By Mike Rwothomio

After months of uncertainty regarding their ex gratia payments, councillors, as well as LCI and LCII chairpersons of Paidha Town Council in Zombo District, have voiced their frustration and demanded an explanation from the district leadership.

In a press conference held on July 9, at the Paidha Town Council boardroom, the councillors expressed their deep concerns about the non-payment for the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year, which has left them worried and demoralized.

Agnes Aciro Oroma, the female councillor for Nyibola Ward who also serves as the chairperson of the Works and Transport Committee, expressed her disappointment with the district’s silence on the matter despite repeated calls for assurance.

“Our ex gratia for the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year wasn’t paid, and we are really worried. In the 2019/20 fiscal year, I was among the councillors who missed their payment from the district, and to date, no one has paid our ex gratia. We need the district to explain something to us. It’s the only money we get from the government, yet we have many responsibilities as councillors. The challenge is that the district has gone silent over the matter for a while now,” Aciro said.

Lydia Musango, the vice chairperson of Paidha Town Council, appealed to the concerned authorities to address the matter urgently, adding that “all our councillors, chairpersons LCI, and LCII are so frustrated.”

According to the Local Government Act, city councillors are entitled to a monthly allowance (ex gratia) of 250,000 shillings, city division councillors of 175,000 shillings, and town council and municipal division chairpersons of 35,000 shillings.

The deputy speaker of Paidha Town Council, Joyce Kayeny, noted the concerns about the delayed payment and recounted how demoralized the local leaders are currently.

The councillors also alleged that their counterparts from Zombo, Abanga, and Paidha sub-counties are facing similar issues. However, this claim could not be independently verified by press time.

A few councillors who spoke to this reporter blamed the district for its lack of clarity on the issue, which has become a pressing concern among local leaders.

For years, Paidha Town Council has been rated highly compared to other lower local governments in terms of local revenue mobilization by the Zombo District leadership.

District Response

In response to the concerns raised, the Chief Administrative Officer of Zombo, David Lubuka, said, “You look for the town clerk because we met him yesterday and told him the reason. So he knows them, he knows what we told him. He and the treasurer, they know. They know very well. I cannot repeat myself.”

However, attempts to get a response from Desmond Odota, the town clerk of Paidha Town Council, proved futile by press time.