Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /usr/www/users/urnnet/a/story.php on line 43 Abim Residents Block Road to Protest Corruption :: Uganda Radionetwork
The Morulem Sub County LC III Chairperson, Bismarck Ogwang confirmed the ongoing protest by residents on Wednesday morning. He explained that despite holding a meeting with the aggrieved community members on Tuesday, they have vowed to maintain the barricade until Abim District LC V Chairperson, Jimmy Ochero goes on ground to listen to their problems.
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Angry residents of Odolo village in Rackoko parish, Abim district have blocked Rackoko– Akwanagwel Road to protest corruption by technocrats. The road, which connects to Akwangagwel Primary school and Rackoko Health centre II, has been barricaded since Monday.
The Residents went up in arms on Monday afternoon after the District Engineer demobilized road equipment before the section of the road passing through their village was graded. They say that they have been denied the same service for more than five years.
They were particularly enraged when the District Road Engineer and supervisor, Eng. Vincent Okello reportedly sold murram worth 1 million Shillings to various residents at 80, 000 Shillings per trip, instead of giving it out at no cost.
The residents retaliated by barricading the road using logs and destroying culverts that were meant for installation in the neighbouring village. They accused the district engineer of deliberately excluding them from service delivery.
Morulem Sub County Chairperson Bismarck Ogwang explained that the aggrieved community members have vowed to maintain the barricade until Abim District Chairperson, Jimmy Ochero listens to their problems.
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Rackoko Parish Chairperson Moses Okidi says the road hasn’t been worked on since the last general elections.
But Abim District Eng. Vincent Okello explains that the budget of 17. 4 million Shillings allocated for the road works wasn’t sufficient for the four Kilometer stretch. He says he only recommended spot gravelling on bad the spots.
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He blames one of his drivers of illegally selling over 12 trips of marram to some residents, saying he wasn’t involved in the mess. Okello says he saw the marram but can’t single out the culprit without the help of community members.
Stanley Ebele
Freelancer