Minister Kania Backs Youths over Riot on Job Slots.
By Robert Ariaka
Arua March 30, 2017
Email: ariaka2012robert@gmail.com
Tel: +256777374441
The minister of state for internal affairs Obiga Mario Kania
is in support of the angry youths in Imvepi refugee settlement camp who rioted
over denial to get jobs.
The youths on Wednesday turned away the camp commandant
Denis Mbaguta and several workers from the refugee aid organizations in Odupi
Sub County after their demands for job slots were not met.
Minister Kania was on Thursday responding to the situation
at the camps in West Nile region where youths are demanding for fair share in
job opportunities because they have offered land for the settlement of the
refugees.
Speaking to New Vision in a telephone interview, Kania said
the youths are right to demand for jobs since their land for grazing animals
and farming has been occupied by the refugees.
Kania wondered why the UNHCR implementing partners are not
giving jobs and business opportunities to the local people even after he
communicated to them to seat and agree.
The minister says for jobs like guarding, loading and other
petty activities don’t need much qualifications which the locals can be given
to balance the job slots.
Trouble started when the youths applied for various posts to
work in Imvepi settlement camp but were not considered instead the people taken
were those ferried from central Uganda and other parts of the country.
The youths decided on Wednesday to turn away all those
ferried to start work with the aid organization.
The youths accused Denis Mbaguta the camp commandant Imvepi
for ferrying his relatives and friends for jobs even when some of the works
like cooking food, guarding as watchman, counseling among others can be done by
them.
The affected aid instigation are Uganda Red Cross society,
Samaritus Purs, International Rescue Committee (IRC), and UNHCR among others.
One of the youths identified as Bernard Asraf said they
decided to accompany the workers out of the camp to board their buses in which
they were ferried to go back until office of the prime minister and the aid
organization adhere to their request of balancing job slots in the camp.
Over 200 youths from Imvepi and other parts of Terego
Constituencies were disappointed when they were failed from their attempt to
get job. They decided to mobilize and blocked the roads for those ferried from
outside the district.
Asraf said, the locals have provide land to host the
refugees but have nothing to benefit apart from doing hard labour job of
sinking latrines, clearing the bush and erecting temporary structures in the
camps which undermines their rights.
Another youth only identified as Susan said the various
organization advertised by the locals who applied failed to appear in the
shortlist. She said because the locals have donated land for the refugees, they
need to benefit from the job offers.
Denis Mbaguta the camp commandant said in a telephone
interview on Thursday that, it’s true the workers have been turned away but
they have communicated to them to report on Monday.
He denied claims of ferrying people from other parts of
Uganda to be employed for jobs in the camp. Recently the minister of state for
internal affairs Obiga Mario Kania blocked a meeting on refugees to draft a
memorandum of understanding which would be taken to parliament to amend the
refugee act 2006. Some of the issues addressed in the meeting are the land
security, employment of the locals, environmental damage, and water crisis
security among others
End
