Ambassador Okul wrestled, disarmed after drawing gun at Lango clan leaders’ meeting
Police wrestle former deputy Ambassador to the US, Mr Dickson Ogwang Okul in an ettmpt to disarm him after he drew a gun at a meeting at Lango Cultural Centre on November 17, 2024. PHOTO/ BILL OKETCH
What you need to know:
- The meeting was chaired by Otuke RDC, Mr George Abudul, and attended by Kole Woman MP, Ms Judith Alyek.
Dozens of elderly clan leaders scampered to hide under a banana plantation as security personnel wrestled Uganda’s former deputy Ambassador to the US, Mr Dickson Ogwang Okul to disarm him after drawing a pistol at a meeting.
Drama unfolded when Mr Okul, who is currently serving in Khartoum as Charge d’ Affaires, stormed a meeting at the Lango Cultural Centre with his two bodyguards at around 1:37pm. One of the bodyguards was holding a green plastic chair.
Upon arrival, dozens of people stood up and surrounded Mr Okul, seemingly with intent to throw him out of the meeting which was being attended by Lango clan leaders and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) from Lango Sub-region.
The meeting was chaired by Otuke RDC, Mr George Abudul, and attended by Kole Woman MP, Ms Judith Alyek. It was intended to prepare delegates from Lango to participate in Ateker Festival scheduled to kick off Soroti City on November 26, 2024.
However, the initially calm-looking women and men turned chaotic as the presence of Mr Ogwang Okul, who was seated in front of them made them uncomfortable.
Elderly clan leaders started shouting, “he must go, Ogwang Okul must not be allowed to attend this meeting”. After a handful of peace-loving Lango sweet-talked him to respect the elders, Mr Ogwang Okul stood up and started walking away.
However, after walking about 10 metres away, he drew a pistol and attempted to fire it. But just as he held the trigger of the already cocked gun, seven armed police personnel pounced on him and wrestled him to the ground in effort to disarm him.
The officer successfully disarmed him after about five minutes of struggling.
He was immediately apprehended and taken to Lira Central Police Station for questioning.
Ms Lillian Eyal, the RDC of Lira, said had it not been the intervention of the security personnel, “something stupid” could have occurred at Lango Cultural Centre on Sunday.
Mr Ogwang Okul is a party in the conflict over Lango cultural leadership, whose election as Paramount Chief or Won Nyaci was annulled by the High Court on October 31, 2024.
The same also nullified the election of gazetted paramount chief, Eng Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune on grounds that it was not held in accordance with the law.
Accordingly, the court ordered the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi Ongom, to re-gazette the 94-year-old outgoing paramount chief, Mzee Yosam Odur Ebii, who abdicated his position.
When Justice Philip Odoki – head of Court Circuit assigned by the Judiciary as a trial judge – delivered the verdict which ended up blocking the installation of Dr Odongo Okune as Won Nyaci on Oc, Mr Ogwang Okul was part of the people who celebrated in Lira City.
More than 90 per cent of the clan leaders who attended the chaotic meeting on Sunday are supporters of Eng Dr Odongo Okune, the former executive director of Uganda Road Fund (URF).
Who is Ambassador Ogwang Okul?
In 2018, the State Department of the United States of America asked him to return home over domestic violence.
He asked to immediately pack his bags after he allegedly beat his wife.
Before being assigned to America in 2010, Mr Ogwang served as a Public Prosecutor at the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
He graduated at the top of his legal course while serving on active duty, grew up in extreme poverty as a rural boy in Ayer Sub-county in the present Kole District.
Mr Ogwang holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University, Kampala, Masters of Administrative Science – Diplomacy and International Relations from Farleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ, USA; a specialized Diploma in prosecutions and Diploma in laws from the Law Development Centre.
He has over 20 years of experience in national and international diplomacy.
He has been active in the national politics of Uganda; was involved in the 1993-94/95 Uganda constitution making processes as a student activist being the then president of Uganda National Student Association (UNSA).
From teenage years, Ambassador Ogwang taught his fellow students to avoid violent school strikes and demonstrations but showed them peaceful ways of negotiating issues with school authorities and boards to find amicable solutions.
Later in life, he became a champion of peace and conflict resolution becoming the First African to be certified as an International Conciliator by the Institute for Christian Conciliation, USA Inc.
