Distrct leaders in Obongi have decided to terminate the contract of SPIDER CONTRACTORS Ltd, which is currently responsible for the construction of Gopele Gimara Seed Secondary School in Gimara sub-county, Obongi district in West Nile. This determination was made during a site meeting on Wednesday, following the discovery that the contractor had abandoned the site, despite having received an advance payment of 508,224,120 UGX.
A technical report presented by the Acting District Engineer, Musafir Ibrahim, revealed that the contractor, who should have completed over 33% of the work, had only achieved 15%. This alarming discrepancy in progress raised concerns among the attendees.
The fourth site meeting, chaired by the District Education Officer, Mr. Angala Patrick, expressed serious reservations about the managing director of SPIDER CONTRACTORS Ltd, Jemba Nicholas. He had consistently avoided attending site meetings and had been unwilling to implement the decisions made during these gatherings.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Gopele Gimara Seed Secondary School took place in February 2023, with the school scheduled for completion in less than a year, by September 2024. To address the contractor’s negligence, the site meeting resolved to summon Mr. Jemba Nicholas to appear before the district leadership on Thursday of the following week.
This is not the first time the contractor has abandoned the site within a relatively short period, prompting concerns among those involved. The site foreman at Gopele Gimara Seed Secondary School lamented the uncooperative attitude of the Managing Director of SPIDER CONTRACTORS Ltd when it came to implementing decisions taken during site meetings.
In response to these developments, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Obongi, Mr. Samuel Mpimbaza Hashaka, has raised the possibility of involving the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Betty Kamya, in investigating and potentially arresting the SPIDER contractor. This proposal underscores the gravity of the situation.
Furthermore, allegations have emerged that certain individuals may be colluding and have conflicts of interest in relation to certain contracts. These claims highlight concerns within the community. Mr. Hasaka noted that the community is beginning to lose trust in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) section of the police due to suspicions of deliberate obstruction in addressing numerous corruption allegations within the Obongi police CID department.