Lira residents block plans for land give-away

Nov 10, 2011

RESIDENTS of Baronger Ward, Railways Division in Lira municipality have rejected plans by the municipal authority to have their area planned and given out to private developers for commercial purposes.

By Bonney Odongo and Patrick Okino

RESIDENTS of Baronger Ward, Railways Division in Lira municipality have rejected plans by the municipal authority to have their area planned and given out to private developers for commercial purposes.

The residents, during a conflict resolution meeting with the municipal authority on Wednesday in attempts to convince them into accepting the plan, turned unruly and threatened to become more wilder if any move is made to evict them unlawfully from their land.   
 
Ambrose Ocen the Lira municipal Town Clerk said they (municipal council) were implementing resolutions passed by Railways Division in 2007 that Baronger land be planned and plots given out to individuals who could develop it into a modern commercial hub.
 
“Lira municipal council has the mandate to decide on how the land in the municipality should be put into use,” Ocen said.  l
 
"For Baronger Ward, the Railway division council sat on July 17th, 2007 and resolved that the front part of the abattoir be planned for commercial purposes."
 
But residents said the plan could be a raw deal because since the decision was conceived, the area land committee or their local leaders including the LC1 chairperson were not contacted and briefed about the development.
 
“Though the resolution was made, it did not put into consideration the indigenous people of the area. It should have been in the back of their minds that there are sitting tenants of Baronger,” said Godfrey Obong Okanyi, one of the residents.
 
He warned that the municipal council should make sure that any resolution being implemented was lawful or else they would meet serious resistance from the people.
 
Moses Botto accused the district land surveyor Robert Egoo that he always go to survey the disputed land at night.
 
“Mr. Egoo I usually get so disappointed when I see you in this area at night, you are just an epidemic in this community for surveying their land at night using torches,” Botto who was later nabbed with a machetes on his waist said.
 
But Egoo who apologized to the residents said he surveyed the land because of the pressure he was getting from Railway division officials and that he was not notified that the land does not belong to the division.
 
He dismissed allegation that he conducted the survey at night, saying the survey took place in the evening and not at night as alleged.
 
The mayor of Lira municipality Moris Odung Omara admitted that leaders had not been working closely with the residents.
 
The land in question is a residence to about 100 indigenous households, a cemetery and town abattoir

 

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