ANGRY ARUA RESIDENTS OUST GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR PROCURED ILLEGALLY

By Simon Onziga

Arua

Residents of Chongolia Cell in Awindiri ward Arua central division Arua city together with the Member of Parliament Atima Lee Jackson have ousted a contractor allegedly sneaked to operate the value addition plant at Awindiri in the central division of Arua city.

This came as a result of the failure by local government ministry to provide guidelines to hand over and operationalize the facility by the city.
Osuga Rashul area councilor for Awindiri ward and the speaker for Arua central division says they will stick to the promise of government that the facility has to benefit the local community.

He said, “we are not going to abandon the promises made to our mothers who used to sale their tomatoes and onions here where we had our local market that your sons will be employed to work in this factory when it`s complete”.

Arua city clerk Paul Batanda expressed concern over the unclear circumstances under which the contractor was procured by the central government without the notice of the city council.

He however asked the said contractor only identified as Aggrey Mbetize to speak to public but the angry residents denied him the chance to have a say.
Meanwhile, Atima Lee Jackson the Member of Parliament for Arua central locked the facility and advocated for an investigation to be done to ascertain the legality of procuring a contractor to manage the value addition facility.

Atima who had a padlock ready in his hands asked Mbetize to collect his belongings and leave the facility and later locked him out of the fence of the area.
The multibillion value addition equipment has remained idle since 2020 when the works were completed.

Much as President Museveni commissioned the value addition facility in 2020, the facility has since not been handed over to the city council as it awaits guidelines from the local government ministry to help the city advertise for procurement of a contractor to manage it.

COVER PHOTO: Rowdy residents and leaders pictured at the plant By Simon Onziga