Authorities of Lamwo district have expressed concerns after a contractor who abandoned the construction of Pagada Bridge in Palabek Kal Sub County right at the start resurfaced at the end of the contract period ostensibly to embark on the works after abandoning the site a year ago.
The contractor, Hardscreen Logistics Ltd was procured last year by the district through funding from the Development Response Displacement Impact Project (DRDIP) at a cost of shillings 2.5 billion to build the Pagada Bridge that collapsed in 2018 due to heavy traffic.
The Lamwo district LCV Chairperson Sisto Oyet Ocen says the contractor was handed the site in July 2021 but immediately abandoned the project works and numerous efforts to reach out to their management on the work inception and progress have been to no avail.
Ocen however says they were only surprised to learn that this week the contractor had stealthily returned into the district and started the process of bush clearing at a time when their contract timeline is left with only one month to elapse.
According to Ocen, the District Executive Committee had already recommended the termination of the contract in a bid to source for another competent contractor to take over the project works.
The Chairperson of the Project Committee, Francis Okello Jogo accused the contractor of incompetence having failed to meet the entire obligation under the contractual terms and conditions particularly on flouting the project completion timeline.
According to Jogo, they had signed a one-year contract on the 21st July 2021 with Hardscreen Logistics Ltd with anticipation that the project works would be completed and subsequently handed over to the community by August 2022.
Jogo says the act of abandoning the project had angered leaders and residents in the area who have since 2018 when the bridge collapsed been facing enormous challenges of accessibility and mobility.
“Locals had heaved a sigh of relief and hoped that the bridge construction would solve many challenges they have since been facing including walking long distances to access health facilities, markets and other social services,” says Jogo.
The Lamwo District Chief Administrative Officer Felix Alex Majeme acknowledges the concern, saying abandoning the site and delays in completing the projects without any genuine explanation is an indication that the contractor was not committed to accomplishing the task.
Majjeme says the district has already sought advice from the office of the Solicitor General on an impending proposal of terminating the contract and re-advertising the bridge construction works.
When contacted for comment, the project manager at Hardscreen Logistics Ltd, Isaac Alemi declined to comment on the matter saying he would get back to our reporter at an appropriate time.
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