By Haron Okwir
Leaders in Dokolo District has on Wednesday failed to attend a meeting opposing the fencing of access roads at the district headquarters.
The meeting, organized by residents of Central Ward in Dokolo Town Council, aimed to discuss and find a solution to the district’s decision to fence off both the premises and community access roads.
However, to the disappointment of the organizers, the district leaders were a no-show.
This left the community members with no choice but to give a two-week ultimatum to the district leaders to remove the fencing that has blocked the roads passing through the district headquarters.
The residents expressed their frustration during a gathering, attended by more than 150 community members from Awinyipany, Alam, and Akongodyek cells.
Raymond Amunyo, a businessman and resident of the area said that his business is collapsing because he is not getting customers due to challenges including difficulties in accessing the place.
Sarah Akullo , an employee working at the Dokolo Tourist Hotel where customers uses the blocked road said that before the roads were closed, they used to get a lot of business; but after closing, they are no longer getting customers.
She added that the same road serves as access to their gardens, schools for their children, and many other facilities.
Mzee Julius Peter Ocur Odwe, CEO of Dokolo Tourist Hotel, explains that he opened his hotel with the aim of bringing development to the community, but due to blocked roads, his business is collapsing; he pledges to continue following up on the case with community members until it is resolved.
George Ongom commonly known as Ongom Lango and a resident of Awinyipany cell, blamed the district leaders for not following seven different steps before closing public roads.
He said authority should have conducted Site Assessment and Stakeholder Consultation, drafting a Traffic Management Plan (TMP), securing the Legal Road Occupancy License or Permit, issuing advance public notifications, and setting up certified traffic controls, among others.
Dyeri Ongwech, LCI chairperson of Akongodyek Cell, expressed his frustration, saying that the blocked road is the only road that helps community access services such as education, healthcare, and markets; hence, it is causing them difficulties.
Ongwech also disregarded the false claims that are blaming community for the thefts happening within the District headquarters suggesting that they should recruit gatekeepers who will help maintain security by keeping the gate open during the daytime and closing it at an appropriate time.
LCI Chairperson of Alam Cell, Mr. Simon Bongo Edubu, said that the blocking of those roads is hindering them from many activities, stating that they have given the ultimatum of two weeks to the District leaders to open the roads; otherwise, they will take other action.
Paul Olele, Vice Chairperson LC1 of Awinyipany Cell, blames District leaders for blocking them without having alternatives routes.
Olele also called for patience among the community members, advising them to wait for the two weeks given, and in case of no response, that is when they can take any action they deem necessary.
The Councillor representing Central Ward, Hon. Moses Ogwang, blamed the District leaders for taking actions without consultation, stating that they were supposed to discuss their plans with the Town Council leaders before proceeding and urging calmness within the community.
Speaking during LBS’s Odikalyet morning discussion, Musafiri Suwed, the Dokolo district communication officer refuted the allegations.
He said the plan to fence district headquarters came from District security team, physical planing and technical committee, District executive committee and was later approved in the district council.
Musafiri said his technical people didn’t boycott the meeting but the organizers didn’t make a formal communication to the office of the Chief Administrative Officer who is mandated to assign officers.
