Kouza plans overhaul

 By GABRIEL LAHOC

LAE MP Loujaya Kouza is planning a major overhaul of the district administration and staff because of allegations of mismanagement.

Kouza, the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Religion, claimed that some officers in the Lae district office were giving out funds without following proper procedures and against her advice.

She said some officers were acting outside their areas of responsibility and duty. She plans to spend more time in Lae next year to keep things under control.

She said K7 million from the district’s K10 million District Services Improvement Programme fund had already been spent. She claimed that some payments were done under shady arrangements.

Kouza, speaking by telephone, said three officers at the district youth desk had accessed K100,000 allocated through the DSIP fund and K18,000 raised through a fundraising dinner after she ordered a freeze on that bank account.

The K100,000 DSIP fund was supposed to be held in the bank until all youth associations in the 23 wards of Lae had been registered.

They can access funding next year once registered.

Kouza said the K18,000 was supposed to be divided with more than K700 given to each association to get them organised this year.

“I froze that account but they saw the district administrator who allowed them to withdraw,” she said.

“The community development officer withdrew the funds raised and used the money to carry out maintenance of the youth office.

“Another is a University of Technology graduate who presented a submission for K100,000 to produce our newsletter. 

“The Ahi council of women still have a K90,000  dummy cheque from me but they are still to be paid.

“The Lae council of women was given K100,000. But what are they doing as their cheque was paid? I am really disappointed.”

But district administrator Robin Calistus denied the claims, saying they had not done anything wrong.

Calistus said the 500 members of Ahi council of women were given K300 each while a K42,000 approved funding was for the Lae district youth council’s 23 associations.

He said some still had to open up their accounts.

He said the community development officer and the MP’s second secretary advised him that the MP wanted him to withdraw those funds.