Akii-Bua stadium: Shs95 million compensation cash missing

Lira. About Shs95 million meant for the compensation of 10 people affected by the construction of Akii-Bua Stadium in Lira District has disappeared, Daily Monitor has learnt.
The commissioner for Physical Education at the Ministry of Education and Sports, Mr Lamex Omara Apita, told Daily Monitor yesterday that Shs276 million was wired directly to the individual claimants’ accounts.
But beneficiaries claim they only received Shs181 million.
On October 12, 2017, Mr Mark Tivu, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Lira wrote to the ministry directing that Shs181, 250,000 be paid to 10 claimants.
“Reference is made to the District Executive committee resolution, in its sitting on September 25, 2017 to compensate claimants around Akii-Bua Stadium as directed by the then minister of Education and Sports,” the letter addressed to the permanent secretary ministry of Education and Sports reads in part.
“The following 10 claimants are submitted to you for compensation of the destroyed crops and trees.”
The beneficiaries include; Mr Dickens Ogwang Otim (Shs32,350,000), Mr Rajab Shaban Ogwang (Shs15,350,000), Mr Kenneth Allan Owani (Shs21, 000,000), Mr Daniel Olet (Shs34,900,000) and Mr Isaac Day Ojok (Shs12,400,000).
Others are Mr Francis Otim (Shs11,450,000), Mr Abak Rajab Bakari (Shs15,350,000), Mr Shaban Ogwal (Shs15, 150, 000), Mr Shaban Rajab Wilobo (Shs11, 850, 000), and Mr Odur Musa (Shs11, 450, 000).
On November 7, Mr Tivu told the parliamentary committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises that the claimants were paid Shs276m.
Mr Tivu said he received a directive from the then Education minister, Ms Jessica Alupo, to compensate the former occupants of the land.
He added that the Education ministry even went ahead to compensate the people contrary to the memorandum of understanding reached between Lira and the ministry.
“I only sent the list of the beneficiaries to the ministry and it is the ministry that paid the money. My duty was simply to do preliminary works,” Mr Tivu told the committee.
However, people whose crops were destroyed during the levelling of the ground, claim they were underpaid.
Mr Rajab Bakari Abak said he was paid less by Shs5m.
He claimed that the money was delivered to him by the environmental officer, Mr Fabius Otike, who was the focal point person during the assessment and compensation process.
According to the document submitted to ministry of Education, Mr Abak was entitled to Shs15,350,000 for his gardens of cassava, banana and pineapple.
When contacted on the alleged discrepancy in the figures on Thursday, Mr Tivu said he was locked up in a meeting.

Background

John Akii-Bua was a Ugandan athlete and the first Olympic champion from the country in the 1972 - 400m hurdles. As a police officer, Akii-Bua was promoted by Ugandan president Idi Amin, and given a house, as a reward for his athletic exploits. Akii-Bua died on June 20, 1997 and was given a state funeral.
To honour him, a stadium in his memory was built on Lira Hospital land and authorities recommended that it is relocated to create room for expansion of the health facility. The new stadium is being constructed in Erute, following Lira District’s acquisition of the title for the land measuring about 18.6 acres.