Hundreds of residents from Yada Parish in Jangokoro Sub-County, Zombo District, have risen in protest against a proposal by the district’s Social Services Committee to shift a planned school construction project from Ajigu Primary School to Awasi Primary School due to alleged inaccessibility.
Initially slated to build three classroom blocks and an office at Ajigu Primary School, the project addressed the school’s dire infrastructure challenges. Ajigu, a government-aided school near the DR Congo border, was established by the community in 2000 and taken over by the government in 2019.
It sits on seven acres of land donated by the community and has over 600 learners from Uganda and DR Congo.
Committee’s Recommendation
Sadiki Onencan, Chairperson of the Social Services Committee, presented the proposal during a district council meeting on December 18, 2024.
He argued that the lack of a proper access road made it impractical for trucks to deliver construction materials. The committee recommended shifting the project to Awasi Primary School in the same parish to avoid returning unutilised funds to the national Treasury.
“The committee recommends that the Works and Technical Services Committee plan for road opening to Ajigu in the 2025/26 financial year while the 2024/25 project funds be allocated to Awasi Primary School,” Onencan explained.
Community Outrage
The recommendation has sparked outrage among the Ajigu community. Anjelu Ochopi, a school management committee member, criticized the district for disregarding the children’s plight.
“You can see how far Padea and Awasi Primary Schools are. How do you expect children under 10 to walk such long distances?” Ochopi lamented.
LCI Chairperson Vincent Odaga countered the accessibility claims, noting that the community had mobilised to repair the road to Ajigu. “We worked on the road up to the school. How can the district claim that trucks can’t deliver materials here?” he questioned.
Parents also voiced their frustration. Scovia Acaye, a mother of three, expressed her disappointment, saying, “This is a government school too and deserves development.” Clan leader Okumu Gasper called on the district to clarify why similar construction was successfully carried out at Ajigu in 2012.
Local Leaders Defend Ajigu
Jangokoro Sub-County’s male district councillor, David Binen Arua, rejected the committee’s recommendation, labelling it “uncalled for and disappointing.” Female district councillor Jacinta Acen called for equitable resource distribution to avoid marginalising hard-to-reach areas.
Rupiny Douglas, the district councillor for Padea Town Council, accused the committee of attempting to deny social services to the people of Ajigu.
District’s Response
Zombo District Council Speaker Hassan Ringtho commended the community for their efforts to improve road access and urged continued collaboration.
LCV Chairperson James Oruna Oyullu confirmed that the road had been improved and assured residents that the project would proceed at Ajigu. “I informed the security team about the work to be done at Ajigu Primary School,” he said.
Ajigu Primary School remains among the 92 public primary schools in Zombo, but its dilapidated structures expose learners to significant risks. As the community fights to retain the project, they hope their efforts will bring much-needed development to their school and safeguard the future of their children.
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