Row erupts over Cecilia Ogwal’s burial cash

A local organising committee for the burial of Barbara Cecilia Atim Ogwal has asked Parliament to explain the whereabouts of the money allocated towards the funeral of the Dokolo woman Member of Parliament.

Ogwal died of cancer-related illness from a hospital in India on January 18 at the age of 77, and President Museveni agreed to have an official burial for her. Accordingly, the Executive sourced A-Plus funeral services to handle burial proceedings.

Parliament has also contracted the firm to provide meals to mourners at Ogwal’s four homes in Dokolo District, Lira City, Alito Sub-county in Kole District and Kampala.

However, the regional organising committee chaired by Lira Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Lawrence Egole decried never receiving any cash from government.

“Two staff from Parliament arrived at the residence of Imat Ogwal on Sunday but they were also not provided with logistics,” Egole told mourners gathered at Ogwal’s home in Teobia Cell, Russian Quarters Ward in Lira City on Monday evening.  

According to the committee, there had been no communication from any Lango lawmakers, including the chairperson of Lango Parliamentary Group Judith Alyek, regarding Ogwal’s burial.

“Kampala is using individual members of the deceased’s family which is very unfortunate. We are told some logistics was given to one Innocent Ayo, who we don’t know,” Egole added.  

Eunice Odongkara, a staff from Parliament who is among the two-member delegation currently at Ogwal’s home in Lira City, said the House officially delegated Ayo to coordinate the burial programme as a family member. 

“An official burial is always taken over by the Executive and the role of Parliament in this event is to feed the mourners starting from January 19,” she clarified, noting that she never received any money.

An A-Plus staff who only identified himself as Tonny confirmed they subcontracted Lira-based Yendo Catering Services to provide meals to mourners.

The regional organising committee expects more than 20,000 mourners to attend the burial in Alito Sub- County, Kole District, on Saturday.

But Yendo Catering Services director Moses Eyen said his firm has been assigned to provide meals to only 6,000 mourners including 1,000 VIPs that day.

'Be sensitive to our culture'

Joel Okao Tema, the funeral’s regional organising committee publicity secretary, said: “A-Plus is a specialist in burying and handling bodies. This business of them trying to diversify into catering is an avenue for easy access to money in a manner that is fraudulent.”

Okao said they had a Monday morning subcommittee meeting at Ogwal’s residence where they “adopted a resolution to allow A-Plus handle the body but will not cooperate with the firm in providing funeral meals.”

“At a function like this, you need to be very sensitive to our cultures and our emotions. You need to respect them. In this commercialization of the burial, there is also a bit of cultural imperialism going on,” he said.

“We are also economic activists now because our people must also get part of these businesses. The idea that they will be subcontracted to provide meals for Shs5,000 per plate yet A-Plus is most likely charging Shs27,000 to Shs30,000 per plate is unacceptable. Whoever is in charge of this, it is unacceptable,” Okao told Monitor.

Levi Okodi Macpio, a presidential advisor in Lango, claimed his family had a bad experience working with A-Plus after he lost his younger brother Justice Rubby Aweri-Opio.

Supreme Court Judge Aweri died from Mulago Hospital on December 7, 2022 at the age of 69.

“Tonny, you were the chief agent of A-Plus. You came, we met at his residence in Lira and you told us what to expect of a state burial. We had earlier learnt that there was a budget of Shs600 million for that particular function,” Okodi said as he verbally confronted the A-Plus staff physically.

“A-Plus assured the family that they would provide all meals for four days and on their behalf we contracted service providers in Senior Quarters, Lira City, in Kampala and Agwata in Dokolo District,” he remarked.

“How did A-Plus treat us at the end of the function? At the end of the burial, we ended up with a debt of Shs37 million and seven head of cattle. You disappeared, and even took some items which were left behind at home for cooking,” he further said in claims directed at Tonny.

By press time, A-Plus, Parliament and the executive were yet to issue an official statement on the matter.