By Taban Tom Henry
The Ministry of Finance and Planning in Eastern Equatoria State is asked to release funds to tackle the ongoing catastrophe affecting the civil population in Owiny Kibul of Magwi County.
This came after a member of Parliament representing Magwi County in the State Legislative Assembly presented an urgent and most important matter on the Owiny Kibul bridge destroyed by heavy downpours on the 26 of August 2024.
Last month, the Atepi bridge connecting South Sudan and Uganda collapsed as a result of the heavy downpours leaving the civil population from either side of the river stranded.
In the statement to the media on Tuesday, Kokol Micheal the Chairperson Designated for Information at the state Transitional Legislative Assembly confirms that the state Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing, and Public Utilities has been allocated funds to tackle issues with roads and bridges.
He however calls on the state Ministry of Finance and Planning to release funds to tackle the ongoing threats in Owiny Kibul.
“The major effects are towards us because all the farming activities are taking place on the other side of the river now for them to bring the food commodities to cross like to bring to Torit, we might also suffer because most of the food is coming from there and the immediate effects go to the children who have been cut because they cannot study currently on the other side of the stream. There was a budget allocated to the minister of roads and infrastructure and that budget has been allocated to tackle such issues and with the recommendations that were made, all are reflected against that budget. The budget has been approved and is at the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Finance has to release that fund to the Ministry of Road and Bridges so that this issue is solved,” he added.
Kokol hinted that the state legislative assembly recommends that mobile bridges be constructed so the civil population can cross their farmlands.
He further calls for urgent humanitarian support as the children attending school are cut off including health services.
“ the two recommendation made was availability of mobile bridge, to allow people to move across the bridge to cultivate their land for food and he also put that there is need for urgent humanitarian support, the school going children have been cut off including health services this are the most urgent issues we discussed because the water is heavy because it is a rainy season that threatens the local population of only strong elderly people can cross to either sides of the river,” he said.
The speaker made statement to the media on Tuesday in his office