'Cecilia Ogwal had undoubtable love for all'

Grief and a sombre mood engulfed Lira city as hundreds of mourners gathered on Wednesday evening to receive the body of deceased Dokolo District Woman MP Cecilia Atim Ogwal.

The body arrived at her residence at Town College cell in Lira city east division at exactly 6:15 pm after a day-long joint regional council session at Dokolo to pay tribute to the deceased Iron Lady popularly known in Lango as Atat.

Lango Diocese Bishop Emeritus John Charles Odur Kami, health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero (also Lira City MP) and former lands minister Daniel Omara Atubo, among other dignitaries, received the cortege draped in the national flag.

Health Minister Aceng consoling a family member as the body of Cecilia Ogwal was being received at her Lira City residence. (Photo by Joseph Ekol)

Odur described Cecilia Ogwal as a gift given by God, a trustworthy leader who worked with everyone and had undoubtable love for every person regardless of religion or political affiliation.

“She could gauge the audience and know what to say and where to say it without fear or favour or even mincing words,” Odur Kami said.

“She was a woman of truth, honest, faithful and she balanced her time in Parliament as a politician and also recognised that she was a mother to the children and a wife,” he added. 

Ogwal passed on from cancer-related illness on January 18, 2024, in an India-based hospital.

Bishop Odur bitter over burial money   

Odur lauded the late Ogwal for her contributions to building churches and mosques, supporting girl-child education, elderly persons and widows in the Lango region.

The bishop emeritus, who is also a member of the regional organising committee for the burial, expressed disappointment over the funds for the arrangement saying the committee never received a coin from the national organising committee.

He cited the burial of the former Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanya where the national committee controlled all the budget and left the local organising committee struggling with the arrangement.

“This is bad and it is the truth. We have never received any money and we don’t know how much was given,” he says.

“It is the right time to wake up to reality but not to fear any person except God because we even don’t know how it was given and how they are spending it,” he said.

Pray for leaders

Mayor Sam Atul asked people to pray to God because, in less than three years, the region has lost three powerful leaders.

He cited the leaders as former state minister of gender and industrial relations who was also Oyam North legislator, Charles Okello Engoal Macodwogo, former speaker Oulanya and Cecilia Ogwal.

He advised people to dedicate Cecilia Ogwal's send-off on Saturday to seek God's guidance and pray hard. 

Cecilia Ogwal will be buried on Saturday at Alito town council in Kole district.

Alebtong LC5 chairperson, David Kennedy Odongo who is also the chairperson of all the LC5 chairpersons in Lango, described Cecilia Ogwal as a person having had a unique character because it transcended all the political divides.

He said this indicates that subscribing to different political parties is not a crime but what matters more is one's contribution to the country.