is why the meeting should be adjourned and then the councilors are suspended", she said.

 

Asara said the meeting to draw the budget had no quorum because there were just a handful of councilors with just one female representative but all women councilors had walked out of the meeting.

 

She said the speaker failed to understand the councilors who gave him the mandate to be in that position.

 

The speaker of the division Morris Munduga, said he has been lenient to the councilors who do not follow the standards of council procedures entailed in the local government act.

 

"I have been pardoning most of you councilors that misbehave in council but it is time that you understand council code of conduct", He said.

 

He asked the different committees to come up to  speed with the budget allocations so that the budget can be drawn and then approved later in May.

 

The assistant town clerk of the division, Isaac Wanji said the delay to lay the budget will affect the budget process.

 

He said the budget is one of the most important tools that local governments use to plan for activities of council, so the delay poses a risk to implementation of activities in the coming financial year

 

The mayor Arua municipal, Isa Kato emphasised the need to lay the budget in order to benefit the local population.

 

He condemned acts of the councilors walking out of the meeting which deprives the common person service delivery.

 

He also said the technical officers like the assistant town clerk are failing in their duties therefore affecting the budget process of Arua hill division that is a sole revenue base of Arua municipality.

 

 "The division should ensure that they solve their conflicts internally to prevent embarrassments like the suspension of councilors in the presence of the gallery", he said.