ZOMBO WOMAN MP ESTHER AFOYOCHAN BLASTS OPPONENTS AND MEDIA OVER “SERVICE AWARD” SAGA

By Mike Rwothomio

Zombo

The  woman MP of Zombo district   Esther Afoyochan,  who double as commissioner of   parliament has lashed at media and opponents for over exaggerating  false corruption allegation being label against her in Parliament of Uganda.

Afoyochan revealed that many of her opponents are banking on the false narrative to soil her name to the electorates, challenging them to instead  present clear manifestos of what they intend to do for the people of Zombo. She out rightly blamed the media for over exaggerating   and sensationalizing   false information about her.

The legislature also commended her electorates in Zombo for putting her in ‘prayers’ at this tough time, further applauding fellow MP of Oraa County Songa Biyika Lawrence for not appending his signature during collection of signatures by some legislatures,  who want the’ service award’  issue debated on the floor of parliament.

She reechoed that if she was guilty, she wouldn’t be guarded and moving scot-free. Afoyochan made the remark recently at a fundraising event at St Peters college-Warr; a function presided over by the Arch-bishop of Gulu Archdiocese Most Rev. Raphael P’mony Wokorach.

“I would like to thank you everyone for always praying for me all the time, honorable Songa am telling you when the issue of commission was all over radio, some people over exaggerated it, you know when something is happening to you, many people who hate you over exaggerate it, the issue was all over radio that Esther will be chased, but I want to let you know that when your people sent you with blessings, nothing can happen to you. I want to thank you MP Songa because when the list was brought to chase commissioners of parliament, Songa never signed saying he can’t do that against his sister.”

Her comment is coming at a time, when the movers and seconders of the motion seeking to impeach four back bench commissioners of parliament, have announced that they have secured the 177 signatures needed to table the motion on the floor of parliament.

Undeterred, the movers of the motion led by Members of Parliament Theodore Sekyikuubo, (Lwemiyaga south) and Alioni Yorke Odria (Aringa south), embarked on difficult task of hoping from one place to another across the county, to fetch for signatures from their fellow legislators who were on recess.

Out of the over 40 MPs in the west Nile sub region, about 14 appended their signatures on the censure motion.

The deep seated alleged corruption scandal in Ugandan Parliament has triggered mass debate nationwide, propelling concerned youths to pour on the streets of Kampala in peaceful protest against the vice. Many were arrested by security, charged, remanded and some granted bail.

The commissioners accused of awarding themselves shs 1.7 billion as ‘ service award’   include  former leader of opposition and the MP  for Nyendo-Mukungwe county  Mathias Mpuuga ( 500M)  Esther Afoyochan, the  Woman MP  Zombo district ( 400 M) ,  Prossy Akampuriira, the Woman MP  for  Rubanda district( 400 M) and   Solomon Silwany, the Bukooli central member of parliament( 400M).

Responding on Afoyochan’s claim about media over exaggerating the commissioner’s alleged corruption woes, Alex Pithua, the executive director of Zombo Press Association said “ the journalists are guided by the journalistic principles to report facts the way it is objectively  in a more professional manner, and that is exactly what our members are doing “

The debate about ‘service award’ was at a fast  clip in  the public domain,  following a social media campaign dubbed the parliament exhibition, earlier championed by concerned activists across the country.

String of alleged corruption scandals involving a number of parliament staff were exposed by members of the public mainly on social media platform X formerly twitter.

Apparently, some MPs from Ugandan Parliament are on remand in Luzira Prison over alleged corruption scandal after President Yoweri Museveni repeated his strong anti –corruption rhetoric against Some MPs and government officials during the recent state of the nation address.

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