Arua district council has rejected several nominees to 14 sub county land committees over lack of qualification and questionable integrity of the members. Last week, Boniface Alioni, Arua District production secretary presented the names of the nominees to the district council for appointment to the sub county land committees.
However, councilors rejected the nominees on the grounds that many of the nominees were not qualified while others were involved in corruption scandals. Hamza Manzu, the LC V councilor for Ogoko Sub County explains that they rejected the nominees because many of them have been involved in dubious transactions.
He says that there is need to investigate the nominees before they are approved. Manzu also tasked the district production department to set a uniform fee that can be levied by the land committees before the new members take office.
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Anguyo Pariyo, the councilor for Vurra Sub County says that names of officials submitted from his area were not even discussed in the sub county council. He wondered the district production officer came up with the nominees.
Councilors from Bileafe, Oluko and Damamu Sub Counties also raised complaints of corruption against some of the members nominated for appointment. Alex Adrabo, the councilor for Oluko Sub County was shocked at the names presented from his area for appointment saying that some of the officials have pending cases over their involvement in land fraud.
The decision by the district council not to approve the committee members will impact negatively on the arbitration of land cases. Luka Opika, one of the members whose name was nominated for reappointment says they left more than 50 pending cases in their office before their term of office expired.
He says unless the committees are constituted immediately residents may resort to violence to settle land disputes. Gloria Opinia, from Pajulu sub county that cases of mob justice as a result of land disputes are on the raise. Opinia argues that since their previous term of office expired her sub county has been marred by land conflicts.
She appeals to member of the district council to reconsider their decision to save lives.
