First recipient, Geoffrey Oloya comes out clean on COVID-19 Relief Cash.

The first recipient of the COVID-19 Relief Cash and a resident of Gulu City, Geoffrey Oloya yesterday presented himself before the authorities to dismiss falsehoods that labelled him as a “ghost” recipient of the cash.

This followed bad publicity around him that he had never been a bodaboda rider and that he was unknown in Gulu.

“I first heard of the falsehoods around my name last week when Members of Parliament came to Gulu. I felt so embarrassed because I am a vulnerable person and do boda boda riding within Gulu city,” Oloya said.

The fund was intended for the low-income earners whose places of work were within the Central Business Districts of Cities and Municipalities across the country.

With this in central reference and necessary to set the facts straight, Oloya confirmed that he indeed is a boda boda rider and that he received both the money and the famous telephone call from the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister.

Explaining why his phone was not reachable, Oloya said that he has been busy in his garden in Nyamukino village, Lumulu Sub County at the far end of Nwoya district, where the network is very poor.

He described the reports that label him as a “ghost recipient” as “unfortunate” and despite the adverse turn of events, Oloya thanked the government for the support he received months ago.

“When I heard about the COVID-19 Cash, I followed the procedures and got registered. I later received the money and immediately bought seeds of soya and rice which I went to plant in my garden,” Oloya recalled the process he went through to receive the COVID cash.

When disbursement of the cash commenced, Oloya, a resident of Gulu City, was one of the first people who received a call from the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, which call went viral countrywide for a while.

As revealed by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development Communications Officer, Frank Mugabi, Oloya was still working with a string of local authorities including the Resident District Commissioner and representatives from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to document the facts by press time.