LIRA-Former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Daniel Omara Atubo is among those working to resolve a leadership row in the Lango Cultural Institution.
Atubo, a clan head of Otengoro Olang led a constitutional review committee of seven members to cause the amendment and review the institution`s guiding document.
Three weeks ago, the council of Owitong [clan leaders] in a meeting at the cultural centre picked Atubo and six others to review the institution’s 2017 constitution. A key focus is on the election of the paramount chief [Won Nyaci], tenure of office, and qualification.
There has been a rift in the leadership of the institutions since 2012 when then speaker, Wakili Okello, claimed the legitimate Won NyaciYosam Odur sidelined him and some key clan members during a tour by the chief and his delegation to Europe and America.
Row escalates
A section of clan leaders jumped out and started mooting plans to elect another paramount chief who could listen to them. They immediately picked Charles Olet, a clan leader of Okii Ogwangkoltum to replace Odur.
Through reconciliation and forgiveness, the administration never continued but another conflict emerged when Odur sacked Dr. Eng. Micheal Odongo Okune as the minister in charge of foreign affairs and heading Langi diaspora desk diaspora. Odongo is a former executive director of Uganda Road Fund [URF].
The row escalated further and a few clan leaders rallied behind Odongo and elected him as the ‘paramount chief’ IN 2017.
Two parallel chiefs
Odongo immediately appointed his ministers and prime minister and they continue to work parallel to the legitimate cultural administration, Lango Cultural Foundation.
Currently, Lango as a tribe has two parallel paramount chiefs; Yosam Odur leads the Lango Cultural Foundation while Odongo leads the Tekwaro Lango Group.
Atubo said with the new amendment, the paramount chief will be elected by council of Owitong (clan chiefs), a person should be 60 years and above and the office shall fall vacant when the chief is dead or has resigned.
Election of the paramount chief
“To be elected Won Nyaci, a person shall be at least 60 years but not exceeding 80 and will be elected by the electoral college, not by all the people of Lango,” the draft report presented on Thursday at Lango cultural centre said.
Lango has 154 registered clan leaders and under the arrangement, 10 people including clan head, chief, woman leader, youth leader, disability among others from each clan shall convene to elect Won Nyaci.
The amendment also created the House of Lords [Itogo] which shall be nominated by Won Nyaci and approved by the council of clan leaders [Owitong] and the order of precedence for speaker and deputy.
Prime minister, James Ajal, said the new amendment will help to put to rest the leadership wrangles which have torn apart the institution and the people of Lango should embrace it.
People in the sub-region have been given two weeks to submit their views on the new constitutional amendment before approval.
https://thecooperator.news/kumam-cultural-heritage-assembly-to-elect-leader-on-july-7-2022/
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