The Obongi Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Samuel Mpimbasa Hasaka, has called on the Director of Operations at the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) headquarters to take immediate action and arrest about four top officials in the Obongi district local government.
He told the media on Tuesday that one of the suspects is being protected by a top minister, who has made the civil servant an expert at looting government money.
RDC Hasaka said that the residents and leaders of Obongi have resolved to lock the district offices and demand the removal of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Andrew Leru, due to allegations of corruption.
The leaders and residents, led by some district councillors and LC3 chairpersons and councillors, are accusing the corrupt district officials of causing underdevelopment in Obongi by embezzling public funds sent by the NRM government.
They are also accusing the police in Obongi of colluding with the corrupt by submitting empty files to the Resident State Attorney and deliberately hiding others due to corruption.
The leaders and residents want the central government to intervene in the corruption scandals in Obongi, especially the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and the Inspectorate of Government.
“They cited the file on the ghost vehicle and broken culverts as some of the files submitted to the RSA with evidence plucked out. They want the Ag OC CID Adrani Christopher removed due to corruption and incompetence,” RDC Hasaka added.
He said the corruption scandals cited include the District Rural Development Investment Programme (DRDIP), where billions of shillings have been embezzled, the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP), and the vandalized tractor, which was last week found in the compound of a grass-thatched house in Konyokonyo cell in Obongi town council.
“They have therefore resolved to lock the district offices and carry out a peaceful demonstration until action is taken,” RDC Hasaka said.
He added that he has received intelligence reports indicating that the communities of Obongi are planning to lock up the offices of the CAO and the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) for failing to ensure that the project vehicle meant for the supervision of Obongi DLG activities has been delivered as had been said by the LCV and the CAO.
“However, the community is angry with these technical officials of the district for unethical behaviours exhibited in relation to the misuse of government resources meant to benefit the people of Obongi district,” RDC Hasaka said.
According to the reports, the offices will be locked in protest against the corrupt tendencies of misusing the tractors and the Hilux saga procurement. The keys to the padlocks will be delivered to the police, according to the intelligence reports received by the RDC’s office.
This is a sign of dissatisfaction with the lack of action taken by the police to forward the investigated files to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for sanctioning of the cases.
In another source that RDC Hasaka requested not to be named in this publication, he said the intelligence source wants the RDC to act within his mandate under the Local Government Act, 2009, Section 71(1)(a, b, d & e) and (2)(a, b, c, d & e) firmly.
However, there is speculation that some section of councillors want to vote in favor of the removal of the CAO under the Local Government Act, 2009, Section 86(1)(a, b, c).
When contacted to give his side of the story on phone, the Obongi district CAO, Mr. Andrew Leru, did not pick up repeated phone calls.
