LAST Friday 28th June, 2024, a delegation of more than 200, mostly cultural leaders locally known as Owitong plus about a dozen of their religious counterparts assembled at State House Entebbe, where they were expected to strike a balance and return home with a basketful of peaceful resolutions.
The convener of the meeting was President Yoweri Museveni who told his guests, which included the retiring Won Nyaci Mzee Yosam Odur Ebii and the Won Nyaci-elect Eng Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune that he simply wanted to offer a neutral ground for the bickering cultural leaders to focus on unity of purpose than petty squabbles.
In his welcoming remarks at 6:03 pm when the meeting started, President Yoweri Museveni said he called the meeting after hearing some ‘fillers’ or ‘lugambo’ through his informers that the Lango cultural institution has some unresolved issues.
“…I heard that my elder brother (Mzee Yosam Odur Ebii) who is older than me by 19 years is retiring and that another group has elected my son (Eng Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune)…” the president said in his prologue.
Using some Lango words like ‘lweny, rucurucu, dipowic’and nywerenywere, President Yoweri Museveni told his guests that the squabbles are unnecessary because they undermine the unity of the people who should be focusing on wealth creation efforts.
He cited the unfortunate events that unfolded after the 1979 Liberation War when Iddi Amin Dada was kicked out which led to the five year protracted war that ushered in his NRM government, saying it was caused by some ideologically disoriented and bankrupt elements who did not understand the principles of peaceful resolutions.
Museveni who was not amused by the conduct of the belligerent groups who literally turned his State House into a quarreling space, told them he only offered them opportunity for dialogue but that the choice is theirs whether to continue with the lweny which has since become the Lango trademark.
After getting a brief from the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Hon Betty Amongi Ongom, and Attorney General Alex Kiryowa Kiwanuka, the president opened the floor for presentation of issues.
Dr Laury Lawrence Ocen the head of Okarowok Wiibye Acel clan rose to the podium and made scathing attacks against a number of leaders including the Won Nyaci-elect Eng Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune whose election he described as a scam.
Dr Laury Lawrence Ocen, who claimed he was delegated by Mzee Yosam Odur Ebii to read the written message, also had no kind words for Minister Betty Amongi Ongom whom she accused of alleged undeclared conflict of interests.
The visibility pale and weak Mzee Yosam Odur Ebii, who was wheeled to tent hall in a wheelchair did not utter a word nor did any one requested him even to greet the president.
He did not mention the alleged conflict of interest but went ahead to accuse her of being biased in favour of Eng Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune, who is going to be crowned on 2nd November,2024
The Council speaker Willy Kagere Omodo-Omodo also endured the brunt of verbal artillery from the side that now refers to themselves as a minority group because they have a handful of clan leaders still agonizing.
As if presenting a paper at an academic symposium, Dr Laury Lawrence who also lectures at the government funded Lira University was full of verbosity which turned out to be more of drama than something that should serve as a bridge builder.
As they say “…there is no reason for verbosity in the olfactory world, less is more…”, the nearly one hour presentation ended up sounding like a scholar defending his dissertation or thesis before an academic board.
Others who also repeated the same issues included Uganda’s former Deputy Envoy to the USA, Dickson Ogwang-Okul who referred to himself as “heir to the throne” having purportedly been “blessed” by Mzee Yosam Odur Ebii to take on the leadership mantle.
Dickson Ogwang-Okul is the awitong of Pala Ocol clan, a position he has held since 2022.
Dickson Ogwang Okul, who seems no stranger to the president, said his group will organize another election in November when he is slated to be the “Sole Candidate” to go through unopposed.
However, retired magistrate Simon Peter Odoo, who doubles as the Awitong Atek Odyek Owidi Clan dismissed the Ogwang Okul group calling them dishonest and hypocrites who have nothing new to offer.
“…there is nothing new that the group has tabled here apart from recycling the tired narrative which they presented and the court threw all out for lack of substance and merit…”,Simon Peter Odoo who is now in private service said.
Simon Peter Odoo dressed like a Nigerian. Igwee reminded the president about the status of Lango Cultural Foundation, which was outlawed by the Constitutional Court in the case of Krispus Ayena Odongo (who was also present).
Ayena Odongo who heads the Palamyek clan had dragged Mzee Yosam Odur Ebii, Eng Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune, Lango Cultural Foundation and the Attorney General to court where a declaration was made to the effect that Lango Cultural Foundation does not exist in law and cannot sue or be sued.
“…there was no way any valid election could be carried out under a defunct cultural institution, that is why the many highly educated owitong had to navigate a way through by resorting to Council Resolutions…”,Odoo said, sending the hall into a dead silence.
Earlier on Awitong Bosco Ogwang- Edola read out a detailed memo from the Won Nyaci elect who was officially introduced to the president.
Eng Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune used the occasion to inform the president that there are a bunch of career-seekers and opportunists who are using the vehicle of cultural issues to catch the attention of the big man from Rwakitura for possible job placements.
He says some of the shouting people have for years turned the cultural institution into a looting den where they use to attract funds from donors, which end up into their personal accounts.
The Lira Catholic Diocesan Bishop Rt. Rev Sanctus Lino Wanok urged the cultural leaders to have self-restraint and embrace dialogue as the only way to attain and live in peace and harmony.
Quoting from the famous Beatitudes as recorded in St Matthew 5;9 which says “…Blessed/Happy Are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God…”,Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok made a passionate call to the warring parties saying through mutual dialogue they can live and work together for the welfare of the people of Lango who are yearning for tranquility.
“…when we are making every effort to live at peace with one another it means we do not escalate any sort of conflict or disagreement, so I implore you to pursue the path of peaceful coexistence…”,the soft speaking prelate appealed.
The former magistrate also dismissed claims by Dickson Ogwang Okul that Mzee Yosam Odur Ebii handed over the leadership mantle to him, saying Lango is not a hereditary kingdom but a chiefdom whose leaders go through democratic elections.
As they walked out, a section of clan leaders turned State House into a dance hall and chanted traditional victory songs while another quietly snaked out promising fire.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng-Ocero, Hon Denis Hamson Obua (GCW), MPs Judith Alyek, Linda Auma, and Maxwell Ebong Patrick Akora, RDCs Lawrence Egole, Abdul George, Josephine Omara Olili, Gillian Akullo, Senior Presidential Advisor for Lango Hon Sam Engola, Director External Affairs NRM Secretariat Major(Rtd) Pollar Awich,Bishops Sanctus Lino Wanok, Prof Alfred Olwa, Pastor Johnson Ogema of Victory Outreach Ministries and Sheikh Yusuf Balinda,among others.
The minority group walked home grumbling because the president did not pronounce himself as they wanted, something that had left them disgruntled.
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