By Geoffrey Omara
Apac

About 20 premises in Apac town have been closed due to lack of latrines. The town health inspector, Charles Apat,  on August 11 spearheaded the health crackdown with a team of Apac town council law enforcement officers.

Most of the structures were commercial houses, mainly on and around the bus park. Among these was Friendship Lodge building, which has over 3 shops, two restaurants, and a bar with about 12 residents.

The team found that the buildings had full pit-latrines and residents reportedly eased themselves in dark corridors separating one house from the other and on the streets during the night.

Apat blamed the poor sanitation in the town on such unhygienic practices. Not having latrines and places of convenience, he added, was a violation of public health regulations.

“During earlier inspections, we told the landlords to dig pit-latrines and gave them a deadline but they turned a deaf ear to the warning,” said Apat

“We could not tolerate such conduct because it can result in an outbreak of diseases like cholera, spread by poor sanitation”, he added.

Before locking up the buildings, tenants were ordered to vacate and warned that those who resist would be forced out and prosecuted in court.

Apat said the buildings would only be reopened after new latrines that meet the required health standards are constructed.

By Geoffrey Omara
Apac

The district criminal investigation officer Mathew Otuu has urged women to join politics and compete with men in a order to solve their problems constitutionally.

“You must compete with men so that your number increases in parliament in order for you to come out with a law which can favour women at grass root levels so that they can developed at a faster rate”, Otuu said.

A.S.P Otuu was on August 5 addressing women council in a consultation meeting organized by a Local NGO in APAC district called CADOVIC.

“If you were many in parliament you would have passed so many bills such as domestic relation bill which has been pending in Parliament since 2006”, he added.

He said many women tend to ignore their fellow women during campaign time yet they are the ones who can transform them when they are in higher authorities.

The board member of CADOVIC Mrs. Florence Omara warned women against early marriage.

“Don’t let people marry children. You in the council should bring women together and advocate against the dangers of early marriage within your communities” she directed.

By Geoffrey Omara
Apac

August 8, 2008: The Director of Public Prosecution (D.P.P) has acquitted two criminal cases in the on-going High court session in Apac district.

In a letter dated July 30^th 2008 the Director of public Prosecutions Richard Butera said Mr Robert Akaki who was charged with murder and Francis Acobi (Defilement) has no case to answer.

“Your Lordship in the High court of APAC, take note that the government of Uganda has decided not to continue with the proceedings against the two accused”, the letter reads in part.

The Resident Sstate Attorney of Apac Mr Charles Bison who tendered the letter to the Court said the directives were from above.

“My lordship this letter in an order from the office of the Public Prosecution that the government is not interested in the case”, Mr Bwiso told Court.

The presiding Judge His lordship Justice Byamukama Mugenyi said that since the letter was from above he had no power to deny it

“It is only the D.P.P who has powers to either continue or discontinue the case at all the levels of courts in Uganda – Magistrate Courts, High Courts, Courts of Appeal and any other Courts in Uganda”, Byamukama clarified.

By Geoffrey Omara
Apac

August 8, 2008: Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) has released over 696 million shillings to the youth groups under Apac and Oyam districts.NUSAF district technical officer for Apac district Philips Otim said the funds will be for 36 projects in Apac and 18 sub-projects in Oyam respectively.

Otim was on Friday addressing the chairpersons and the secretaries of the NUSAF funded projects at Apac Scouts Hall. He said the project funded were for the youth only.

“Do not go back and own the groups by yourself. Most of the chairpersons and secretaries tend to own the groups by themselves and if such report reach my office you will be replace with immediate effect”. Tim warned.

He urged the executives committee of the NUSAF funded sub-projects to avoid the system of crossing the names of group members.

The district secretary for Production and Marketing Hon Asanti Odongo warned the beneficiaries not to use the funds to marry more women.

“If you misuse these funds it means that you have blocked all the opportunities to others so, we are not going to tolerate it” he stressed.

By Geoffrey Omara
Apac

The community of Owang Village in Apac district has appealed to government and other financial institution to open more banks in the district to help them fight poverty.

In a public debate organized by Northern Uganda Women Media Organization (NUMWO) a group of women journalists in northern Uganda with the title “Access to Loan’  they raised a concern that in  the whole of Apac district there is only  one Stanbic Bank with very harsh loan conditions.

The debate which was supposed to be attended by the officials from many Banking institutions to answer questions of loan conditions was boycotted by the Stanbic Bank management despite invitation by the NUMWO officials.

“We invited the manager of stanbic bank and he promised to be here this morning but to our dismay he has just called me and said he is unable to attend this debate and it is a very unfortunate situation.” Laker said in her opening remark.

The debate was funded by the ILO and was attended b the ILO Northern Uganda representative Steven Opio

Honorable Tonny Ayo a councilor of Chawente Sub County in Apac district council who represented the district council in the debate also expressed concern over the few banks in the district. Ayo applauded the NUMWO for organizing the debate which has generated the idea that he will table before council to ensure that the district woes banking institution to come to Apac.

He said the district will struggle to ensure that small scale microfinance under the government program of Bwanabagaggawale takes off quickly to help the community come out of poverty.

The women journalists led by Gloria Laker were in their program of one of many which they organize to create public awareness on the access to loan in order to fight poverty in northern Uganda.

The people were furious on the condition of loan which they said does not favor their small scale business.

