Wau: State House orders halt to railway land construction

The Western Bahr el Ghazal State Parliament has called for an immediate suspension of the ongoing construction works at the National Railway Station (Sikka Hadid) site.

The request follows a parliamentary review of the station on Friday.

Last week, the secretaries of housing and human utilities and roads and bridges refused to accept subpoenas, prompting the legislature to set up a committee to visit the station.

The committee’s specific mandate is to stop the division and allotment of Sikka Hadid area to private individuals.

The Chairman of the Physical Infrastructure and National Resources Committee, Buola Penyi Nyiadhe, confirmed the construction project.

Niyad reported that the railway tracks had been removed and the area was being occupied for construction. He condemned these actions and called the perpetrators “enemies of the state.”

Niadhe further stressed that the railways should not be damaged and advocated the need for parliamentary intervention. He stressed the importance of protecting public assets.

“Parliament assigned us to inspect and assess the railway (Sikka Hadid), which had been reportedly demarcated to individuals, legally or illegally. We saw that construction had begun, the area had been occupied and even the tracks had been removed,” Nyiadhe said.

“No one should destroy this place as it is public property. In my opinion, those who were involved in it are enemies of the state. As councillors, we cannot remain silent about this,” he added.

Another councillor, Natalina Idris Jano, proposed designating the area for public facilities such as hospitals and schools.

Jano criticised the lack of consultation with the council over the future use of the site.

She believes if the railway is deemed obsolete, council should be consulted about repurposing the land for community benefit and addressing the region’s shortage of advanced medical and education facilities.

Jano warned that other public properties, including the Council of Ministers and state legislative assembly premises, could be misappropriated if Parliament and the state government did not act.

James Giir Wol called on the public to remain calm as the issue is discussed in parliament.

He assured the public that the matter was being handled in accordance with the law and the minister would soon provide clarification on the situation.