Lira District Officials Handed Over to Police Over Akii Bua Stadium

Three government officials have so far been handed over to Police CID for further investigation in regard to the saga surrounding the construction of Akii Bua Memorial stadium in Lira District.

The Lira Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Mark Tivu and the District Engineer, Hudson Omok were today handed to Police after they interfaced with the committee of Parliament.

This comes a week after the Commissioner of Physical Education and Sports in the Ministry of Education, Peter Omara was handed over to CID after he failed to account for the Shs 665 million given for preliminary work at the Akii Bua memorial stadium.

The Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authority and State Enterprises (COSASE) that is currently scrutinizing the matter has learnt that the Lira district administration started the construction of the stadium without the architectural plan as required by law.

Appearing before the committee, the CAO for Lira, Mark Tivu revealed that Shs 40m was used to survey, clear, grade and level the swampy government land where the stadium was to be constructed.

He further explained that they used Shs 270m to construct a temporary pavilion and a latrine, which did not sit well with the MPs.

Legislators on the Committee were shocked to learn that Shs 276m was used by the Ministry of Education under the directive of the then Education Minister Jesca Alupo to compensate those who were cultivating on this government land which Tivu said was swampy and virgin.

With inconsistence in his statements, Tivu could not explain any further to the committee hence the Chairperson, also Bukedea woman MP, Anita Among ordered that the two be handed over to CID so they can record statements.

“We took on the construction based on the plans that were generated by members but we never had any architectual plan in place,” Tivu said.

The MP for Lubaga South, Moses Kasibante and Makindye West MP, Allan Ssewanyana wondered how that district officials who are fond of enforcing the law on construction of structures with plans could go ahead to handle a big project (construction of a stadium) without a plan.