Poverty is Not Your Destiny - Head of RDC Secretariat Maj. Martha Asiimwe Tells Kwania Leaders, Calls for Mindset Change

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The Head of the RDC Secretariat and Anti-Corruption Unit in the Office of the President, Maj. Martha Asiimwe, has ordered leaders in Kwania District to work as one team to protect public funds, saying where public money is stolen, services suffer.

Maj. Asiimwe said this during her visit to Kwania District which was held at Bishop Hall Diocese of West Lango Headquarters in Aduku Town Council under the theme "Effective Service Delivery. "She said the RDC Secretariat and Anti-Corruption Unit are a department in the Office of the President mandated to do oversight, mentoring, mobilizing, reawakening and strengthening of local leaders to fulfil the mandate entrusted by President Museveni.

Mission is Mindset Change: She said her mission is not simply to mobilize people, but to change mindset. She encouraged people in Kwania to move away from dependency, hopelessness and subsistence living and embrace hard work, enterprise and innovation. "We must agree as leaders and communities that poverty is not our destiny. We must work together to get our people out of poverty - the conditions of poverty, helplessness and constant struggle - so that our people can live happier, more productive and dignified lives," she said.

She noted that a person trapped in extreme poverty is vulnerable to frustration and hopelessness, which affects not only the family but the wider community and the country.Subheading

PDM is Not Handout: Maj. Asiimwe said a road, electricity line, school or health centre is development for everybody, but wealth must reach individual households. She said Government's major task is to move households from subsistence into money economy."Our question must be: How many households have moved from producing only for consumption to producing for the market? PDM, Emyooga and other Government interventions must therefore be treated as instruments for wealth creation, not as handouts," she said. She tasked leaders to ensure beneficiaries receive money, invest in viable enterprises, get technical guidance and are followed up to see if investment produces income.

Protect Public Funds - No More Corruption: In her strongest warning, Maj. Asiimwe said: "We must protect PDM funds, medicines, school capitation grants, road funds and all other public resources. Where public money is stolen, services suffer. Where medicines are diverted, patients suffer. Where contractors do shoddy work, taxpayers pay twice.

"She called upon the RDC, CAO, political leaders, technical officers and security agencies to work as one team. "Monitor. Verify. Assess. Document. Report. Follow up. Our people do not need promises; they need results," she said.

She said decisions must translate into action, contractors must deliver on quality and time and public resources must provide visible value. "Let us make Kwania a district where every parish understands Government programmes, every beneficiary knows their responsibility and every public officer understands that accountability is not optional. This is Kisanja No More Sleep. No More Corruption," she declared.

She concluded by reminding RDCs, civil servants and security actors to remain professional and serve above self, noting that service delivery is priority, unity is strength, accountability is responsibility and transformation is mission.

Harbert Kitutu Fredrick Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Kwania thanked the Head of RDC Secretariat says poverty is not destiny and PDM must not be treated as handout the important of the stake holders meeting shall yield more fruits for a better service delivery in the district.

George Kakaoma Akacha LCV Chairperson Kwania says Kwania has more than 48 thousand households and majority of them have moved from subsistence to money economy through PDM and urge central government to fasten giving Kwania all the Road Equipment to add on the only grader and wheel loader that was given to them recently so that the road are work on well without borrowing from other district which some time coasted the 1 billion budget and more than 300 million are spent and also newly created administrative unite be coded and supported to protect road funds, school capitation grants and others.

Richard Arkwanga Noon The Kwania district RDC thanks the Head of RDC Secretariat for visiting Kwania to reinforce the government efforts and they are going to work as one team - RDC, CAO, political leaders, security as it has been happening before and this time they shall strengthen t Monitor, Verify, Assess, Document, Report, Follow up PDM, medicines, capitation as directed by their boss to help in implementation.

Patrick Onyum Okwang NRM General Scretary, Felix Obia Chairperson Ikwera Ward PDM SACCO, Margret Akello Okeng Kwania district Secretary Works and Technical Services and Natural Recourses, Nicholas Akwang Kwania PAS and Katherin Akello Kwania Principle Commercial Officer also PDM Focal Point Person among other opinion Leaders says government is investing they are going to ensure investment works like PDM funds reach direct beneficiaries to promote wealth creation and as medicines are diverted, patients suffer they shall be monitoring all health facility and brought to book victims caught.