George Nockrach, the head teacher of Abam Parents Primary School in Lamwo district is in police custody for participating in the theft of 145 pieces of iron sheets meant for the school. Nockrach was arrested on Tuesday together with Charles Oryem, the school PTA chairperson, and Vincent Ojok, the School Management Committee chairperson, following demands of accountability for the iron sheets by parents.
Information obtained by URN indicates that in 2016, the then Lamwo District Woman Member of parliament Molly Lanyero donated 20 iron sheets to help the school set up a structure. In 2021, Minister Hillary Onek gave 188 iron sheets and this year, the district gave 30 sheets and 10 bags of cement for the same purpose.
However, Patrick Okot, the LC 3 chairperson of Palabek Abera Sub-County in Lamwo district, said he got concerned about the absence of infrastructure at the school despite the material support given by leaders. Okot revealed that the school, which was established in 1984, with an enrollment of 118 pupils now does not have any structure that qualifies it to be called a school.
During a meeting on February 8th this year, parents demanded accountability for the iron sheets, but the leaders said they had sold 25 of the iron sheets to pay teachers’ salaries.
Okot said when asked to provide proof in another meeting conducted on Monday this week, the leaders failed. He expressed disappointment that despite parents baking bricks, and collecting sand and concrete for the construction, the school did not even attempt to start construction work.
The trio is also accused of failing to account for over Shillings 1.4 million they collected from parents in the name of building fees, the unspecified amount collected as PTA, and the ten bags of cement. Patrick Ongom, the OC of Palabek Gem Police Post, said when they went to the home of the SMC chairperson to verify the number of iron sheets, they found only 93 iron sheets distributed in three different homes, instead of 238.
Ongom said the head teacher failed to produce the record books and receipts for the money collected as PTA, and did not even have the number of learners who paid the fees.
Ongom said the trio have been at Palabek Gem Police Station since Tuesday and will be charged with theft and abuse of office.
-URN
