MOROTO, UGANDA: Gulu University Management announced the compensation of Project Affected Persons (PAP) in Nadunget, Moroto district is now completed with the implementation of the seventh phase last week on Thursday, and they will now proceed straight to the construction of administration and lecture blocks.
The remarks were made by Mrs Obbo Mary Theresa, the University Council Chairperson, and Prof. Openjuru George Ladaah, the Vice Chancellor of Gulu University while addressing residents of Nadunget sub-county who gave their land for the Construction of Gulu University Constituent College of Agriculture in Moroto.
The duo revealed that Gulu University now requires their continued support at the construction site and for them to be the first-line security team for the construction project.
“Provide us security for the construction and come as labour force, earn some money because this community partnership is not ending anytime’’. He noted.
Prof. Openjuru told the community members that the big dream for the university is to cause socio-economic transformation in various spheres of life such as improvement in community livelihoods and development. This transformation according to him will be done by meeting the needs that would crop up near the university, but above all the need for their children’s education up to the University level.
They were assured that “This is the last public compensation; whatever remains shall be handled on a case-by-case basis”. Prof Openjuru also expressed hope that the community is putting the money they are getting to good use. “we shall be happy to see you as the first people who would be changing infrastructural development around the university”. Prof Openjuru observed.
Prof. Openjuru added that there is hope that the University would enhance cooperation with the neighbours in Kenya and other regions of Northern Uganda.
This cooperation should lead to the general betterment of co-existence brought about through a robust mindset transformation that would, in the long run, allow free thinking that life is not all about cows only, especially among Karamojongs and the neighbouring pastoral community.
Mrs Obbo also thanked the community members for being supportive of the project.
“Your cooperation was not just with Gulu University, but you have fully cooperated with the Government and the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, as this was his pledge for university in Karamoja in 2016”. She noted.
The chairperson council also used the occasion to pre-mobilize the community members for tree planting on the university land.
“When we are ready, we shall invite you to plan trees because there is going to be greening of the place. If you plan a tree, it shall have its scientific name and your family name as part of the recognition”. She said.
Dr Sidonia Angom Ochieng, the Chairperson Taskforce Force for the Constituency College, said she could see that the struggle that they started in 2017 is coming to fulfilment as, together with Moroto district local government, they were able to convince people to allow their land to be surveyed, valued and titled without first compensating them since the government could not give the money at once.
“We had 294 PAPS, and we started paying them in phases from the financial year 2019/2020 to date, the 7th and last phase. We started by compensating the first people to give us land in that order of the villages of Namatwe, Nacuka, Komareth and the majority of the people today are from Oputiput village”. Said Dr.Sidonia.
Background:
Gulu University Constituent College Moroto is a 2016 Presidential pledge of a public university to the people of the Karamoja sub-region.
Since 2017 Gulu University Council, together with the Ministry of Education and Sports, has been planning for resources to first track compensation with infrastructural development for administration and lecture blocks as the next development agenda for the university. To this, 6.8 billion is earmarked for the next financial year, 2023/2024.
The total land for the project covering the four villages of Namatwe, Nacuka, Komareth, and Oputiput is 734 acres, with UGX 6.5 billion for compensation. With this exercise, compensation is complete.
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