Zombo: Residents of Yada Parish, Jangokoro Sub-County in Zombo District, have expressed strong opposition to a proposal by the district’s Social Services Committee to shift the planned construction of three classroom blocks from Ajigu Primary School to Awasi Primary School.
The decision was made citing the lack of an access road to Ajigu Primary, which has faced challenges due to dilapidated infrastructure.
The construction project, originally earmarked for the government-aided Ajigu Primary School, was intended to address the school’s worsening infrastructure, which includes aging, condemned buildings that pose safety risks to students.
The school, established in 2000 by the community and later taken over by the government in 2019, sits on approximately seven acres of land donated by the local community. It is located just a stone’s throw from the DR Congo border, with over 600 learners enrolled, including children from both Uganda and DR Congo.
During the presentation of the Social Services Committee’s report for the first quarter of the 2024/25 fiscal year on December 18, 2024, at the Zombo District Council Hall, Sadiki Onencan, the committee chairperson, explained that the construction project could not proceed due to inaccessibility of the area.
The committee recommended that the road to Ajigu be opened in the 2025/26 fiscal year, while the 2024/25 project be moved to Awasi Primary School to ensure the allocated funds were not returned to the national treasury for non-utilization.
“The committee recommends that the Works and Technical Services Committee plan to open the road to Ajigu Primary School in the 2025/26 financial year, while the construction project for Ajigu in the 2024/25 financial year be shifted to Awasi Primary School within the same parish,” said Sadiki.
Ajigu Primary School, which currently offers education up to Primary Five, is one of 92 public primary schools in Zombo District. The school is plagued by infrastructure issues, with the dilapidated buildings endangering the safety and well-being of the children.
Community’s reaction
The proposal to relocate the construction project to Awasi Primary School has sparked outrage among the local community.
Anjelu Ochopi, a member of the school management committee, voiced his frustration, accusing the councillors of lacking empathy for the children of the area.
“You can see how far Padea and Awasi Primary schools are. How do you expect our children, many of whom are under 10 years old, to travel such long distances?” he said.
Vincent Odaga, the LCI chairperson for Zani village, where Ajigu Primary School is located, also criticized the district’s decision. He pointed out that the community had already made efforts to improve the road leading to the school. “Upon receiving complaints from the district about accessibility, we mobilized the community and worked on the road up to the school. How can the district now say that trucks can’t bring construction materials here?” he asked.
Scovia Acaye, a mother of three children at Ajigu Primary, expressed her disappointment, saying, “I feel so disappointed that they want to take the project to another school, yet this is also a government school that should be developed.”
Okumu Gasper, a clan leader in the area, questioned how a similar construction project for three classrooms was completed at the same school in 2012, suggesting a lack of transparency regarding the current situation.
Local leaders speak out
Several local leaders have rallied behind the residents of Ajigu, rejecting the committee’s recommendation. David Binen Arua, the district councilor for Jangokoro Sub-County, criticized the decision, labeling it as “uncalled for and disappointing.”
He emphasized that the community had already worked to open up an access road, and he saw no reason why the project could not proceed.
Jacinta Acen, the female councillor for Jangokoro Sub-County, called on her colleagues to understand the importance of equitable resource distribution. She stressed the need to avoid the marginalization of residents in hard-to-reach areas.
Rupiny Douglas, the district councilor for Padea Town Council, also expressed his concern, describing the proposal as a deliberate attempt to deny the people of Ajigu much-needed social services.
District’s response
In response to the outcry, the Zombo District Council Speaker, Hassan Ringtho, commended both the local councillors and the community for their efforts to improve the road to the school. He called for continued teamwork and patriotism to ensure that the school’s infrastructure issues are addressed.
Zombo District LC5 Chairperson, James Oruna Oyullu, also expressed his satisfaction with the community’s efforts to improve the access road. He confirmed that the security team had been briefed on the work to be carried out at Ajigu Primary School.
The dispute over the construction project highlights ongoing tensions in the district over resource allocation and development priorities.
While some residents and local leaders push for the project to remain at Ajigu, the district council’s Social Services Committee continues to recommend relocating the project to Awasi Primary School in the hopes of preventing a loss of funding.
As the issue remains unresolved, the future of Ajigu Primary School’s long-awaited construction project hangs in the balance.
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