Two more government officials were Wednesday morning arrested and handed over to CID following a revelation that Shs276M out of the
Shs665M was used to compensate people who had crops on the land the
‘stadium’ was constructed.
During a meeting involving MPs on the Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) on one side and officials from the Education Ministry and Lira District Local Government on the other, it was revealed that a bigger percentage of the money was used to clear the land.
Lira Chief Administrative Officer Mark Tivu revealed that Shs400M was used to survey, clear, grade and level the swampy government land where the stadium was to be constructed.
“The place had to be graded, leveled and compacted and ring roads had to be opened around the stadium. There was a tent to be built. It was land donated by Lira district,” Tivu explained.
He added: “This land wasn’t being used, it was virgin. During the insurgency, people came across and settled on that land…”
Additionally, the officials said that Shs270M went into construction of a temporary pavilion and a latrine, although all these works were undertaken in absence of an architectural design for the Shs1bn stadium.
The revelation angered the MPs with Anita Among, COSASE Vice Chairperson tasking Tivu to reveal the kind of crops that cost tax payers Shs276M in compensation.
Lira district Engineer, Hudson Omok admitted that the Ministry never handed over the architectural design for the stadium.
Moses Kasibante (Rubaga North) attacked the Ministry of Education for hijacking the mandate of the National Council of Sports whose responsibility is the national stadiums, saying the mess surrounding the Akki-Bua stadium is because the works weren’t being done by experts in
the field, who are ideally meant to be the Council staff.
Due to numerous consistencies, Among asked the duo to leave with Parliament Police to give more details to the controversial construction.
It should be noted that COSASE last week arrested and handed the commissioner in charge of physical education in the ministry of education, Lamex Omara to police for investigation after failing to account for monies meant for the construction of Akii Bua stadium in Lira.
