The fight against corruption and the pursuit of genuine wealth creation have taken center stage in Dokolo District as Resident District Commissioner Babra Akech officially ordered a complete overhaul of the Parish Development Model vetting process. This bold move follows shocking revelations of ghost beneficiaries, blatant nepotism, and illegal registrations that threatened to derail the government’s mission to uplift ordinary citizens.
During a heated but necessary community dialogue held at Tetugo Primary School on Friday, the air was thick with frustration as residents of Tetugo B Ward in Agwata Town Council voiced their grievances. The investigation centered on the Tetugo C Produce Dealers SACCO, where local community members exposed how the system had been manipulated to favor outsiders and repeat beneficiaries.
Among the most glaring irregularities were the registrations of Jackson Odongo, who reportedly resides in Lira District rather than Dokolo, and Ojok Jasper, an individual who had already received funds from the program previously. These discoveries sparked outrage among the rightful residents who felt cheated out of their opportunity for financial transformation.
RDC Akech did not mince words when addressing the gathered crowd. She emphasized that transparency and accountability are the only paths to success for the Parish Development Model. In a stern warning to the community, she urged beneficiaries to use the upcoming elections to strip underperforming and untrustworthy SACCO leaders of their power. Her message was clear: those who cannot lead with integrity have no place in the government’s wealth creation agenda.
The RDC also highlighted a disturbing case of identity theft and exploitation. She recounted an incident where a young man allegedly hijacked another person’s National Identity Card to claim funds, leaving the rightful owner with a measly 50,000 shillings. It was only through the swift intervention of the RDC’s office that the legitimate beneficiary was finally able to secure their full entitlement.
The chairperson of the Tetugo C Produce Dealers, Franchise Akora, attempted to explain the chaos by shifting blame onto an acting leader who managed the group during his absence. He admitted that while he was away, ineligible individuals, including a relative of the acting leader and a previous beneficiary, were allowed to slip through the cracks. This failure in local oversight was echoed by Ambrose Ayo, the Ward PDM SACCO chairperson, who admitted that local attempts to fix the mess had failed, leaving the RDC as the only hope for justice.
While some officials, like Parish Development Committee chairperson Akora Paskweli, claimed that initial screenings were clean, the weight of the new evidence made it impossible to ignore the rot within the system. Town Agent Okeng Boniface joined the call for fairness, pleading with both leaders and the public to abandon favoritism and work together to ensure the program serves its intended purpose.
By the end of the decisive meeting, the community witnessed immediate action. Three individuals—Angwech Racheal, Jackson Odongo, and Ojok Jasper—were officially struck off the beneficiary list. Following the RDC’s strict directive, every single beneficiary in the ward will now undergo a fresh, rigorous verification process to ensure that not a single shilling is wasted on those who do not qualify.
While no arrests were made by the conclusion of the meeting, the message sent to the people of Dokolo was unmistakable: the era of manipulating government programs for personal gain is over, and the path to prosperity will be paved with honesty and merit.