Ejalu to get State burial

Dec 22, 2008

THE late John Ateker Ejalu will be accorded a State burial for his contribution to Uganda’s liberation struggle, President Yoweri Museveni has said.

By John Odyek

THE late John Ateker Ejalu will be accorded a State burial for his contribution to Uganda’s liberation struggle, President Yoweri Museveni has said.

“I have directed that the Government gives an official burial to Ateker Ejalu. We could not organise Parliament because it is on recess. The Inspector General of Police will organise a ceremony at the burial,” Museveni told mourners at a funeral service held at All Saints Cathedral in Kampala.

“He (Ejalu) was one of the freedom fighters against Idi Amin. He had a group called Save Uganda Movement, which was fighting in eastern Uganda. Ejalu was detribalised. He was a nationalist and a Pan Africanist,” he said.

Museveni said Ejalu, who was five years older than him was not an old man.

“Dying is a common destiny to all. We are all going to die. When I saw his children, I was pleased they all looked like Ejalu. The challenge for them is to build on what Ejalu did,” he said.

Ejalu was the director of Standard Chartered Bank (2002-2003), board chairman of the New Vision Printing and Publishing Company (1997-2003), a member of National Resistance Council (1989-1996), Minister of Labour 1991-1994), Minister in the President’s Office (1988-1991), managing director of the Uganda Railways Corporation (1981-1985), Minister of Regional Cooperation (1979-1980), Minister of Information (1979), editor-in-chief of the Uganda Argus, a daily (1970-1972) and editor-in-chief of The People newspaper (1968-1970).

He obtained a Masters in Journalism from the Pacific Western University, sat his A’level in the UK and O’level at Ntare Secondary School in Mbarara.

Ejalu is survived by Janet Akello Ejalu, his wife and six children.

Burial will take place in Soroti today.

Paul Etyang, a former deputy prime minister and friend, said Ejalu passed away at a Nairobi hospital where he was taken ill with meningitis since September.

He said Ejalu had been inspired by Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first black president, who believed in African unity and the concept of Africanism.

He described Ejalu as honest and non-sectarian, adding that he became a victim of Uganda Peoples Congress party intrigue in the 1960s and 1970s.

John Ejalu, Ejalu’s elder son, said his father was a politician, businessman and a journalist.

“He identified and nurtured the talents in his attitude. He inspired us and made us believe we could achieve anything we wanted,” he said.

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