Pawor Seed School Secondary in Pawor Sub County, Madi Okollo district is in dilapidated state even before its commissioning.
The Ug.Sh.1.4 bn school that was approved by the then Arua district council was constructed from 2018 and completed in 2019, under a World Bank-funded project through the ministry of education and sports.
The school was scheduled to be commissioned in 2020 before the Covid-19 lockdown, but Madi Okollo district leaders declined to own the new school with its defective and dilapidated structures. Cracks started developing on the structures shortly after their completion by the contractor.
Currently, the cracks in the walls of the classroom blocks and other buildings have widened without any intervention over the past two years after its completion. Meanwhile, one of the latrines which were constructed as part of the project has been condemned for human use due to the cracks.
Robert Onen, LC 3 chairperson Pawor Sub County where the seed school is located has described the project a great loss to taxpayers.
Jimmy Afidra, the headteacher of the school says besides the cracks, the school lacks adequate accommodation facilities for teachers which adversely affected the academic performance of the school.
Meanwhile, Peter Toriek, the current Speaker Madi Okollo district says the speed at which the cracks are widening is alarming, noting that if not addressed, the structures are fast collapsing.
The ministry of education and sports awarded the civil works of Pawor Seed Secondary School construction project to Osdito Investment Limited and Dolphins Construction Company for the first phase and second phases of the project respectively at Ug.Sh. 700 m each.
However, Ismail Drabe the LCV Chairperson of Madi Okollo district says that their efforts to insist on value for money have been futile.
The leaders first raised concerns over shoddy works last year, during a visit to the school after the contractors allegedly abandoned the site without handing over the facilities to the district and their whereabouts are not known. However, the managing director of Dolphins limited, one of the contractors Alfred Kamure has since denied any foul play.
Currently the school is struggling with low enrolment, as there are only 47 students from senior one to senior six (an average of less than seven).