Court injunction sought over Omee land
Jun 19, 2007
KILAK MP Michael Nyeko Ocula and about 100 residents of Amuru sub-county have asked the Gulu High Court to stop army MP Maj. Gen Julius Oketta and Harriet Ober from carrying out any development on Omee land.
By Chris Ocowun
KILAK MP Michael Nyeko Ocula and about 100 residents of Amuru sub-county have asked the Gulu High Court to stop army MP Maj. Gen Julius Oketta and Harriet Ober from carrying out any development on Omee land.
They also want to stop illegal allocation of land to investors and other people, while displaced persons are still living in camps.
This follows a meeting on Sunday, in which Ocula and the residents resolved to collect 10,000 signatures to petition the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi and the High Court to stop Oketta and Aber from developing the land, which they say belongs to neither of them.
The application was filed by Donge and Co Advocates on Monday.
Oketta claims that the 3,500 acres of the land was given to him by the elders of Lamogi for commercial farming but he has built a house on the land. But Aber states that the land belongs to her father, Hassan Mitchell, who lives in Arua.
Ocula said as soon as the LRA rebels moved to South Sudan, several land wrangles broke out.
“We, the MPs from the Acholi sub-region are not satisfied with the way some elders gave land to Oketta and also how Aber’s father acquired this land.†Ocula called for inter-clan land committee to settle disputes.
Jackson Orac, an elder, said any investor who wants to acquire land in Amuru should apply through the MPs, who would introduce them to the community.
KILAK MP Michael Nyeko Ocula and about 100 residents of Amuru sub-county have asked the Gulu High Court to stop army MP Maj. Gen Julius Oketta and Harriet Ober from carrying out any development on Omee land.
They also want to stop illegal allocation of land to investors and other people, while displaced persons are still living in camps.
This follows a meeting on Sunday, in which Ocula and the residents resolved to collect 10,000 signatures to petition the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi and the High Court to stop Oketta and Aber from developing the land, which they say belongs to neither of them.
The application was filed by Donge and Co Advocates on Monday.
Oketta claims that the 3,500 acres of the land was given to him by the elders of Lamogi for commercial farming but he has built a house on the land. But Aber states that the land belongs to her father, Hassan Mitchell, who lives in Arua.
Ocula said as soon as the LRA rebels moved to South Sudan, several land wrangles broke out.
“We, the MPs from the Acholi sub-region are not satisfied with the way some elders gave land to Oketta and also how Aber’s father acquired this land.†Ocula called for inter-clan land committee to settle disputes.
Jackson Orac, an elder, said any investor who wants to acquire land in Amuru should apply through the MPs, who would introduce them to the community.