Obongi Youth Resort to Drugs Over Unemployment

Summary:

• Obongi district youth, frustrated by job denials and corruption in government programs, expressed their turn to drug addiction in a meeting with the Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Samuel Mpimbaza Hashaka, who pledged to address their grievances and investigate the embezzlement allegations.

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Young people in the Obongi district, particularly in the ghetto, conveyed to the Obongi Resident District Commissioner (RDC) that they have turned to substance abuse due to frustration, job rejections, and marginalization in all government-funded programs.

Mr. Samuel Mpimbaza Hashaka, the RDC of Obongi, convened a meeting with the youth in the Konyokonyo zone of Obongi town council during the weekend at Yenga village in Palorinya sub-county. At the gathering, he observed them using mairungi and smoking opium.

According to Hashaka, the youth clarified that corruption has deprived them of employment opportunities, and funds allocated for various projects, including YLP, UWEP, DRDIP, and EMYOOGA, have been misappropriated and diverted.

In Yenga village, Palorinya sub-county, residents pointed to the Yenga cook stove project, where more than 50 million shillings designated for brick making and energy-efficient cook stoves were misappropriated.

Although the police were notified, no action has been taken against those responsible for embezzling funds at the district headquarters.

The RDC assured the youth that their concerns would be addressed. Investigations will be launched, and those found guilty will face prosecution, ensuring that the citizens receive their rightful entitlements.

Hashaka encouraged the youth to report any corrupt government officials siphoning funds from Obongi district to his office, emphasizing that such cases would be handled in accordance with the rule of law.

Written by The Ankole Times, Editing by Busiinge Aggrey

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