Land owners on Atirayon parish in Olilim Sub County in Otuke district have petitioned the Lango Cultural Foundation to block the controversial allocation of their land to President Yoweri Museveni. Recently, Otuke district local government allocated 9 square Kilometers of land to President Museveni to graze his animals.
It stemmed from a request by Museveni to district to allocate him some land for grazing his animals. But the decision by the local authorities to allocate land to Museveni has not gone down with some residents who want the Lango Cultural Foundation to block it. Geoffrey Omach Ario, a resident of Atirayon parish says that it is only the Lango Cultural Foundation that can resolve the land dispute which has divided the community members.
He says that since the land is under communal ownership, the paramount chief Yosam Odur should consider intervening to block the land giveaway. He says that they will soon write an official petition to the paramount chief asking him to intervene in the matter before it causes blood shade.
Nasuru Ogwang, another resident says the idea of giving Museveni is not bad but insists the land owners should have been consulted. He wants the cultural foundation to intervene to stem violent clashes from breaking out. Pastor John Kizza, the proprietor of Christian Renewal centre in Lira town advices government to use the existing ranches as a livestock multiplication center and forget the Otuke land.
He says ranches such as Atera and Ngetta national Research center have vast land which the president can use for cattle multiplication and distribute the animals to Otuke. Tony Otoa, the prime minister of Lango Cultural Foundation says that land matter has been politicized making it tricky for the cultural foundation.
He however, says that the traditional institution will intervene at an appropriate time when it deems it fit. Members of Parliament from Lango last week resolved to visit the controversial land on Friday this week and later hold a meeting to resolve the confusion.
