Ibanda councilors abandon sitting over allowances

By Stephen Nuwagira

LOCAL-GOVERNMENT    

IBANDA - A council session for Ibanda Municipality was prematurely adjourned after councilors protested the non-payment of their ex-gratia and sitting allowances.

While suspending the session, speaker Libert Agaba said the town clerk, Deo Ndimo, had last Thursday assured him that the ex-gratia money for the past six months would be on councilors' accounts by today's sitting.   

This followed a motion by Grace Asiimwe, to adjourn council indefinitely over non-payment of councilors' emoluments, saying the town clerk has been promising to pay the money on several occasions to no avail. 

The issue of non-payment of councilors' ex-gratia had been raised in previous sessions. In August, the council passed a resolution to use monies from urban unconditional grants to cater for the allowances. 

Each of the 42 municipal councilors is entitled to sh250,000 per month (taxable) as a sitting allowance and sh100,000 for attending committees.

Junior Ssesanga said the technical team has been telling councilors that the money was being processed since early last week. 

"I scheduled the sitting knowing the issue of payment that has persisted for the last six months would have been solved," said Agaba during deliberations on the issue. 

He added that the money was released by the Bank of Uganda, and wondered why it has not been paid to rightful beneficiaries. He accused the technical team of playing delaying tactics and failure to perform their duties.

Pleas by the town clerk and the district speaker Happy Herbert Mayanja, who attended the session, were ignored by councilors, saying the technical team had outstretched their patience. 

"We have been patient with you (the technical staff), but you are taking us for granted," he said, suspending the session until November 14. 

Ndimo had earlier informed the council that the payments were being processed and would be on their accounts within four working days. 

He advised against adjournment, saying it would tantamount to ‘dissolving council'. District speaker Mayanja said adjournment would be costly and affect the council budget.