Pader Officials Accused of Approving Substandard Works

Pader district officials have come under criticism for issuing certificates of completion for substandard projects. 

The accusations stem from two buildings that were poorly constructed in the financial years 2016/2017 and 2018/2019 at a tune of 181 million shillings. They include the 89 Million Shillings Outpatient Department block at Amilobo Health Center III and 12 million shillings teachers’ house at Amilobo primary school.

The other is the 80 Million Shillings construction of toilet stances at Amilobo Primary School all undertaken by Ajalo Co. Ltd, a local contractor in the district.

Laguti Sub-County LCV Councilor, John Chris Anywar Mugisha says that the certificates of completion were issued even after several complaints to the district officials.

Anywar alleges that Ajalo Co. Ltd which was contracted for all the projects belongs to a civil servant in the district adding that award of the contract to the contractor is questionable due to their competency level.

Laguti Sub-County Chairperson Christopher Odokonyero says most of the local government infrastructural projects in the sub-county have been issued certificates of completion authorizing payment to the contractor over shoddy works.

He singled out the construction works on Amilobo Health Center III outpatient department and Tumalyec Teachers quarters which were not supposed to start operations due to the shoddy works.

Luo

//Cue in: “calo ot yat…

Cue out:…tuki ao weng.”//

Pader District Engineer, Benedict Lubang however denied the allegations of issuing out certificates of completion to sub-standard structures.

Lubang says all the local government projects are monitored and guided by the district works committee and other technocrats adding that issuance of certificates is only done after quality assurance.   

//cue in: “ka ki timo...

Cue out:…no pe ber.”//

Simon Peter Otto, the Director Ajalo Co. Ltd acknowledges that they had some gaps during the construction of Tumalyec Primary School but notes that the defects were fixed.

He says they were rightly awarded certificates of completion for the projects undertaken after the district officials accompanied by the engineer and sub-county leaders made inspections to the project sites.

Otto however says they can’t take the blame for shoddy works on projects undertaken in the financial year 201/2017 since they were only contracted to do finishing after two contractors abandoned the site.