MP Atiku to table motion to censure Agriculture Minister Ssempijja over abuse of office
Ayivu County Member of Parliament, Benard Atiku is set to table a motion to censure the Minister for Agriculture, Vincent Ssempijja, the Nile Post has learnt.
The legislators in a notice to the Clerk to Parliament says he intends to move a motion of censure against the agriculture minister on grounds of abuse of office and misbehavior contrary to article 118(1) (a) and (b) of the Constitution.
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“While holding the portfolio of Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Husbandry he abused his office when he ordered for the withdrawal of several heads of cattle from Lusenke stock farm, a government owned ranch managed by the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB) located in Kayunga district contrary to provisions of the Animal Breeding Act 2001 and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act 2003,” Ayivu says in his notice of motion to the Clerk to Parliament.
The legislator also says that the Minister misbehaved and misconducted when he without excuse refused, neglected or failed to attend the House on March,12, 2020 as had been directed by the Speaker of Parliament.
The animals under question were taken by Ssempijja from Lusenke Stock Farm in Kayunga District to slaughter for his voters in Kalungu in 2019.
MPs sitting on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) early this year questioned the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Pius Wakabi Kasajja, to explain how Minister Ssempijja had taken away 15 bulls from a government ranch in Kayunga.
The Permanent Secretary in response said the minister had made a request for the animals to facilitate a political activity in his Kalungu County constituency in October 2019.
The Ministry undersecretary, Ronald Ssegawa Gyagenda also told the August House that Minister Ssempijja requested for financial assistance but the technical team instead decided to give him support in form of bulls.
“For this particular issue, the minister wrote to the Agency requesting for financial support. For this, we looked at the cows and all the awarding of the cows that were supposed to be disposed of. We followed the procurement procedures,” Gyagenda told Public Accounts Committee of Parliament chaired by Nandala Mafabi.
