By Ronald Odongo
Lira
Sam Engola (left) and Hon John Odit (right)
Lira District NRM chief and tycoon Sam Engola has embarked on a relentless campaign to unseat UPC strongman John Odit from Erute South Constituency in 2011 when the next general elections will be held. This may not go down well with UPC supporters around the country as they struggle to hold the ailing party together.
Engola, who lost to Jimmy Akena Obote during the 2006 general election in the bitterly contested Lira municipality parliamentary elections, has never won any election since Constituent Assembly elections held in 1994. But he remains upbeat and prophetically says this time he will go to parliament.
He publicly declared his interest to contest as Member of Parliament for Erute South in Lira district early this year. Currently Engola is featured in a live one hour radio talk show on Lira based Unity FM every Monday to Saturday morning.
The Erute South Member of Parliament John Odit was elected under UPC party ticket during the 2006 general election.
Reports within Lira district NRM party camp reveals that Engola is now attending all the fundraising events in every church in a bid to launch grassroots mobilization and capture the voters’ supports ahead of the general election come 2011.
Tonny Ogwang 43 a small village retailer in Onyakede, Amach Sub County says MP Odit rarely visits them.
Moses Ongwec, top mobiliser, confirmed that Engola has within some few months funded the constructions of about 20 different churches in all the sub counties in Erute south constituency.
He further disclosed that Engola is already getting support from other party members, including members of UPC, MP John Odit’s party.
Engola’s move has sparked off a serious war of words between top leaders of the UPC and a section of the UPC membership who are threatening never to rally behind Hon Odit in 2011. Dissatisfied UPC members have accused Hon Odit of not keeping his promise that he made during the last campaign.
On his part, Hon Odit recently accused Sam Engola of spreading false propaganda about him to the local people. He assured UPC party supporters in the area never to panic, and vowed to win elections again.
Sources with the UPC party in Lira district have revealed that UPC party leaders at Uganda House are planning for a huge rally which will be held in Erute South constituency in support of John Odit.
Early this week, Lira Municipality Member of Parliament Jimmy Akena Obote warned the local people against siding with and casting their votes to NRM party candidates during any elections.
Akena accused the current regime of looting Ugandan wealth without establishing any development to the country, allegation which Sam Egola downplayed and rubbished saying UPC party is probably dreaming of capturing power again.
Engola challenged that UPC had failed to lead this country twice and warned that they might not return to government again if they do not start practicing modern politics instead of feeding people on wild allegations against the government.
Currently about 200 NRM party mobilizers have been deployed in the four Sub Counties of Erute South constituency to carry out grassroots mobilization.
Filed under: Politics
Uncle Sam can try his luck, but the same factors that haunted him in Lira Municipality since 1994 are still relevant, even more pressing today. Like voters of the Municipality siad, ‘play with our stomach, not our brains’, Sam has also started playing with the stomachs of Erute South, and remains to be seen if he can also play with their brains. I urge Langi to eat everything and demand more, but preserve their head for tomorrow. The source of such funds are linked to cattle stolen from Lango in years gone by. Another thing: men who are politically evicted from Lira Municipality rarely ever surface again elsewhere. Ask Rev. Yeko Ongora Atwai, Capt. Agech, etc especially if fronted by the Movement. Why? Acan akwo, kwo ilwete, but not crumbs from Uncle Sam’s table.
This is a case of “strange but true”. But will anybody be surprised if the donations for the construction are later demanded back by the donor? What happened to the water lines connected in some parts of Lira Municipality during the 2006 campaigns? We shall watch the space.
