Timber dealers operating along Bala road in Lira town have defied a council directive to vacate the area and relocate to a designated site in Railways division. Last week, Lira Municipal council passed a resolution ordering Timber dealers to relocate to the new site within a period of 7 days. The timber dealers stayed put, despite the fact that the deadline expired on Wednesday this week.
Geoffrey Obote Atyang, Lira municipal council works and technical services secretary says that they want the timber dealers to relocate to the designated area because they have been interfering with the traffic flow. However, the timber dealers have ignored the directive saying the new site lack basic necessities such as water and toilets. They insist that Lira municipality installs the vital facilities before they are relocated.
Juliet Ecar, one of the timber dealers says the new site is congested, adding that most of the space has been taken. Ecar says that most of the timber dealers paid upfront for the plots along Bala road where they operate from. She says that moving them forcefully would make them incur extra costs because some of them paid money for the whole year. Denis Okello, another is worried that his business may be affected if he is relocated to the new site.
But Ambrose Ocen, Lira municipal town clerk says that the 7 day ultimatum given to the timber dealers has expired. Ocen says that they are left with no option but to use police and law enforcement to relocate the timber dealers forcefully to the new site.
//Cue in: “Am going to get police…………………”
Cue out; “…………will have to leave”//
Ocen says the new site at Railways Division is the only designated place for timber dealers in the municipality. He advises the timber dealers to apply through their association to use the place since electricity has already been installed at the new site to facilitate their operations.
//Cue in: “That place is not ……………..”
Cue out: “electricity which is required”//
When URN visited Bala road on Thursday morning, the timber dealers had opened their workshops and were going on with business as usual.
