Amuru – Lands, Housing and Urban Development Minister Hon [MP] Betty Amongi has written a letter seeking dissolution of Amuru Land Owners’ Association [ALOA]. Her decision follows series of complaints by some land owners against ALOA leaders.
In the letter dated 19, October, 2018 and copied to Amuru LC5 Chairman, Amuru DPC and RDC, Minister said her office has been receiving complaints from some land owners against some leaders of the association on how they are operating.
Also, the Minister says association leaders have been giving demands to land owners who have been compensated by government to give them money to run the activities of the association.
The letter also reveals the entire ministry longer recognizes the current leadership and any activities of ALOA.
ALOA was formed to monitor and to ensure that compensation of land owners at Kololo and Lakang all in Amuru district bear fruits and done to the satisfaction of locals as government offers the land for Sugar cane project to Madhvani Company.
“During period of verification and validation exercise, a group formed an association of land owners and they have been interacting with this ministry and office of the prime minister,” the letter, a copy of which this contemporary news website has obtained reads in part.
“However of late, I received complaints from some land owners against some leaders of the association on how they are operating the association and also in relation to making demands from land owners to give them money to run the association……,” the letter continues.
45 percent of payments have so far been made to Lakang land owners in the first phase.
In their mixed reactions over Minister’s decision to dissolve ALOA, one of the land affected owners who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity describes the association leaders as ‘organized thieves’, ‘conmen’ and ‘land grabbers’.
He added the so-called leaders have no good heart for the poor people.
Recently, Apio Kilara Oloya was arrested and detained by Police after she sold a piece of land belonging to another owner.
After realizing that he had bought a piece of land belonging to another owner, the buyer, whose names we could not quickly verify by press time, reported the matter to police leading to Apio’s arrest.
She was however released later after vomiting the cash back to the buyer.
Getting comments from ALOA chairperson a one Okumu was fruitless by press time as his mobile phone number was not available.
As per the Minister’s letter, land owners fully compensated were duly informed to vacate the land [area] by end of October [last month].