The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kitgum, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Minister for Local Government Raphael Magyezi has called for investigations into the aspect of road construction component under the Project for Restoration of Livelihood in the Northern Region-PRELNOR.
Magyezi’s call came just a day after the Parliamentary Committee on Public Service and Local Government discovered shoddy works on multi-billion road projects under PRELNOR within Acholi sub region.
The Minister who accompanied the committee is traversing the region on an oversight visit to PRELNOR project areas. They have so far made impromptu visits in the districts of Nwoya and Kitgum between Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
In Kitgum district, the committee on Wednesday discovered a section of 15.9 kilometres of Akilok Central-Lakwanya road in Orom sub-county, constructed by Giant Plum Ent Ug Ltd that had several broken culverts.
The same contractor hadn’t also planted trees on the roadsides as indicated in the road designs despite receiving a certificate of completion and 95 percent payment for the Shillings 1.2 billion road project.
Magyezi says that the road works were not worth being paid for especially in the current condition they are in.
He says the contractors responsible for the shoddy works in both Kitgum and Nwoya districts will be tasked to rework on the site before their payments are made with certificates of completion.
Magyezi says the oversight visit has compelled him to call for a complete investigation into the road projects arguing that some actions will be undertaken especially on the project manager in-charge of infrastructure management.
The Minister also questioned the Kitgum Chief Administrative Officer Martin Jacan Gwokto over appointing a junior officer to take over the multi-billion road project in the absence of the substantive district engineer.
Patrick Bongomin, the district engineer during a heated questioning over the shoddy work distanced himself from issuance of certificates to the contractor citing that he was away for study leave.
Magyezi faulted James Olimocan, the district road engineer who certified payment for road works and directed for his interdiction by the Chief Administrative Officer pending further investigation.
Gilbert Okwong, the project engineer PRELNOR took responsibility for the shoddy works and promised to rectify the anomaly.
He however noted that the broken culverts were caused by heavy trucks that had been ferrying murram from a borrow pit for the construction of a road that links Orom sub-county to Karenga district.
According to Okwong, the road in question is a district class three road designed for a maximum load of between 10-15 tones trucks only, unlike the more than 50 tones trucks that had been plying it.
Okwong also explained that the tree planting component in the project was shifted to schools owing to the high rate of tree destruction on the roadsides through wild bush fires.
Susan Amero, the Woman Member of Parliament for Amuria district however stressed that shoddy contracts are arising from the protection some contractors enjoy as a result of being awarded the contracts centrally.
She says Parliament needs to reign in the methods of award of contracts since some are holding government contracts with lots of money but unable to deliver.
The government launched PRELNOR, a seven-year shillings 233 Billion project in September 2016. The project aims to address livelihood gaps and improve the road network within the communities in Acholi sub-region to the regional markets.
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