By Moses Obwona and Ouni Jaspher
Dokolo March 15
Dokolo District Chairperson James Apili Otto and his secretary for health and education, Santos Okuja, have found themselves in hot waters after dodging the district tour that was organized to improve the district’s performance and drive development.
The visit, which was scheduled for Thursday March 14, was supposed to provide an opportunity for the district staff and councillors to learn best practices from Luwero’s success.
According to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Dokolo, Richard Madete, the visit was set to focus on three key areas: education, micro-scale irrigation, and local revenue.
He said the initiative was aimed at promoting growth and development in the district by benchmarking on successful strategies from other districts.However, it seems that Otto and Okuja had other plans.
The two officials have come under fire after failing to attend the District Council Tour to Lwero.
In a conversation with our reporter, District Speaker Joel Opota expressed his shock and disappointment at the behavior of the chairman and secretary.
He called their absence a clear abuse of office and a lack of commitment towards their responsibilities.
However, instead of leading the team, it is alleged that Secretary Health and Education Santos OKUJA received 260,000 as facilitation and decided to jump off the bus at a petrol station in Lira City. Meanwhile, Chairman James Otoo Apili was seen hiding in the backstreets of Dokolo town.
“What is even more disturbing is the fact that no apology or explanation was given by the chairman and secretary, except for the female representative of Kwera and Okwongodul, Rebecca Arao, and female workers’ representative, Polly Adupa” said Opota.
It has been revealed by sources that Chairperson James Apili Otto and Santos Okuja were busy campaigning for the late Cecilia Ogwal’s daughter in the upcoming Dokolo by-election.
This raises concerns about the priorities of the district leaders and their commitment to the development of Dokolo.
Responding to the allegation on LBS’s Odiko Alyet morning discussion show James Otto Apili the Dokolo district chairperson says he didn’t receive a single coin as facilitattion for the tour.
“The tour was organized for two days, March 14 and 15, but to my surprised those who went on the first day completed everything including activities of the second day” Oto said in a phone interview with LBS radio.
According to Oto, he left Dokolo very early on March 15 to catch up with his team in Luwero district but upon reaching Karuma bridge in Kiryandongo district he was shocked to know that the Councilors are back home.
The district tour presented a valuable opportunity for the leaders to learn and implement new ideas and strategies to improve the district’s performance.
However, their absence has left their fellow Councilors questioning their dedication to their roles and responsibilities.
Dokolo district has great potential for growth and development, and it is essential for its leaders to take concrete actions to drive progress.
The education sector, in particular, needs significant attention as it plays a crucial role in shaping the future of the district.