As my Lay Reader at home would ask “what is doing the UPC”? Why worry if someone has gone to church? I ve seen in the recent press that Mr. Sam said God has done so much for him that the only thing remaining for him is to join the clergy. So why should UPC worry when he is now visiting churches and making donations. Let the UPC concentrate on shining their coats and polishing their relations instead of worrying what a Pastor to be is doing in church. What hasn’t Sam tried. In the last elections all he was hoping for was second place which he was guarding jealously as was evedent in the joke ” Imat dong myero wekka kakara me number aryo ni, an dong onaa gira oko ikoma”
A word of advice to you is, please try to do something about the acilalic vs Asili happenings, that to me is more worrying than anything. Work for one stream of UPC.
The domain of politics ranges from discrediting the able-minded and developmental individuals to unable political appeasers. Though am not politically active, my understanding is that sometimes we need to to have critical distinction between development and politics and we forego pointless and baseless political propaganda so that we can tap development. Holding a political post with no approved development behind you but simply due to a political affiliation takes the constituency and Lango sub region nowhere.
What does that guy call Fred mean by saying ‘clergy, pastor?’. That’s typical anti-development antics. Don’t you know that the Church is the heart of our moral dignity and it needs to move fast forward? You can talk nonsense about Sam, but don’t forget that God is the ultimate determiner of success.
Engola has for long demonstrated his potential to development despite all the frustration planted by people like those above. I am telling people of Erute to stick to their own views and come election time, vote in a person with a real seed of development, whether Sam or someone else, but not those with unclear physical agenda only packed with ‘GOBA’.
For our dear sub-region to develop, we have to discuss substantial issues rather than personalities. I wonder why people we thought were of immense intellect have stooped so low.
If a person declares his intention to stand, what is wrong with that especially if that person believes he can develop his area? For example some people commenting here failed to perform at a mediocre levels like that of Assistant CAO because of incompetence and “acoko” and have as a result sought sanctuary in the civil society. Now as they face pressure in the civil society due to failure to deliver, they are running to the only easy pie- politics. Such people know that politics in the Lango sub-region thrives on mudslinging, propaganda and smear campaigns. That is why they have started using phrases like ‘play with our stomach, not our brains’.
If these people who have failed in Local governments and are seeking to join elective politics continue with politics of mudslinging, they will expose themselves and face the wrath of the voters. The constituents are very informed nowadays. With all the radio stations and local newspapers reaching every corner of the region, they should exercise a lot of restraint and objectivity, otherwise political doom awaits their new-found career.
Humprey,
Your views about my person will fortunately neither save nor crucify your man. He has put himself out, like I am doing, for the people to judge. Better you tell people his strong points so that they may choose him. As for my performance, I hope you know I was on promotion by the time I joined my current workplace, an Institution which only stelar records permit one to join. Again, I am subjecting myself to the public to examine my integrity and worth for I strongly feel there is something special I can offer to the community in that position. I am surprised you call an esteemed national political vocation such as MP as “only easy pie-politics”. It tells me your grade and ilk. I wanted to ask where you are positing your supposedly stelar attributes for all to see, but I am not a negativist. If you were from my Constituency, I am certain you would be one of my campaign agents by the time you come to know me in details. My best regards, though.
That is exactly what I mean by being trivial. Why should a person of ‘impeccable integrity’ as he claims keep on hurling insults at personalities. Give the public what you will do for your constituents rather than attack Humphrey who might not even be a voter in your constituency. It is very lugubrious for a person gunning for a very high office (MP) be attacking people right, left and centre.
Give the voters your priorities;
Who are you going to lobby with to have a ferry brought to connect Namasale and Nakasongola?
Which Ministry will you influence to have the new district tap electricity under the Rural electrification programme?
How does Amolatar road get tarmacked?
Is there a possibility of wooing investors to start a fish processing factory on the shores of lake Kioga to create employment for the unemployed youth?
Use some of those questions to guide you rather than engage in political mediocrity. Attacking Odongo or Engola wont get you an extra vote.
We missed a point GENTS, who said its only when you become a member of parliament thats when you can bring development to your home area ?, If Uncle Sam is already building churches thats good ,now what does he needs in parliament again when he already has development potentials in his finger tips ? In 1960s all areas irrespective of their political affilations got the development ,so lets stop this nonsense of mudslinging,Don’t you people know that Lango is a political pilgrimage destination for Uganda? Lets demonstrate political maturity.
