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BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU
ARUA CITY: MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2025
In sub-urban Mendoza trading center in Yapi village, Pokea parish in Pajulu, the residents demanded for improved access roads, land security, education of children, skilling of youths and effective representation when Hon Bernard Atiku’s consultative campaigns turned into a question and answer session.
Atiku said he is capable of doing all the above and more having left a track record while their Member of Parliament between 2011 and 2021.
He reminded the people that education was a top priority when he was in parliament where over 120 students were sponsored under the Ayivu education trust fund. At Pokea, a multi-purpose youth skilling initiative is already equipping young people in different skill fit for survival in difficult urban centers such as wielding, carpentry, piggery, poultry, and vegetable growing among others.
A land registration and titling program was started in 2020 but the activity was scuttled when he lost the 2021 poll and now plans are afoot to revive them, Atiku intimated.
He also spoke about roads saying he will start following from where he left because some of the roads were already earmarked for tarmacking five years ago.
Atiku however emphasized that to kick poverty out of Ayivu, the residents should prepare land or look to secure land to plant cocoa, a new perennial cash crop being introduced in the constituency.
Atiku said having elevated Arua to a regional city, this development has turned Arua city into a market place where there are vats opportunities for growth.
He also highlighted the potential for industrial growth with the recent connection of West Nile to the national grid where Arua city is the major pivot for international trade.
Already traders flock from as far as Central African Republic to trade in Arua city. They come with produce such as ground nuts and after selling at Lia border market, they buy Ugandan local chicken to return with.
More such traders would be attracted from neighbouring countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, DR Congo and beyond, he asserted.
This is a development that should wake the people to embrace trade and not scorn over a city status that in Atiku’s opinion will not change at all.
