A public gathering and debate organised to discuss presidential term limits and accountability in Lira town failed to take place on Saturday after organisers cited intimidation from the district security committee.
Both Resident District Commissioner Susan Akany, who is the chairperson district security committee, and the district police commander Robert Ssematta, claimed they have given permission to the group to hold the gathering.
Jonathan Odur, deputy executive director Facilitator for Peace and Development-FAPAD, a lead organisation in the preparation of the event, told URN on Saturday that the district security committee is using hide and seek approach by intimidating the owners of the venue which they had initially booked.
The debate was slated to take place on Saturday at Akii Bua Stadium in Lira Municipality.
Odur says at first the authorities at Lira Referral Hospital that manages Akii Bua stadium had given the organisers permission to use the ground to hold the gathering. The hospital officials however, reportedly turned around and served them with another letter on Saturday denying them access to the ground citing intimidation from the security officials.
According to Odur the acting hospital director Dr. Drake Adupa had given them permission three days before. He says they then went and booked Lango Sports Ground near the 403 Brigade army barracks, but the district sports officer, Leo Alani, also denied them access. Alani could not be reached as his phone was unavailable on Saturday morning. Alani, when contacted on Saturday, said he was never contacted and that he has no authority to hire out the venue. He says he is only in charge of sports activities not venues.
Odur says they booked Lira Primary School play ground on Friday morning only to be told later on Friday that the venue is occupied.
But Godfrey Dila, the school headmaster says he was just served with the letter requesting for permission to allow the group hold the gathering without prior contact and consultation to establish whether it was available. He said primary seven pupils are also using the same venue.
At Pacific Hotel in Lira town where they also went and paid for the venue, they were disappointed on Saturday morning when the hotel management refunded their money citing intimidation from security agencies. The hotel manager, Felix Odongo declined to comment on the matter.
Odur described the act by the Lira district security as a deliberate violation and abuse of human rights including freedom of speech.
Francis Ogema Awany, coordinator Lango United Journalists Association-LUJA, says the gathering was purely to get public opinion on the term limits.
He says Members of Parliament from the region would also be asked to explain why some major roads including the one stretching from Masindi port-Apach-Lira to Kitgum and Lira-Otuke to Abim district did not appear in the 2012/2013 financial year budget read over a week ago.
Willy Omodo, NRM chairperson for Northern region, blamed some senior NRM politicians in the region for being behind the hide and seek game using the district security personnel to meet their selfish interests.
This is the second time the district security committee is blocking the public gathering on presidential term limits.
