Lango foundation premier Oyee named interim paramount chief
“Pursuant to Article 8 clause (2) of the Constitution of the Lango Cultural Foundation 2017, Ogwal Oyee, the current Prime Minister, shall head the institution for a period not exceeding one year while the Electoral Commission of LCF organises the election of the new Paramount Chief,” the council states.
The Lango Cultural Foundation premier Frederick Ogwal and his wife, after the enthronement as the clan chief of Inomo clan in Lira City. (Photos by Patrick Okino)
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The Lango Cultural Foundation (LCF) Council of Owitong (clan leaders) has appointed foundation premier Frederick Ogwal Oyee as interim Won Nyaci following the death of Yosam Odur Ebii.
During a special general assembly held on November 11, 2025, at Senior Quarters ‘A’ in Lira City East Division, Lira city, the council officially declared the office of Won Nyaci vacant, a day after Ebii’s death at Lira University Teaching Hospital.
In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, the council cites Article 8(2) of the Lango Cultural Foundation Constitution (2017), designating Prime Minister Ogwal Oyee to lead the institution for a period not exceeding one year as preparations begin for the election of a new Won Nyaci.
L-R Bishop Emeritus Alfred Acur Okodi of West Lango, deputy speaker, Jimmy Oyuku, Lango chief Odur, Ogwal Oyee and wife then Dr Laury Ocen, the speaker after enthroning Ogwal as clan chief of Inomo clan last year.
“Pursuant to Article 8 clause (2) of the Constitution of the Lango Cultural Foundation 2017, Ogwal Oyee, the current Prime Minister, shall head the institution for a period not exceeding one year while the Electoral Commission of LCF organises the election of the new Paramount Chief,” the council states.
Burial of Ebii
According to the resolution, the late Odur, 99, will be laid to rest on November 22 at his ancestral home in Teboke, Apac district.
The council also announced a mourning period from November 11 to November 22, urging the Lango people, both at home and abroad, to observe dignity and discipline during this solemn time.
The statement, signed by council speaker Dr Laury Ocen, a lecturer at Lira University, together with Anthony Ayo, reaffirms that the process of selecting and enthroning a new paramount chief will strictly adhere to the procedures and timelines provided in the 2017 Constitution.
“No individual or group has the mandate to usurp, manipulate, or pre-empt this constitutional process,” the statement reads.
However, divisions within Lango’s cultural leadership resurfaced after Eng. Dr Micheal Odongo Okune, who heads a rival faction known as the Lango Cultural Institution, declared 10 days of mourning and proposed that the late chief’s body be taken to the Lango Cultural Centre for a final eulogy.
LCF spokesperson Jacob Ocen dismissed these announcements, saying they hold no legitimacy within the recognised framework of the Lango Cultural Foundation.
Won Nyaci Odur Ebii was elected and enthroned in 2003, but persistent leadership disputes later split Lango’s traditional leadership into two factions: One led by Odur under the Lango Cultural Foundation, and the other by Odongo Okune under the Lango Cultural Institution.
As the Lango community mourns the passing of its long-serving cultural leader, the council has called for unity, patience, and respect for due process as the institution prepares to elect a new Paramount Chief.