By Odoch Ben Sylvester
Director General in the Ministry of Trade and Transport in Eastern Equatoria State announced commencement of Magwi-Obbo road emergency work.
Enginee,r Norman Charles Gideon stated that road construction under Rhino Engineering Company is a government project to uplift the suffering community.
He said the government heard community outcry, coupled with late Dr. John Garang’s manifesto of taking town to the people.
An assessment revealed that the road condition in the area is not entirely in good condition, making it impossible for some vehicles.
“The government of the Republic decided that for the time being, it is going to be an emergency rehabilitation program which is why we making the road to be smooth for our farmers and business people. This is what we call agricultural products,” he stated.
For his part, Mr. Alier David Ajak the site manager for Rhino Star Construction Company mentioned that their company has been subcontracted to work on Obbo road emergency construction and Ayiii bridge rehabilitation.
Alier stated that the company has experience working in Eastern Equatoria, particularly in Magwi County, on feeder roads and bridges, adding it was not their first to work there.
Meanwhile, the Magwi Payam Executive Officer Mr. David Olak Olympic welcomed the government’s initiative for bring such developmental projects to the community
According to David, it was not easy to cross Obbo Bridge last year due to heavy downpours leaving the community stranded.
He added that the project will benefit the community since Obbo stands in the lifeline of food security in South Sudan
“This construction is going to benefit the community a lot because the road is going to ease transportation of goods in the sense that Obbo is a producer itself since its products it will benefit whole the country.”
Obbo Payam Executive Officer Stephen Wani Karlo praised the emergency construction of Ayii Bridge, stating that the road challenge is not only faced by the Obbo community but also by government officials, and urged the community to support any developmental project.
“We have been facing a lot of suffering because of the poor road network here not only in the community of Obbo by also the government officials. I welcome this initiative although what they are going to do is not big but they will aim more according to Wani.”
Last week, Betty Achan Ogwaro, a member of the SPLM National Liberation Council, assured the Obbo community about the construction of a new Ayii River to facilitate goods transportation to the main market.
She emphasized the importance of security, accommodation, and raw materials for the construction company’s work.