Eng. Micheal Odongo Okune taking oath early this year. File photo.

Battle for legitimacy: Dr Odongo Okune wants LCF meeting blocked

(Last Updated On: 28 November 2018)

Lango Paramount Chief Yosam Odur Ebii circled hands over document to President Museveni last year.
Lango Paramount Chief Yosam Odur Ebii [circled] hands over a document to President Museveni last year. File photo.
Lira – A meeting of Lango clan chiefs loyal to His Highness [Won Nyaci] Yosam Odur Ebii who is widely regarded as Lango Paramount Chief is hanging in balance.

The meeting, summoned by Ker Tekwaro Lango [commonly known as Lango Cultural Foundation – LCF] speaker, Benson Dila Oyuku is slated for Friday (tomorrow).

Top on the order paper is way forward on the death of 11 year old Kole pupil, Dickens Okello. The pupil is alleged to have been killed by two Indian nationals – early this month.

“We are calling on all the Lango clan chiefs to turn up for this meeting at Lango cultural center [Abila a’Lango] so that we forge away forward on the unfortunate incident in Kole and also to discuss other issues affecting our people,” Speaker Dila invitation letter reads in part.

But on Thursday evening, with not more than 12 hours to the highly coveted meeting by State’s recognized Lango cultural leader, Yosam Odur Ebii, the rival camp of Dr. Eng. Michael Moses Odongo Okune dropped a bombshell in a strongly worded letter.

With the aid of his lawyer, Okello Oryem of Okello Oryem and Company Advocates, Dr. Eng. Michael Moses Odongo Okune, the Tekwaro Lango leader, is asking security agencies in Lira to block the Thursday meeting because Yosam Odur Ebii, the convener of the meeting is no longer the legitimate Paramount Chief of Lango.

Titled “Illegal meeting scheduled by one Dila Benson affecting the traditional or cultural leadership of the people of Lango”, Dr. Odongo Okune, whose letter is addressed to Lira Resident District Commissioner, Milton Odongo demands the president’s representative to intervene and immediately bring the scheduled meeting to a halt.

“The purpose of this letter is therefore to immediately stop and in any event not sanction such  a meetings that are likely to degenerate into chaos in Lango,we also request you to set up a meeting as soon as possible  with his highness Dr, engineer Michael Moses Odongo Okune,” Okune’s legal team wrote.

According to Okello Oryem, Yosam’s regime crumbles in a High Court sitting at Lira.

“Through the Court process, the High Court processes leading to making the Tekwaro Lango Cultural Institution Constitution, the election and swearing in of our client H.H Dr Engineer Michael Moses Odongo Okune to be proper…..,” further reads the letter.

However when contacted about the letter and the next possible cause of action, Lira Resident Commissioner Milton Odongo told this contemporary website that he had not received the letter because he is away in Arua.

When briefed on the content of the letter, Odongo still insisted that he could not comment because he is away.

“Please I am not around, I can’t comment; call my deputy,” Odongo told TND News Uganda. When contacted, his deputy too didn’t pick up our phone call.

Dr. Nam reacts

Dr.Richard Nam, the Prime Minister LCF said he had not yet received the letter by press time but said the letter is defective

“If Okello Oryem is saying Yosam Odur is not the legitimate Paramount Chief, let him produce the court order to that effect. Let him know that Yosam is still the gazzeted paramount chief by government,” Dr. Nam said on phone, Wednesday evening.

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