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Lango youth leaders, Paramount Chief clash over representation
Lango youth raise queries during the meeting with cultural leaders in Lira Cultural Centre last weekend. Photo by Emmanuel Opio.
What you need to know:
Lack of respect. The Paramount Chief says the youth ought to be disciplined and taught to respect traditional leaders.
A group of youth were last weekend sent out of a meeting with the Lira Paramount Chief and other cultural leaders after they turned rowdy.
The youth had reportedly been called to the meeting by the Lango Cultural Foundation to discuss development programmes in the region.
The meeting, that was held at the cultural centre in Lira Municipality ahead of this year’s annual meeting, turned rowdy after the youth accused the cultural leaders of unfair allocation of positions.
Unfair appointments
The youth allegedly became furious following the appointment of some committee members, saying their interests were not taken into consideration.
The group also accused the officials of constantly blocking them from expressing their views in the foundation.
“We want transparent appointments in the foundation. It’s not proper to elect people without considering the views of members if this foundation is to develop,” said the leader of the youth group, Mr Paddy Kawinya Alwala, who is also a youth minister in the cultural group.
The youth claimed that Felix Adupa and Kim Wegulo, who were elected on June 6 as steering committee members, were elected without their knowledge.
Mr Kawinya and the about 100-member group, attacked the Lango Paramount Chief Yosam Odur and his prime minister Tonny Otoa during the meeting for allegedly turning the foundation into a family affair.
The duo, however, denied the claims and forcibly sent the youth out of the meeting.
Mr Odur is now demanding that the youth be disciplined for not respecting cultural leaders as a way of instilling morals in them so that peace can prevail in the foundation.
“We cannot condone indiscipline. All that happens here is fairly done for the development of the foundation, not for individual interests,” Mr Odur said, adding that the youth would not be tolerated to cause unrest in the foundation.
Constitution problems
But Isha Otoo Amiza, the former Member of Parliament for Oyam South, blamed the current woes in the Lango Cultural Foundation on its constitution which he said has many loop holes.
He cited a provision under Article 10[1a] of the constitution that states that a representative of the youth and women are supposed to be elected to represent a particular interest of group. This is what has caused the wrangle.
Uniting factor
Lango Cultural Foundation is the only uniting body for all Langi both in Uganda and abroad.
The foundation in its programme plans to rally support from both within and outside the country to help push for development for its people, come December when it holds its first ever general meeting expected to be graced by President Museveni.
But the wrangles now threaten the development of the young cultural institution.
Langi living in the Diaspora would be involved in the development programmes according to the cultural group.
