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Lamwo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Leaders in Lamwo district are concerned about the delayed completion of rehabilitation works at Agoro irrigation scheme. Nancy Achora, the Lamwo District Woman MP, says that parliament approved the allocation of funds to complete the rehabilitation of Agoro irrigation scheme this financial year, but she is surprised that the work which started last year is yet to be completed.
Achora revealed that she had a chat with the consultant of the rehabilitation works, who promised that if the money is cleared, the work will be completed within a month and the site will be commissioned on 1st December. She directed farmers in Agoro that if the work is not completed by December 1st, they should close the gate of the irrigation site.
According to Achora, the consultant told her that they were only given money as advance to start the work, and it is all used up, which is why the rehabilitation has stalled.
She promised that the district leadership will move as a team to the Ministry of Water and Environment to ensure that the work is completed before December.
Sisto Ocen Oyet, the LCV chairperson of Lamwo district said the leaders as well as farmers of Agoro had a lot of hope for the scheme, but are being disappointed by the delayed rehabilitation works.
Oyet said it is sad that the contractor is not taking his work seriously, and only comes when he learns that officials are going to the site. He said he is disappointed in the contractor because his contract was terminated due to the speed at which he was doing the work, but he was forgiven after promising to complete the rehabilitation, a promise he is not fulfilling.
The leaders raised their concerns as the district celebrated the belated World Food Day at Agoro irrigation scheme on Wednesday. When asked why the work had taken long, Benson Okidi, a sociologist at the Ministry of Water and Environment in the Department of Water and Production told the leaders and farmers at the site that the work has been delayed because of administrative issues and the effects of COVID-19.
Geoffrey Osborn Oceng, the Lamwo Resident District Commissioner said since contractors have not received the money for the work, they will travel to the ministry to find out what is wrong.
Oceng said the prolonged work on the irrigation scheme has stalled at 74 percent since it was started and has affected the farmers for the last four seasons, yet Agoro is the food basket of the Acholi sub-region.
Oceng said they have severally called leaders from the Ministry to explain the status of the scheme but they have not given any credible explanation on the project.
Oceng said the NRM government is stressing commercial agriculture and using irrigation to address the effects of climate change which has caused prolonged drought, but wondered how all these goals will be achieved if the irrigation scheme is not worked on soon.
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