Obua petitions Museveni over Lira Stadium construction funds

Ajuri County Member of Parliament Hamson Denis Obua has petitioned the president demanding for a forensic audit conducted by the Attorney General on the value for money spent so far on the construction of the Akii-Bua stadium in Lira.

In his petition, he also wants a progressive report on the construction of the stadium made public and also a projected plan highlighting when the stadium construction is expected to be finalised.

His demand follows publication of the current state of the stadium that shows a small stand and a toilet on which sh600m has been reportedly spent.

"Your excellency as you may recall, you presided over the closing of the Lango Conference 2012 at Uganda Technical College-Lira where the people of Lango presented before you Lango Agenda for Development that included establishment of Lira University, construction of Akii-Bua stadium, upgrading Rwenkungye-Masindi Port Apac-Lira Acholi-Bur road to tarmac and the construction of Kaguta Road among others," Obua states.

"Subsequently, Lira District Local Government donated over 12 hectares of land at Erute County to the central government through the Ministry of Education and Sports for the above stadium construction."

 Officials and journalists inspect road works at the proposed Akii Bua Olympic stadium in Lira in April 27 2017. PHOTOS: Michael Nsubuga

He contends that from the 2016-2017 financial year, to-date, government through the Ministry of Education and Sports has been remitting funds through delegated funding to the account of Lira District account and so far over sh600m has been spent and yet what is on the ground is a terrace and a pit latrine.

Addressing the Lira district administration officials, after a joint monitoring exercise between the Ministry of Education officials and those of the district on last year, sports commissioner Omara  Apita said the funds for the actual construction of the facility would be availed in the 2018-2019 budget.

He said the stadium was one of the flagship projects that will be done by the Ministry of Education and Sports.

"We invited consultancy firms to bid and received 17 bids. The valuation of bids is being done and we shall invite them to present their design proposals; the total cost will be known after the designs have been finalized," Apita said then.

He said the artistic impression of the stadium should be out by the end of the 2017-2018 financial year as they also mobilise for funds to do the work. He said that parliament, the district local government, the ministry and members of parliament all have roles in the lobbying of funds.

The district engineer and project supervisor Hudson Omoko said work on the project started in February 2016 with demarcation of the land and have since stabilised the ground, created water and drainage channels to ensure all the running water is directed to the wetland.

"We anticipate, if we can get sh350m we will be able to strengthen and complete the road connection by stone-pitching. We also need to build sanitation facilities, changing rooms and a shade near the temporary field. One month from now we should start using the playground which is being leveled at the moment as a temporary training facility," Omoko said then.

All access roads to the stadium were re-named after prominent people from the districts. The roads are the like Julius Acon, Okello Degree, Bishop Dukani and Leo Alani roads.