A joint meeting between Lango Parliamentary Group and the leadership of Otuke district has come up with resolutions on the now controversial plan to establish a District Stock Farm in Atira parish, Olilim Sub-county.
Atira is the proposed site to be used by government to establish a Stock Farm but the process through which it was given away has since caused serious tension between political leaders and the
local community.
The Monday meeting which took place at The Gracious Palace Hotel in Lira town was chaired by the Vice Chairperson of Lango Parliamentary Group who is also MP for Oyam South, Betty Amongi.
The meeting was attended by the district chairman Benson Ogwang Ogoo and some of his executive members. The legislators at the same meeting included Cecilia Atim Ogwal for Dokolo, Tonny Ayo for Kwania, Lucy Ajok for Apac and Jimmy Akena for Lira Municipality. The others are Annet Nyakecho Okwenye for Otuke and Denis Humson Obua, the Ajuri County MP.
Obua says that among the resolutions reached at the meeting was to have a follow up
meeting to get a progress report from the district regarding the proposed district stock farm.
//Cue in: “It was resolved….
Cue out:….Otuke district local government.”//
Obua took time to respond to queries from reporters concerning the absence of some district leaders including RDC Hajji Ali Kalungi, who had reportedly threatened to disrupt this kind of meeting which he termed as illegal to be held in his area. Obua assured the public that there is no cause for alarm and that Parliament is anxiously waiting for their report.
The meeting also agreed to put on halt an earlier directive by President Yoweri Museveni to the State House controller that the said piece of land be fenced off and water for the animals put in place as soon as possible before the transfer of some 200 heads of cattle can be effected from one of his farms.
The Presidential directive followed a letter from the area woman MP Annet Nyakecho Okwenye in which she assured the President that there district council had unanimously resolved to offer land for the project but the community now say they are not ready to donate any land since they were not consulted.
In December 2010, President Museveni wrote to Benson Ogwang, the Otuke district chairperson and Anent Okwenye, the Woman Member of Parliament requesting for land to set up a cattle farm.
The officials wrote back informing the president that they had identified 300 acres of land at Angaro village in Atira parish without consulting the land owners. But the local community leaders protested saying they were not consulted yet they are the owners of the said land.
The upcoming meeting is aimed at ironing out the differences.
