District to investigate leaders involved in FARG mess

WESTERN PROVINCE RUBAVU — The Rubavu district Mayor Celestine Twagirayezu has said that the district will investigate and prosecute all local leaders who were involved in the mismanagement of funds meant to support Genocide survivors last year. He was reacting to reports of a financial mess in the Fund for the Assistance of Genocide Survivors (FARG). The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Eugene Barikana, said early this week in Karongi district, that more than 90% of local leaders could be held liable for the financial scam in FARG. Addressing residents on Wednesday, Twagiramungu urged them to help weed out quack genocide survivors during the validation exercise that kicked off yesterday. “We are working hand in hand with the provincial authorities to identify genuine people who should be supported. Some local leaders have in the past used their positions to misuse the funds meant for genocide survivors by including their relatives and friends who are not genocide survivors, among the beneficiaries,” he said. “You should all turn up for the validation exercise because it will only take one day. We want you to help us identify the genuine survivors and the fake ones who have in the past benefited from the survivor’s funds,” Twagirayezu urged residents. The irregularities, according to reports, included creating ghost beneficiaries, poor construction of survivors’ houses using sub standard cheap materials, and mismanagement of funds. The Mayor said that the validation exercise at the villages would come up with a list that will be sent to the Sector and district before the final lists of genuine beneficiaries are sent to the province, by January 12. According to the Gisenyi sector coordinator Gideon Ruboneza, the categories of people to be helped include vulnerable genocide survivors, elderly and other desperate residents. Ruboneza, said that the identified residents will be provided with shelter and other financial support through the poverty eradication programme of Ubudehe. Survivors who talked to The New Times welcomed the validation exercise, which they said will eliminate quack genocide survivors and reduce income inequalities. Ends