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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A dispute between Lira Municipal Council authority and the town Clerk, Samuel Ahabwe is threatening the implementation of the Uganda Support to Municipality Infrastructural Development-USMID.
Last week, Lira municipality councillors asked the Local Government Ministry to transfer Ahabwe accusing him of failing to implement council resolutions.
They cited failure to evict vendors from various streets and failing to stop Saving Grace Limited from managing Coronation Park, a public open space.
Now, the Lira Municipal Development Forum-MDF, a public body set by the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development to oversee the implementation of USMID Programs in all the benefiting Municipalities, has petitioned Lango Parliamentary Group to intervene and resolve the crisis.
Patrick Ogwang, the MDF Chairperson, says that the USMID project is directly threatened by both the dispute and the court case filed by Saving Grace Limited at the Lira High Court.
“Lira Municipal has received additional funding of 12b shillings and part of this money should be used for building more structures at Coronation Park but this cannot be implemented due to the dispute and the current court case filed by the Saving Grace Limited,” Ogwang said.
James Omara Elem, an anti-corruption activist in Lira town faulted the Municipal leadership of failing to resolve on the feud.
Paul Amoru Omiat, the Vice-Chairperson of Lango Parliamentary Group says both Lira Municipal council and the Management of Saving Grace Limited must resolve on the dispute to pave way for the implementation of the project.
Award of the contract to manage Coronation Park to Saving Grace Ltd has since been challenged by the local councillors who accused Lira Municipal authority of flouting procurement policies, a move that saw former town clerk Assy Abireebe, deputy clerk, Patrick Ogweng and Mayor Ogwang Olwa arrested and currently undergoing trial at the Anti-Corruption Court.
Some of the approved USMID projects in Lira Municipality and are due for implementation include upgrade of Coronation Park, tarmacking of Obangakene, Noteber, Boundary and Olwol roads.
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