Pay Arrow Boys, says Otekat

Sep 09, 2005

SOROTI LC5 chairman and the deputy coordinator of Arrow Boys, Capt. Emily Otekat, has called upon the Government to pay the militia’s eight-month salary arrears.

By Samuel Okiror

SOROTI LC5 chairman and the deputy coordinator of Arrow Boys, Capt. Emily Otekat, has called upon the Government to pay the militia’s eight-month salary arrears.

“The Arrow boys have not been paid for the last eight months. The last time they got their salary was in February.

“The Government should be serious as we are worried that they might start robbing people in order to survive,” Otekat told a press conference in Soroti town on Wednesday.

He said the money for the payment of auxiliary forces in the country was included in this year’s budget and wondered why the Arrow boys had not been paid.

“The Government must pay the Arrow Boys like it paid other soldiers. The boys did a commendable job in 2003 by flushing out the LRA rebels of Kony who had infiltrated Teso. They should be appreciated,” Otekat said.

He said the Arrow commanders had expected the government to pay the July and August salaries.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Shaban Bantariza said the delay in payments of auxiliary forces was due to failure by the ministry of internal affairs to secure the money from the ministry of finance.

He said the army needed more than sh40b from the ministry of finance but it had only got sh20b for the salaries.

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