The United Nation Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has reassured Rumbek town residents and traders that it will henceforth use high quality murram in the ongoing road maintenance works.
Raul Ireng, UNMISS acting-head of Rumbek field office, promised that the mission’s engineering team would use high quality materials in renovating the town’s roads.
On Thursday, Ireng told Radio Tamazuj that his team will address all the concerns and technical problems that shrouded the first phase of the road maintenance project.
“I want to say that we had a very positive meeting with the Town Mayor of Rumbek Municipality, Peter Maliap and Malual Makoi, the acting Director General of Roads and Bridges in Lakes State about the roads in Rumbek,” Ireng said.
He further said their discussions dwelt on ensuring the road maintenance work is undertaken in a more humane and friendly manner.
Malual Makoi, acting Director General of Roads and Bridges, said: “We have to appreciate UNMISS as our partner for doing the best over the past years up to now. They are doing great things and we have to appreciate their work. We have agreed that we are going to coordinate and cooperate with UNMISS to correct any anomalies.”
He said a team of engineers from the state Ministry of Roads and Bridges will work closely with their UNMISS counterparts to ensure quality work on the Rumbek market roads.
Mayor Maliap said,” UNMISS staff have been partnering with the state government since the establishment of UNMISS and have been helping and supporting them (government) in a number of ways.
“In fact, the meeting was with regard to the roundabout in Rumbek town. Some three weeks ago, they (UNMISS) came to Rumbek town to label the roads and used murram where there were potholes. We blame those who showed them poor quality murram, the murram was not good quality and that is why it turned into a dust, which affected the people specially the traders in the market,” he said.
Maliap said they had very good discussions with the UNMISS team because they delved on solutions to the dusty roads.
“I think everything is going to be good within the next one or two weeks. We are going to do the work and we need citizens to be patient. They have raised complaints and this needs patience,” he said.
Thursday’s meeting followed a chorus of complaints by citizens over the town’s dusty roads that had forced them to shut down businesses.
The traders told Radio Tamazuj on Sunday that the cloud of dust in the market had compelled most restaurants and tea places to halt operations in fear of possible food contamination. They said most residents were suffering from throat irritation, cough, flu and diarrhea infections.