By Joel Mugabi
Lira Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Emmy Lawrence Egole and famous NRM cadre JB Lucky Akaca are in trouble with an NGO boss over statements made on local radio stations.
Kenneth Allan Owani, the Executive Director and Founder of Global Support Development Initiative Uganda, has issued a demand notice and made clear his intentions to sue RCC Egole and renowned NRM cadre Akaca over statements he believes were defamatory.
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Through his lawyers of Okwi & Co Advocates, Owani, who founded Global Support Development Initiative Uganda, alleges that he had reported Egole to Museveni’s office, calling for a probe into claims that the president’s envoy was involved in fraudulent land deals with the Lira City Council. The NGO boss avers that his complaint filed in the president’s office was “in good faith, in the general public interest” but the RCC reacted by going on two radio stations in Lango and making damning allegations against him.
According to the notice from Okwi & Co. Advocates, Owani’s lawyers, Egole and Akaca went on Voice of Lango FM and Radio Unity FM, respectively, where they made “extremely malicious and defamatory statements” against the Global Support Development Initiative Uganda Executive Director.
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Appearing on these two radio stations on May 31 and June 06, RCC Egole and Akaca are said to have disregarded moderators’ caution, and gone ahead to tell listeners that Owani is a “known conman, thief in Lira, who connives with other thieves and has stolen, duped and fraudulently acquired funds from some foreign whites, that he beat up his father, chased him from his own land and as such is cursed.”
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Owani described actions by Egole and Akaca as “false, unfounded, extremely malicious, defamatory,” intended to ridicule him in the eyes of right thinking members of the community and cause him hatred and disrepute from his funders, the community he serves and, to injure the organization that he founded.
“That as a result of your conduct, our client, his family and the Organization he works for have undergone through untold mental suffering, financial loss, physiological torture, shame and public hatred, he almost lost his employment/ donors as a result,” reads a notice from Okwi & Co Advocates in part.
Through his lawyers, Owani has now demanded that Egole and Akaca reports to their chambers within seven days from the date of receipt of the demand notice (June 21); issue a public apology on all media houses in Lango Sub-region; withdraw their earlier false and malicious statements; as well as desist and/or stop forthwith their threat of violence for the NGO boss’ safety and security.
Owani also wants the RCC and NRM cadre to pay him Shs100m as compensation for damages caused to him, and Shs25m as professional fees for his lawyers of Okwi & Co Advocates. The lawyers have warned of repercussions if their demands are not met. “Note finally that should you fail to heed to our offer of amicable settlement, we have further instructions to drag you to courts of Law, where our client will seek permanent injunction, general, aggravated and punitive damages for your actions/omissions and costs of the suit, definitely at your own costs, colossal loss, peril and perpetual regrets,” Okwi & Co Advocates concluded their demand notice. .(For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [whatsapp line], 0779411734 & 0200900416 or email us at [email protected]).
