Minister Ecweru rushes to Nebbi to calm planned demo over poor state of roads

NEBBI  – The State Minister for Works and Transport, Fred Musa Ecweru on Tuesday rushed to Greater Nebbi districts to appease youth who had planned demonstrations over the poor state of the roads in the region.

The minister’s tour of the region over bad roads came after intelligent reports revealed that the youth and others were to block Nebbi –Goli roads up to Padea for not being considered a priority in the National Development Programme [NDP] in government is to tarmac some roads.

The area’s youth are concerned that border roads in DR Congo are tarmacked yet government of Uganda has neglected the roads in Nebbi, which is a border region connecting Uganda and DR Congo.

Sam Rwothomio, one of the youths who are discontented with the poor state of the roads in the region said 14.4 Kilometer Nebbi –Goli custom road should have been tarmacked long ago as promised by president Museveni in the years 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021 as they country held general elections.

“The people of Greater Nebbi districts have never involved themselves in any demonstrations but I think this is the right moment to show the whole nation that we are citizens who demand good service delivery from government,” Rwothomio said.

During the recently concluded community youth parliament session organised by  Action Aid and aired live on local FM radio stations, the youth said government has ignored the Nebbi Sub-region in terms of infrastructural development, which they said has caused trade and commerce.

“We have been voting for the ruling party [NRM] but what we continue to receive under the same government is poor services delivery in the district,” Rwothomio said.

Minister Ecweru who toured the Greater Nebbi districts alongside officials from Uganda National Road Authority [UNRA ] said, the design for Nebbi –Goli Jukia road is completed even though it is not considered under NDP.

Ecweru promised that Nebbi –Goli Jukia road will be tarmacked in phase I while Goli Paidha, Padea up to Vurra will be handled in phase II, saying the government is losing billions of shillings due to the bad state of the roads.

While defending the government he added: “It is not that the government has abandoned the entire West Nile region, but it’s because of COVID-19 which affected the budgets for the key government’s priorities for the last two years.”

Members of parliament from the Greater Nebbi who accompanied minister Ecweru said cross-border trade between Uganda and DR-Congo is being hampered due to the bad state of Nebbi –Goli Jukia roads.

Nebbi Municipality MP, Hashim Suleiman said the people in the area are not happy with the poor state of the roads which have taken a long to be tarmacked.

He added that Jukia hill road claims many lives during the rainy seasons as it develops gullies and potholes that slow the movement of heavy trucks to Zombo district and DR Congo, affecting the economic activities in both Uganda and DR Congo.

However, UNRA Northern Uganda Station Engineer, Eng. Jimmy Adwek Makmot said the maintenance on the black spot on Nebbi Goli Jukia road is being done in a short time to make it passable in this rainy season.

He added that the UNRA is lobbying the government to ensure the road is tarmacked as one of the priorities under NDP 4 to spur trade in the Greater Nebbi districts.

https://thecooperator.news/residents-irked-by-poor-roads-in-sebei-sub-region/

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