“There are other Banks that give very high interest rate and short payback period which is very difficult to manage” Norbert Ekwang chairperson of business community of Owang said, attributing it to Centenary Bank which comes 45km away from Lira district to give small scale loan to business community in groups.

By Ronald Odongo
Apac

The high court in Apac has sentenced a 29 year old man to 20 years imprisonment for defiling a girl aged 10. Belmos Egoo, a resident of Opeta parish in Aboke Sub County, late last year had sexual intercourse with a girl who he had brought from a relative to live in his home as a house maid.

Presiding over the proceedings, the high court judge Biabakami Mugenyi said the accused pleaded guilty of the offence. The high court session opened in Apac on June 22.

He says the high court proceedings would go for a month in Apac district handling about 70 overdue capital cases including defilement cases which are top in the cases to be handled.

The high court judge further revealed that 32 defilement, and 7 murder cases from Apac and about 31 murder and defilement cases taken from Lira district will be handled during the month-long proceedings.

Egoo was sent to Atopi government prison on June 23. Other 6 suspects who were convicted on different offences sent were also sent to Atopi government prison in Apac district.

Jackson Odongo, 32, a local resident of Agulu parish in Apac was sentenced to 1 year of imprisonment for defiling a 16 year old girl.

Patrick Okunyu 23 a resident of Amorigoga in Abongomola Sub County was also convicted and sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment for defiling a 14 year old girl in 2006 among others.

By press time only 7 suspects have been convicted and sentenced on several on defilement and murder cases.

By Geoffrey Omara
Apac

The Apac NRM party Chairman Richard Ogwang Odyero has called on President Museveni to fulfill his pledge of putting tarmac on Masindi-Apac-Lira road this financial year.

Talking to the press in his office in Apac Town recently, Odyero said he had learnt that the government was still carrying out feasibility study which he said would the surfacing process.

President Museveni on May 6^th this year reportedly pledged to tarmac the road while meeting a delegation from Apac district in State House. The delegation which was lead by the district NRM chairperson had petitioned the president on his numerous pledges made to the people of Apac in the recent past.

Odyero said the feasibility of the read had already been made during Obote II government and is still in the Ministry of Works. “Let them consult the file in the ministry other than wasting time on what was already done in 1984. The people of Apac are badly in need of this road.

The Chairman added that the feasibility study included construction of a bridge across river Nile. “We are currently not interested the bridge; we can still use the ferry as we know the construction of a bridge will take time but work should get started”, he added.

The former deputy Finance Minister in Obote II government Henry okello McMot who recently defected to NRM from UPC said Kuwait government and the Arab Bank had already given money for the vast road construction.

Odyero’s statement follows concerns from the community that the President was not fulfilling his promises to the people of Apac.

By Omara Geoffrey
Apac

THE Ministry of Local Government has given the district 17 motorcycles to assist in community mobilisation. The motorcycles were channeled through the Local Government Development Programme (LGDP).

While handing over the motorcycles to the community development officers at the district headquarters recently, the Resident District Commisioner Apac Alex Jurua, warned civil servants against misusing government property.

He said the district executive committee would start monitoring sub-counties to check the practice.

Jurua called on politicians to ensure that they monitor civil servants.

“The Government is fulfilling its mandate of providing effective services to the people,” he said.

Stanly Adrabo, the chief administrative officer, said: “The Government is trying to rejuvenate community mobilisation so that they reach communities.

“Community development officers are soldiers who fight against poverty. The sub-counties should budget for the operation and maintenance of these motor cycles,” said Adrabo

“Community development officers are tasked with ensuring that the local communities are abreast with district programmes like the National Agricultural Advisory Services, universal primary education, primary healthcare, water and sanitation, agricultural extension and HIV/AIDS awareness,” he said.

By Geoffrey Omara
Apac

Scientists have developed new cotton varieties to tame jassids, the notorious cotton pest which has been causing havoc in 35 cotton growing districts in Uganda.

Dr George Epieru, an insect expert at National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute in Soroti District says the new cotton varieties have a hairy surface.

“Jassids lay eggs on rolled cotton leaves. This is exactly what we have deprived it of in our cotton research” says Epieru.

Epiru maintains that Jassids feed on cotton leaves and that their colour ranges from green, yellow-green to brown.

“The insects cause leaves to curl at the edge, turning yellow or reddish and may dry in severe cases. The pests may lead to stunted growth and can reduce yields by up to 80% in severe cases”

Dr Epiru was on Monday June 30 addressing members of the district production directorate at the production hall at the district.

He says many farmers in Lango, Acholi and Kasese districts had given up cotton cultivation due to the insects.

By Geoffrey Omara
Apac

The education ministry has attributed declining education standards to ‘fake’ schools. “It is the responsibility of local leaders to report schools that are operating in poor environment”, said Dr Charles Masaba, deputy director of education in Kampala district.

Dr Masaba was recently presiding over education conference that was attended by local leaders, head teachers and pupils at Apac Scouts Hall.

Charles Bakkabulindi, the sports minister, said corruption among head teachers coupled with teacher absenteeism had caused the deterioration. “Corruption in the education sector has several forms like teachers working less hours, absenteeism and mismanagement of government funds”, he said.

Fagil Mandy, an expert said research has shown that school heads in government schools invested more time and money in personal schools.