Jeje Odong speaks out on police officers' allowances

CORRUPTION |

The truth in allegations of police officers swindling COVID-19 allowances for junior officers will be discovered after investigations, the Internal Affairs Minister, Gen. Jeje Odong said.

He noted: "For now, they are mere claims which are being investigated."

The widespread allegations have reportedly affected the effectiveness of the junior officers in the enforcement of the guidelines issued by the government to fight COVID-19.

Odong made the remarks while addressing journalists shortly after he hosted a Chinese delegation in his Constituency of Orungo in Amuria district on Tuesday.

"The claims are not true but we are investigating," Odong said. The Inspector-General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola recently ordered investigations into the matter.

The allegations surfaced a few days after the chief of the joint security Maj Gen. Jack Bakasumba, released close to sh3b for both senior and junior police officers working with the COVID-19 National Task Force and Joint Security Task Force in the fight against COVID-19.

According to the guidance provided by Bakasumba in the letter, senior officers were to receive sh120, 000 each while the junior officers were supposed to get sh110, 000 each.

The money was meant to benefit 25,977 police officers who were deployed to perform various roles.

The money according to Bakashumba had been sent to the respective stations where the officers are attached.

Shortly, however, complaints of the police officers having been ordered to sign between sh50, 000 to sh70, 000 emerged.

Police, through Director Police Medical Services Dr Moses Byaruhanga, confirmed receiving numerous complaints.

Odong, meanwhile, wooed the Chinese to support health, education and other community empowerment programmes in the region.

The minister told a delegation made up of over 30 Chinese from the organization called the World Hongmen History and Culture Association Uganda Branch that COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the need for support to the local communities in the country.

"We still have many problems which we cannot manage alone and we need to work together with friends like you," Odong said.

He added; "We are here to establish the challenges in the communities to go back and see how we can address them."

Odong is also a consultant of the association with branches spread across the world.



The association donated 20 tonnes of maize flour, 500 liters of cooking oil on top of 400kgs of sugar.

The items, according to the association chairperson Ye Bao Chun, would support the older persons, the sick, the boda boda riders and other people who have been disenfranchised of the livelihood  the government guidelines to tame the spread of COVID-19.



He explained that the global association is not only intended at uniting the Chinese globally, but also supporting people with basic life through interventions in areas of education, health, water, among others.



It is also intended at training skills in farming, among others to empower communities to be self-reliant on top industrial improvement.