The former Gulu City Mayor George Labeja is demanding for 17,017,000 shillings’ salary arrears that accumulated during the eleven months when he served as the interim City Mayor for Gulu.
Labeja tabled the demand before the Gulu City Council’s authorities on while handing over office to his successor Alfred Okwonga on Wednesday evening,16 days after the searing-in of the new team.
He handed over a written report and Council’s property that was in his possession like a Double Cabin Pickup registration number LG 0021-117 and an Ambulance registration number UBH 234Z, a donation by Izumisano City in Japan to Laroo Health Center III in Pece –Laroo Division.
In his report, Labeja is also tasking Gulu City Council to pay him nine months’ accumulated subsidy totaling to 8,190,000 shillings and 1,590,000 shillings’ emolument for a month, and that his former deputy Pauline Lukwai also owes the council shillings 21,048,000 which includes salary arrears, subsidy and emoluments. He however didnot explain why the arrears accumulated.
Labeja also disclosed that Gulu City Council should refund him a total of 21.4 million shillings, personal money he used during various processes of clearing the Ambulance from customs.
Labeja was first elected the Mayor for Gulu Municipality in 2011. He retained his office in the 2016 general elections and later became the interim Gulu City Mayor on 1st July last year when Gulu attained a City Status.
During the during the just concluded elections, Labeja who contested for the seat of Pece –Laroo Division Mayor lost to Geoffrey Otim. However, he has been praised for his good lobbying skills and creating partnership with other countries.
Edward Kiwanuka Guwavu, the Gulu City Town Clerk says Labeja exhibited good political leadership that made Gulu City register many successes. He cited that during Labeja’s term, 30 roads were constructed with funding from Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development –USMID as well as 6.04 kilometers’ roads in Gulu business town center with funding from Japan International Cooperation Agency –JICA.
Joyce Alima, the Gulu City Council Speaker told Uganda Radio Network (URN) in an interview that internal auditor shall first audit the handover report by Labeja before certifying it and that the council will start work with what the outgone regime left behind.
Alfred Okwonga, the Gulu City Mayor says they will first make consultations with the accounts department on Labeja’s claims for arrears and other dues before paying what rightfully belongs to him.
