By Geoffrey Omara
Oyam

Local authorities in Oyam District have threatened to sue Ugandan government for refusing  to remove UPDF soldiers who were deployed in Adyeda farm in Loro sub county during the 20 years insurgency by the Lords Resistance Army.

In a meeting was held on June 26 at Adyeda farm in Loro Sub County, Oyam district local authorities and the surrounding residents resolve that government must, with a immediate effect, remove soldiers from this farm because their service is no longer needed.

“We have written to the office the 5^th division officer requesting him to remove soldiers from our area since insecurity is no longer a threat at the moment” said the area local council three of Loro sub county AOB Jumma.

Jumma said the soldiers were deployed to temporary settle in the area for security purpose in 2002.

By Phillips Ogile
Oyam

A Canadian charity that is supporting vulnerable people and groups in Oyam District to alleviate poverty through Northern Uganda Development Foundation (NUDF) has unlocked the water pump or ‘borehole’ that Lira Court had put an injunction on in Kamdini, Oyam district.

NUDF officials taste the water in the presence of Hon Beatrice Lagada (in yellow ‘gomas’). Photo by Phillips Ogile

“Water is life. Even the World Health Organization have never allowed any court in this world to put an injunction in any water” David Fuller and Frank said.

The injunction was imposed when Francis Atoke, senior resident state attorney in charge northern region, born in Bung Village, Kamdini Parish in Aber Sub County where the borehole is located, sued the locals and the organization for allegedly grabbing his land.

Professor Chris Opio, director of the Canadian based Northern Uganda Development Foundation also originally from the same place expressed deep concern at Atoke’s behavior and indicated that the matter would be taken to the highest Ugandan authorities if necessary.

Opio Added that he is has lived in Canada for twenty five but wants to help his people in Uganda through his organization. He castigated people who want to sabotage his project.

He called on cultural leaders to intervene in protecting people’s rights or else he would take the matter the International Criminal Court because he believed the rights of the community to benefit from aid were being violated.

Northern Uganda Development Foundation is supporting vulnerable groups in the nine Sub counties in Oyam district by giving them goats, drilling water and providing them with small loans to run small businesses through credit societies.

By Phillips Ogile
Oyam

Oyam District opposition Councillors have vowed to demonstrate against their District Speaker Alfred Okello Obaro for what they regard as bias.

Cllr Alfred Okello Obaro (centre) and District chairman Charles Okello Engola (right) listen to allegations by opposition Councillors (photo by Phillips Ogile)

Six Councillors including the Deputy Speaker on Monday June 30, petitioned the Speaker to censure the Secretary of Finance and head of government business Francis Okello Olwa on the basis of five allegations that they said were bringing the district into disrepute.

The said Counsillors include: Robert Owor (minakulu) Anna Ongom (Ngai and Minakulo), Anna Ekol (Otwal and Iceme) Milly Molly Omach (former vice chairman Oyam) and others.

Some of the opposition Counsillors during the heated session (photo by Phillips Ogile)

In the motion tabled by Cllr Robert Owor, it was alleged that the Secretary of Finance had not accounted for over 3 million shillings.

Cllr Owor added that Okello Olwa also lost the district motor cycle and had not bothered to report the loss to the council.

Five allegations were reportedly tabled before the speaker but only two were read by the speaker, hence the accusation of bias.

The Secretary of Finance denied the allegations, maintaining that the allegations were baseless and motivated by personal hatred propagated by his opponents.

The District Chairman Col (Rtd) Charles Okello Engola also dismissed the accusations as opposition intrigue and hit back at them for undermining development in the district.

By Lameck Angura
Oyam

The MP for Oyam South Issa Otoo Amija has called for patience from the public as the government makes progress in restoring peace in northern Uganda following the 21-year old insurgency.

Otoo said the insurgency would not have dragged on for long if the Sudanese had not backed the Lord’s Resistance Army rebellion led by Joseph Kony.

Otoo also said the political elite and civil society organizations cannot have easy overnight solutions to the insurgency in the northern Uganda.

He was on July 7 2008 speaking to people of Oyam district at Loro sub Country.

‘We should be praying for the President of Uganda and the others who worked for peace in the northern part of Uganda”, he said.

“The situation is more complex because of the Sudanese factor”, he added

Otoo concluded that the 21 years of war in the north had traumatized the people and adversely affected them psychologically and physically.

By our correspondent
Oyam

The first lady of Lango Mrs. Joyce Odur, the wife of Lango Paramount Chief Yocam Odur, has appealed to Lango women and especially those in the diaspora to implore their husbands to come and build houses in their home villages to avoid shame during burial ceremonies when the time to part from this world comes.

This call was made during the recent burial ceremony of Prof. Mathew Okae that took place in Obapo villege in Minakulu, Oyam District.

Professor Okae was apparently buried in a place where there were no buildings and mourners had shelter in makeshift tents and shades.

Prof Okae was among the few Langi elite who worked tirelessly for the development of Lango. He worked with the UN and Uganda government and was one of the proprietors of All Saint University, the only private University in Northern Uganda.

He also wrote many books and lectured in various universities around the globe. Persons of different calibres from various places where he worked attended the burial.

May his soul rest in peace…

By Phillips Ogile
Oyam

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will soon visit Adyeda Farm in Loro, Oyam District, according to Sam Engola, Lira District NRM Chairperson.

Engola, one of the tycoons in Lango, says he bought over 100 hactors of land from the owners of this farm at over 100 million shillings and has already made the first payment of 50 million.

