According to Asiku, the then Yumbe Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Innocent Asaba, made a complete payment to the Nile Fishing Company without supplying any motorcycles to the district, contrary to procurement guidelines.
Local
leaders in Yumbe district have raised concerns about the delayed supply of
sixteen motorcycles meant for Local Council chairpersons of the newly
established sub-counties and town councils. During the
2021/2022 financial year, the Yumbe district procurement unit contracted Nile
Fishing Company to supply 16 YBR Motorcycles, each at a contract cost of
9,200,000 Shillings, for LC 3 chairpersons of the newly created sub-counties
and town councils.
However,
nearly two years later, the motorcycles have not been delivered to the district
despite the full payment of Shillings 147.2 million. Abdu Mutwalib Asiku, the
Yumbe district LC V chairperson, explains that they have written several
letters to the Ministry of Local Government to intervene and ensure the
motorcycles are delivered to the district by Nile Fishing Company, but to no
avail.
According to
Asiku, the then Yumbe Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Innocent Asaba,
made a complete payment to the Nile Fishing Company without supplying any
motorcycles to the district, contrary to procurement guidelines.
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Rashid
Waiga, the councilor for Romogi Sub-county in Yumbe District, explains that the
failure of the company to deliver the procured motorcycles has condemned the LC
3 chairpersons to miserable lives since they lack means of transport to carry
out their activities and monitor government programs in their respective
sub-counties and town councils.
However,
Esther Namala, an official at Nile Fishing Company Ltd, blamed the delayed
delivery of the procured motorcycles on the suspension of the company’s
taxpayer identification number (TIN) by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). According to Namala, the motorcycles are currently parked at their warehouse in
Banda, Kampala, awaiting the lifting of the suspension of the company’s TIN so
that the registration numbers can be processed.
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Local
leaders are urging prompt action to resolve the issue, emphasizing the critical
need for these motorcycles to enhance the efficiency and mobility of the LC 3
chairpersons in performing their duties and overseeing government programs.