Humphrey is already acting a campaign agent by drafting my manifesto. That is good attempt but I have my thought and will give it to the right people at the right forum and time. For now, we are on generalities and basic parameters of politics. I like to submit that politics goes beyond a list of goodies, and include higher order items like origin, vision, identity, self-esteem and chemistry of a people. If you cast your vote because a T-shirt has been thrown your way, then you are the cheap type, deceived with unsustainable alms. That’s why we urge Langi to be expensive and politically difficult, which has been their identity, set them apart, and gave them the uniqueness-the “political pilgrimage destination” according to Mr. Oteng above. What does it benefit a man if he gains a few kgs of salt, but loses his enitre manhood?-I can’t recall which Bible verse… If, however, you think a few kgs of salt will do the trick..you are in for a rude shock. And that has been Uncle Sam’s undoing in LMC. You shall have been playing with the stomach, not the real selves of the people. Unless this projectile is reviewed, it will most likely be the same story always. My reading is that Sam would have long been an MP if he had been waving the black-blue-red banner, rather than the yellow. And this is not an insult but a point of debate which I hope Humphrey also appreciates. You see, you may call the Party names, but the more you do so, the more its adherents love and fight for it. It is like abusing the Kabaka-the Baganda will wish to skin you alive. As for being lugubrious and mediocre, I leave that to Humphrey who claims he does not insult people.
Mr Patric Abal,
People shudder when learned men like you try to negate democracy in such manner. By urging the people of Lango to be ‘expensive and politically difficult’ you are in a way advocating for an archaic system of governance that was imposed on the people of Uganda way back in 1969 when political pluralism was abolished and dictatorship imposed under the banner of the Uganda Peoples Congress. Yes, in 1969, all political parties except UPC were banned. Members of other parties were forced to go underground or cross over to UPC. That, my friend, was the birth of dictatorship in Uganda.
When the movement political system was introduced in the country in 1986 we all cried foul because we wanted multiparty democracy. UPC was at the forefront in campaigning for multiparty democracy, thanks to Hon Cecilia Ogwal who kept the fire burning. The movement system eventually met with a lot of resistance throughout Uganda and internationally. In fact in 2005 following a national referendum Ugandans voted overwhelmingly for multiparty democracy. Consequently Uganda today is blooming with multiple political parties, old and young.
Your analogy with Buganda is preposterous because Lango is not and has never been a monarchy. So, do not twist the hands of our people to remain stuck with a party that has let us down twice and with dire consequences. Let the people decide. And please do not delude yourself that the people of Lango are still monolithically UPC. No! The so called chemistry you are talking about has been imposed on the Langi over generations through intimidation, rigging and blackmail. But the political landscape of Lango will change tremendously over the coming years because for the first time in decades the Langi are now being offered real alternatives.
Uncle Sam is doing the right thing. He is a man with a big heart; a man who has gone to great lengths in showing that he cares for the people of Lango. His generosity speaks for itself. I believe that when he becomes a member of parliament he will do even more for his constituents. This time round, people are not going to vote for parties just for the sake of it, but for politicians who can deliver, and Sam has already demonstrated his ability to do so.
I hear Engola has started “ryeyo ler” iyi Erute South. It’s quite welcome in this coming elections gathering from the views expressed by a number of Langi in Lira and even Apac that the current MP Hon. Odit should not contest again considering is rather dismal performance. However, i do not think Uncle Sam is the right person. We had an OG of Dr. Obote College who was very brilliant, argumentative and quite political and comes from Amac called Ario. he went on to become a Doctor and recently i heard that he was elected a clan leader. I was very excited because i thought he was building a platform to stand! Oloni Ario itye kwene? We have not heard from you, have you lost interest in politics?