While welcoming the northern Ugandan minister David Wakikona at Lira Hotel recently, Engola expressed desire to help his people by creating employment in the farm as a means of eradicating poverty.

Sam Engola (left) welcoming Hon David Wakikona (right) to Lira Hotel recently (Photo by Phillips Ogile)

“I have planted 10 hactors of maize and cassava and I think by June a lot of crops might be ready for harvest. I will take you there to see” said Engola while taking to David Wakikona.

He added that people who are going to work there will be locals. He asked for support from the government in eradicating poverty especially through Peace, Reconstruction Development Programme (PRDP).

By Rolex Akena
Oyam

Oyam District secretary for finance and administration, Francis Okello-Olwa who also doubles as head of government business, is under threats of censure by livid councilors over alleged incompetence and abuse of office.

In their petition to the speaker signed by 5 members, councillors allege that as secretary for finance, Okello has failed to control gratuitous spending of the district monies.

He is also accused of using 3.6 million shillings belonging to the district to pursue a 3-month course at Law Development Centre besides loosing a district motorbikeCouncillors have also accused Okello of failing to monitor implementation of council resolution and of failure to report action on the creation of the new sub counties to the house, the executive and technocrats.

Council had earlier resolved to create new sub counties from the present Minakullo, Otwal, Aber and Loro sub counties but has since failed to implement.

In another petition, councillors claim the district is on the verge of collapse due to weak leadership.

However, Francis Okello says he still reserves his response to the allegations until a council meeting is convened. He has nevertheless pledged to help the councillors fight corruption in the district.

The deputy speaker Robert Ogwara admits his office is in receipt of the petitions and that the petitions have been forwarded to the District Chairman as required by law.

An emergency council meeting to debate the allegations and decide on Okello’s fate is due soon in Oyam as councillors vow to remove him.

By Phillips Ogile
Oyam, May 21, 2008

Ugandan First Lady, Mrs. Janet Museveni MP, has today made her first official visit to Oyam, where she launched a pilot project of Uganda Women’s Effort to Save Orphans (UWESO). The project will be supported by UWESO UK Trust.

Janet Museveni (in white cap) inspects a guard of honour mounted by Oyam women and paraded by Lilly Akech (front left). Photo by Phillips Ogile

Speaking at the ceremony as the guest of honor, Mrs. Museveni said that the project would concentrate on helping orphans, widows and child-headed families.

Janet made an appeal to the locals to always love their neighbours as written in the Bible.

She promised to work closely with the districts where UWESO project are being piloted, and asked for cooperation.UWESO is piloting its project in Bar (Lira district) Chegere (Apac District) and Loro in (Oyam district).

The First Lady was welcomed to the Oyam by the District Chairman, Charles Okello Engola who said that although Oyam is the bread basket of Lango, prolonged insecurity and HIV/AIDS had incapacitated the people. He appealed for more support from the government.

Lira district Chairman Franco Ojur also asked Janet to take a massage to the President, requesting him to ensure that another branch of Gulu University is opened in Lango.

The function was attended by many key stakeholders from the five districts of Lango.

By Rolex Akena

Oyam, April 29, 2008: Charles Okello Engola the LC 5 Chairperson of Oyam has summoned A.O.B Juma and Benson Dila the LC3 Chairperson of Loro and Otwal Sub County respectively for alleged defamation and libel. The two political officers are jointly accused with a reporter of a Ugandan national paper.

Okello through his lawyer Odongo and Co. Advocates in a letter dated dated April 3^rd 2008, summoned the sub county chairpersons to file their defense before high court in Gulu, within 2 weeks from the date of summon which has expired.

Okello claims the two LC3 Chairmen in their meeting at Loro in January this year, falsely and maliciously alleged that he mismanaged 400 million shillings of Northern Uganda Social Funds-NUSAF by exaggerating the figures of purchasing brick making hydro foam expensively and that he should pay back 300 million shillings to the district.

Benson Dila in his reaction says he and Juma have received the court summon and are ready to file a defense as required by law.

Dila says in their complaints on the district financial handlings and flouting of procedures, the seven members meeting did not attack Chairman’s personality and wondered why Mr.Engola chose to sue only 3 of them.

Okello says the accused had ill interest against him and did not address their alleged grievances with the district’s accounting officer who he says was accountable for the district financial spending.

The accused have all filed their defense in the high court of Gulu and are waiting for the hearing date to be fixed by court.

By Rolex Akena

Lango Paramount Chief, Won Nyaci Yocam Odur asked to intervene
(Photo by Phillips Ogile)

Oyam, April 27, 2008: Members of Parliament hailing from Lango sub region have urged Paramount Chief the “Won Nyaci” of Lango to intervene and use his powers to bring together Langi who are divided along political lines.

The MPs under their chairman Ben Wacha of Oyam North delivered the call to the Paramount Chief over the weekend.

The legislatures were attending last funeral rites of their colleague Dr. Yefusa Okullo Epak, former Oyam South MP who died last year from a South African Hospital.

The ceremony took place at the deceased’s home at Aboloneno village in Loro Sub County, Oyam District.

Wacha says the level of divisionism in Lango is hampering development in the sub region and has reached a high level of hatred other than political differences.

Dokolo Woman MP Cecilia Ogwal used the memorial service to apologise to Langi for all her struggles to deliver the country from dictatorship.

She said all her struggles are earning her insults and abuses from the people of Lango yet she faced brutalities to save Ugandans and their land besides bringing multiparty politics in the country.

The Paramount Chief Yosam Odur pledged to address the problem but urged MPs to use their influence to lure investors who could industrialize Lango other than waging political wars amongst them.