PARLIAMENTARY ASPIRANT REPAIRS 38 NON-FUNCTIONAL IN OYAM DISTRICT

Locals at Ajaga Primary School after repair of borehole. Photo by Chris Woo.

By Chris Woo

Oyam district

Some residents of Minakulu Sub County, Oyam South in Oyam district are celebrating the repair of a vital borehole by a parliamentary hopeful, Mr. Ogwang Obura Patrick after the said borehole became non-functional since 2006 causing  safe water challenge  to this school with a population of more 2,000 pupils  and affecting also the neighboring  community members.

Mr. Okuti Patrick, the headteacher of the school expressed his gratitude, noting that the repair of the borehole will address the severe water crisis the school has been battling since the pupils were forced to scramble for water with the locals.

“This is a great relief to us as a school, our pupils used to struggle for water with the community members at the few available public water sources which are even very far away from here,” he noted.

Johnson Okeng, LC1 chairperson of Otada B village, highlighted the broader water crisis, with most community-drilled wells being closed due to contamination from recent floods. “This water crisis in my area is further compounded by the nonfunctional boreholes at the former Ajaga refugee camp,” he remarked.

Geoffrey Thadeo Okello, who represented Patrick Ogwang Obura at the event, urged the community members to form a water source committee for proper maintenance of the borehole. “Please I urge you to maintain this borehole well, you form a committee that shall be tasked with the responsibility of making sure that this borehole is well managed,” he echoed.

So far this parliamentary hopeful has repaired 38 boreholes across Oyam South, with the sole aim of improving access to clean water as he claims to be heeding to some of the pressing needs of the local community members.