Move to censure Lira City West Division speaker sparks debate

By Denish Ongora (denish.ongora@vol.co.ug)

Lira

Some former district speakers from Lango have condemned the move by councilors of Lira city West division to censure the division speaker.

Yesterday, over 30 out of 41 councilors of Lira city west division collected signatories to censure the speaker, Daniel Okello over allegations of disrespecting the mayor and his secretaries, incompetence and working to serve his personal interest.

Former Lira district chairman Alex Oremo Alot who served as Lira district from to 2007-2011 said much as the councilors followed legal procedures to censure the speaker, the division mayor, Michael Ogwal Aconga could have opted for mediation to resolve the issues with the speaker.

Oremo said censuring the speaker will not resolve these issues since the speaker and those in support of him will continue fighting the mayor and his secretaries.

Former Oyam district chairman who served as speaker from 2006 -2007 equally said the standoff could have been resolved through peaceful dialogue instituted by Lira city council

Meanwhile,

Speakers of different councils in Lira city have threatened to fight the move by Lira city west division councilors to censure the speaker which they say sets a bad precedence.

Patrick Okwir the speaker of Lira city council, who is a lawyer, said the law requires that 1/3 of the councilors collect signatories which is sent to the registrar electoral commission which then investigates the complaints raised against the speaker for any action to be implemented.

Okwir who is also the general secretary, Uganda Urban Council Speakers Association did not further disclose what happens after the complaints have been probed by the registrar electoral commission but added that the censure of the new speaker is witnessed by the grade one magistrate.

He said the right procedures were not followed in censuring Daniel Okello

Lira city East division speaker, Daniel Alyela said they will apply all legal options to block censuring speaker Daniel Okello

The chairperson northern speakers’ association Moses Hassan Okeng asked the ministry of local government to intervene in the matter which he termed as illegal.