Minister Amongi refuses to step-down from office

In Summary
  • Among said she was being condemned without evidence.
  • Among said she was being victimized yet she is a whistleblower. 
  • Parliament select committee reccomended that she resigns because of abuse of office. 
Minister of Gender Betty Among defends her self in parliament
Image: Courtesy photo

Uganda's Gender,Labour and Social Development Minister  Betty Amongi  has insisted that she will not resign based on falsehood by the report.

While giving her defense in regard to  the select committee report findings and recommendations that implicated her of abuse of office, Amongi said she was being condemned without facts, evidence and reference to points of law." Infact am being victimized yet am the whistle blower''.she noted

The select committee chaired by Mwine Mpaka  faulted Amongi  of requesting for  6 billion shillings to cater for activities in her  ministry of gender,but she said  the request was done with in the law.

Amongi told parliament that she is partly implicated in NSSF mismanagement because she rejected  to re-appoint Richard Byarugaba as Managing director.

The minister faulted committee for not making any recommendations on the ministry of finance yet it’s the minister of finance who appointed the NSSF board members now in the fresh mismanagement of NSSf funds.

Despite her explanation the house adopted a number of  reccomendations  such as  directing Amongi to resign with immediate effect for abuse of office.

The lawmakers said the ministers actions contravened the NSSF Act.

Lwemiyaga county MP Theodore Ssekikubo said  Parliament had a task to prove beyond reasonable doubt ,if the minister was right or wrong to request for the 6billion from NSSF.

Butambala woman mp Aisha Kabanda wondered how the minister was going to account for this money yet she is the one who supervises the fund.

The leader of opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuga said the minister has no powers to appropriate funds ." Why do you think you can borrow the word appropriation to use the money for Government work?NSSF funds are for private people who are saving their little money for a rainy day.'' Mpuga said.

However Dokolo woman MP Cecilia Ogwang urged her colluegues to make decisions based on Public finance managment act which clearly stipulates budget initiation and implementation." We should be clear on who initiates the budget so that no body is seen as being victimized.''Ogwal said.

The chairperson of the select committee that investigated the mismanagment of Nssf Mwine Mpaka said that every recommendation in the report is backed by evidence." We believe,we did this job to the best of our knowledge and we can defend all the reccomendations we made '' .said Mpaka .

The house further agreed that the NSSF board be dissolved as reccomended by the committee and the 24 board members who illegally received 10 percent contribution from NSSF to refund the money within seven working days after adoption of the report or be prosecuted.