By Ronald Odongo
Lira May 19, 2008
After surviving the party president’s suspension late last year over alleged indiscipline, Lango UPC spokesperson Michael Ogwal Achonga is in the press again following the news of his sacking.
The Lira district UPC chairperson Dan Okello told journalists that the spokesman, who has now been sacked, was appointed by the party president Mama Miria Obote during the open reconciliation meeting last year.
That reconciliation was intended to have a section of politicians, who alleged that they were locked out during the last election primaries, return to the party.
Former UPC stalwarts like Cecilia Atim Ogwal, Charles Angiro Gutumoi, Daniel Omara Atubo, Ojok B’Leo, Ben Wacha and many others were reportedly locked out during the 2005 UPC primary elections, forcing them to contest as independents.
Dan Okello also said their party intelligence reports have revealed that Michael Ogwal Achonga is linked to the ruling NRM. Ogwal however denies the allegation describing it as the worst political war he has ever experienced in UPC.
The sacking, according to insider information, has caused concern among five UPC MPs from Lango who claim it has been fuelled by the current district party chief Dan Okello so that he can enjoy addressing the press to gain massive political popularity a head of 2011 elections.
Ogwal Achonga denied being sacked, saying that the district chairperson has not served him with any official letter.
Last December UPC party president Mama Miria Kalule Obote reportedly summoned Ogwal Achonga to defend himself following accusations from some UPC officials about alleged links with NRM.
Dan Okello says the position of the spokesperson is not legally in the party constitution. He therefore wants supporters who are not officials to talk as individuals and not as party representatives.
Former district party chairperson Julius Peter Obonyo told the press that it is only the secretary general, district party chairpersons and the constituency chairpersons that are allowed to talk on behalf of the party.
He added that the reconciliation committee was instituted last year by the party officials at Uganda House to allow the return of a section of politicians who were locked out during primary elections in Lango sub region in 2005.
Party officials said the work of the reconciliation committee ended early this year but surprisingly Ogwal Achonga was still talking on behalf of the party in spite of several warnings from Uganda House not to do so.
Controversial Nasuru Ogwang who was also a member of the reconciliation committee confirmed that their work was officially stopped by the party president claiming that they had not yet finalised strategies for taking control of all the constituencies in Lango by 2011.
Nasuru Ogwang is the former UPC district chairperson who conducted the 2005 grassroots’ primary elections that resulted in the locking out of almost all the veteran politicians of UPC, many of whom crossed over to FDC recently.
Please note that Daniel Omara Atubo has never been a UPC stalwart. In 1980 he was in DP. In 1986 he joined NRM and has been there ever since. In 2006 he crossed from NRM to UPC to destabilize it. So set the record straight .