Multi-billion DRDIP project in Arua stalls over poor welfare of workers

By Morish Dramadri

Arua.

The delay in the construction of the multibillion Enyau Eraka Oluodri road bridge in Aliivu cell Aliba ward in Ayivu division Arua city has attracted concerns from the community in the area sighting the poor welfare of the workers. This shs 2.4 billion project that was contracted to DEHA Construction Company commenced on 28th October 2022 with the site hand over, and is expected to be completed in 8 months’ time, currently two months to the completion schedule.

A visit to the site during a joint community monitoring of the project shows that the contractor is still laying first base, and this raised concerns from the community as they accuse the contractor of poor welfare of the worker. Allegation over allegations, complaint over complaints, as the residents expressed their dismay over the slow work at the site.

Eunice Anderu, a 70 year old resident of Aliivu cell, Aliba ward says the biggest problem at this site is hunger as workers are not well fed. “The workers who come from far, I’m sorry I don’t know if they get satisfied. The other guy deserted the work because of hunger.  This work is very slow because of hunger” Anderu cried out. “I heard that the contractor of this project has never constructed a bridge before. Now you have contracted him this project. What if he does shoddy work and this bridge breaks in a short while, who will again come and reconstruct the bridge?” Lekeru Joyce 58, another resident from this same area complained.

Hon. Anguyo Godfrey with community member during a joint community project monitoring

Hon. Godfrey Anguyo the male city councilor for Manibe and Aroi who chaired this joint community engagement on the multi-billion bridge project observed that there is lack of supervision of this project. “one of the key challenge is that the contractor is not providing the required working materials , tools and equipment to the workers timely, he is not facilitating the project well, the staff have complained of not being paid and some of them have abandoned work, the staff are also not fed at work place. The entire storage facility is roofed with carpet and you know when heavy rain comes, a lot of materials like cement are going to be spoilt here. I want to request the administration of Arua district to task the district engineer to monitor is project very well”, Hon. Anguyo said.

Meanwhile Simon Amaku the community project management committee chairperson attributes the delay in the construction to delays by the ministry of works and transport. “On 18th October last year, the district organized a program to hand over this project to the contractor but after that there was something left. There was a document needed from the ministry of works and transport, until in February this year when the work commenced. It is the ministry who caused the first delay of this project”, Amaku narrated 

But efforts to get response from the contractor at DEHA Construction Company on the project over the allegation of the poor welfare of workers proved futile as he spoke in a harassing manner. The Enyau-Eraka-Oluodri road bridge project is funded by the government of Uganda through Development Response to Displacement Project (DRDIP) and supervised by the residual Arua district authorities.

COVER PHOTO: The current stage of the 6 months old project By Morish Dramadri