By Jurugo Emmanuel Ogasto
Some leaders of Moyo District in Uganda West Nile region have reminded Ugandan government to expedite the process of building a bridge across the River Nile to inter-link between Moyo and Adjumani to ease movement of the people of the two West Nile districts and beyond.
Moyo and Adjumani districts are separated by the River Nile which makes it difficult for the people who are of the same ethnic background to interact freely at any time of their convenience because their movement is restricted by the time table of movement of the Ferry crossing people and goods back and forth.
The absence of a bridge has not only caused inconvenience to the blood brothers and sisters of Madi sub-region but also to government and business operators in the neighboring Kajo-Keji County in South Sudan who have to adhere to the time table for the movement of the ferry at Laropi landing site that’s from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm thus causing underdevelopment of the people.
The leaders have made a humble appeal to the government to look at the issue at hand as an issue of national importance that when not addressed continues to retard development of the people of the area.
The chairman of Moyo District, Williams Anyama told No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on Wednesday that installing a bridge on River Nile at Laropi crossing site and upgrading the road stretching from Laropi Town Council through Moyo town to Afoji Custom with the South Sudan border town of Jale in Kajo-Keji County is an infrastructure that will open business opportunities for both Ugandan business people with South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo as accessing the countries is easier through Moyo district than any other route.
“People fear to do business in Moyo because of the poor road and the delay of ferry at the landing site,’’ Anyama said.
“Some of our brothers in South Sudan are also affected because they get their goods here in Moyo,” he added.
The area Member of Parliament for West Moyo County, Aleru Tom Azza lamented why the government is taking longer time than necessary to fix the bridge and improve the road infrastructure from Laropi Town Council to Afoji Customs when Parliament approved a loan of about 300 million Dollars from African Development Bank in the financial year 2020/2021.
According to him, the government is working hard to see that the bridge is constructed.
“We are all aware that the government has approved money for the project but let us be patient,” he said.
The Minister of State for Lands Housing and Urban Development, Obiga Mario Kania under whose docket infrastructure development falls said it is a matter of time to begin the construction of the long awaited bridge on river Nile including the road works on Laropi to Afoji road and many other roads as in the following report.
“We have the money just remaining to start the construction,’’ the minister said.
More than 5,000 South Sudanese in different camps both in Adjumani and Moyo cross the river to their destinations often.