MPs order arrest of Gulu headteachers
Nov 05, 2002
HAD the Auditor General not smelt a rat over the hand-written Gulu teachers payroll, hundreds of teachers in the district might have spent the rest of their lives wondering what became of their pay.
By Cyprian Musoke.
HAD the Auditor General not smelt a rat over the hand-written Gulu teachers payroll, hundreds of teachers in the district might have spent the rest of their lives wondering what became of their pay.
“An Audit of primary teachers payrolls revealed that salaries totalling sh10b were paid by headteachers to other persons without the authority of rightful beneficiaries (teachers), while unclaimed salaries amounting to sh22.2m were not returned by headteachers for receipting back to the account despite several reminders to do so,†the AG report before the MPs, said.
Disgruntled teachers now have hope since the local government accounts committee yesterday ordered the Gulu chief administrative officer, Owori Achiel, to hand-over the errant headteachers to CID and ensure repayment of the money.
“What do you expect a teacher, in of all areas Gulu, to do if they spend fifteen months without pay? We recommend that every headteacher who diverted money should refund it, and should be handed-over to the Police for investigation,†ruled chairman James Kinobe.
James Mwandha said teaching was the most abused profession and called for sterner action like sending a CID team to the district.
However, chances of recovery are dim since embezzlement began more than four years ago.
HAD the Auditor General not smelt a rat over the hand-written Gulu teachers payroll, hundreds of teachers in the district might have spent the rest of their lives wondering what became of their pay.
“An Audit of primary teachers payrolls revealed that salaries totalling sh10b were paid by headteachers to other persons without the authority of rightful beneficiaries (teachers), while unclaimed salaries amounting to sh22.2m were not returned by headteachers for receipting back to the account despite several reminders to do so,†the AG report before the MPs, said.
Disgruntled teachers now have hope since the local government accounts committee yesterday ordered the Gulu chief administrative officer, Owori Achiel, to hand-over the errant headteachers to CID and ensure repayment of the money.
“What do you expect a teacher, in of all areas Gulu, to do if they spend fifteen months without pay? We recommend that every headteacher who diverted money should refund it, and should be handed-over to the Police for investigation,†ruled chairman James Kinobe.
James Mwandha said teaching was the most abused profession and called for sterner action like sending a CID team to the district.
However, chances of recovery are dim since embezzlement began more than four years ago.