Ministers demand refund of money for Nyapea college
The State minister for Internal Affairs, Mr Mario Obiga Kania (right), State minister for Northern Uganda, Ms Grace Kwiyocwiny, and other officials inspect some of the classroom blocks at St Aloysius College Nyapea last Saturday. PHOTO BY FELIX WAROM OKELLO
ZOMBO- Two ministers, one of them an alumnus, have demanded that a firm the government contracted to refurbish St Aloysius College Nyapea in Zombo District at Shs3b should refund the money it is alleged not to have put to proper use.
The allegations were first raised by the alumni association chaired by Dr Amos Nyathirombo, and President Museveni subsequently ordered a forensic audit, following claims of incomplete and unsatisfactory work.
The college, according to details of the African Development Bank (ADB)-4 project, was selected for a major infrastructure revamp. The planned works included construction of a storeyed classroom complex and five staff houses, a library, fully-equipped science and computer laboratories, an overhauled water supply system and refectory as well as kitchen plus refurbishment of the administrative block.
The Old Boys, however, found that only the library and kitchen were worked on, the dining hall was only re-painted while one out of five planned staff houses was erected and only 50 of the expected 120 computers were installed.
Finishing of the chemistry laboratory was questionable and the contractor only painted a small water tank on the compound, but not connected to any pipe, the alumni reported.
Speaking during the inaugural OB Re-union Day on June 23, State Internal Affairs minister Mario Obiga Kania said: “It is our duty to follow the ADB4 funds so that whoever mismanaged, should pay for it. Next time, do not wait for the money for projects in the college to be embezzled and then you come out.”
“You should be able to monitor all government programmes in this school with passion because it is yours. The lost money has blocked opportunities for future students here,” added the minister, who is also an old boy.
His counterpart for Northern Uganda, Ms Grace Kwiyocwiny, who is also Woman MP representing Zombo District where Nyapea is located, said: “The corrupt people who mismanaged the funds are a disgrace to the government. Once the investigations are complete, the contractors should be blacklisted for doing shoddy work at the college. We are not backward to accept such shoddy work done in this school.”
Pancon Company had been contracted to renovate the school. During a meeting last month, the contractors asked for more time to provide supporting accountability.
