LCI head Eng. Odongo Okune, son of late Won Nyaci’s court case set for March 11

The son of the late Lango Paramount Chief, Yosam Odur Ebii, has called on the leader of the Lango Cultural Institution, Dr Eng. Moses Michael Odongo Okune, if he cares about reconciliation and unity, dare and formally withdraw the pending court case against him and one other.

Speaking to tndNews, Uganda via phone on Wednesday March 4, Anthony Olobo Odur confirmed that the legal matter remains unresolved.

“I am informing the entire people of the Lango sub-region and beyond that despite the recent events, the court case between me and Eng. Dr Moses Michael Odongo Okune is still ongoing,” Olobo stated.

He was reacting to a unity and reconciliation prayer meeting held at the Lango Cultural Centre on February 28, which was convened by the rival Lango Cultural Institution leaders.

Olobo said the reconciliation Eng. Odongo has been talking about is “incomplete for him personally.”

Also read: “Practise what you preach” – Eng. Dr Odongo Okune told

“Following the recent call for unity, forgiveness, and collective responsibility, I observed that Dr. Eng. Moses Michael Odongo Okune did not mention my name as someone he has forgiven,” Olobo explained.

“He called for reconciliation prayers, but he did not indicate that he had forgiven me by withdrawing the court case. He has never preached what he said.

Olobo, who is also a clan leader of Atek Omonpel, said. “If he has truly forgiven everyone, let him first write a petition to withdraw the case against me. That will show the people of Lango that Odongo Okune is ready to lead us forward. If he does not do that, then I will not be able to respect him as our leader.”

Responding to an article published by Dokolo Post: “Olobo Odur Seeks Forgiveness from Won Nyaci Odongo Okune, Urges Case Withdrawal Amid Mediation Talks,” Olobo said on Wednesday that he was quoted wrongly.

“The recordings are clear, and in public. “I was taken to court by Eng. Odongo, and I can’t ask him for mediation or forgiveness. He should be the one to ask me, not me,” Olobo said.

“Meeting him won’t mean we have reconciled. He took me to court and I am ready.”

The court case in question dates back to 2021, when Dr Eng. Moses Michael Odongo Okune sued Anthony Olobo Odur, Omor Polycap and Ceaser Obada (who sought negotiation and pulled out) for allegedly defaming his name on social media.

Responding to Olobo’s concerns, George Ojwang Opota, the clan head of Omolo Acol Odyek Onywal Iceng and a close associate of the cultural institution, stressed the urgent need for dialogue.

“Mediation between these two parties is needed urgently so that the people of Lango can move forward with one voice,” Opota said.

“This is the right time for unity. The Lango Cultural Institution leadership called for these reconciliation prayers. As for me, we are ready to move forward and forget the past. I know Lango was divided during the time of the late Yosam Odur and Eng. Odongo, but we now have one leader,” Opota claimed.

Currently, the Lango has two cultural bodies: the Lango Cultural Institution and the Lango Cultural Foundation, which is being led in an acting capacity by the Prime Minister, Fredrick Ogwal Oyee, who also serves as the Won Nyaci (Paramount Chief).

The court case, before the Buganda Road Court, is scheduled for March 11.