Kwania residents plant bananas in protest over poor state of road
KWANIA– Angry residents of Atongtidi and Chawente Sub-counties, Kwania district have planted bananas on the dilapidated road in the area accusing leaders of failing to fix it.
The residents rose up in arms on Tuesday morning and planted banana and sunflower in the middle of Corner Aboko-Atongtidi-Chawente Road, saying it is no longer motorable and has affected businesses.
Willy Okello, a renowned produce dealer at Corner Dairy in Atongtidi Sub-county said they have been unable to transport their produce to Lira City owing to the bad state of the road, which was last repaired in 2014.
“The road was last repaired in 2014. The situation is alarming because currently, we are unable to transport our produce to Lira. I am appealing to relevant authorities to move with speed and correct this anomaly,” he said.
Hellen Acen Eman, a market vendor at Teilwa trading center says, “We have repeatedly asked our leaders at various levels to work on this road in vain. We need this issue addressed urgently. Businessmen find it difficult to transport their farm produce, same to those who transport bodies of their loved ones,” she told this reporter in an interview on Tuesday.
Another resident Charles Opio Obote, a teacher at Chawente Primary School says, “The biggest problem here is poor road network and the problem is that the district leaders do not allocate enough money in the road sector if you critically follow the district budget this has affected learning.”
The angry residents carried tree branches and walked through the road section at Teilwa trading center, Atongtidi Sub-county singing and cursing their area leaders whom they accused of ignoring their pleas for a long time.
Atongtidi Sub-county chairman, Patrick Onyum Okwang said the worst affected roads are those under the care of district leaders, adding that he had informed the relevant authorities about the same but nothing has been done.
“I should not be held liable for that road because it is not within the jurisdiction of the Sub-county but the district which should be held responsible,” he said in a telephone interview.
Geoffrey Alex Ogwal Adyebo, Kwania District Chairman, said efforts are being made to ensure all affected roads in the district are worked on in the shortest time possible, although he decried lack of road equipment.
“I acknowledge the road is bad. Our main problem is that we don’t have road equipment and we get limited funding from central government being a new district. However attempt is being made to ensure we borrow machines from Lira City to immediately work on the road in question, “he said.
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