By Otim Nape
Three NRM MPs, including a Minister, have been exposed as leading a crusade aimed at killing off what remains of Lango Parliamentary Group (LPG).
Those accused of this mischief include Dokolo MP Paul Amoru and Bonny Okello (Kole North MP). Reliable sources have revealed that some of the other members in the 25 member LPG these days treat these two with mistrust and suspicion.
“Each time they are around people are not comfortable speaking their mind because they are considered to be Museveni’s spies on other colleagues and they report back through Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa,” reliable sources said adding that the duo’s last week announcement stopping the monthly contribution of Shs300,000 was indicative of this bad faith the two politicians have towards LPG.
It was further revealed that the two are unhappy that majority of the LPG executive members voted no for the Magyezi Bill scrapping age limit in the Constitution. The duo’s concern is that the guys who voted no have become heroes throughout Lango and they are now popular than them in their own constituencies.
The duo’s own voters showered the LPG executive members with freebies during the Christmas recess including goats. The executive members are these days invited as chief guests at many functions and they always demonize the LPG members who voted yes calling them traitors of their voters’ aspirations.
LPG is chaired by Okot Ogong as Chairman, deputized by Santa Alum of UPC with other executive members being Otuke woman MP Silvia Akello (General Secretary), Kole South MP Ochero Akaro (treasurer) and publicity secretary Paul Amoru who is the only LPG executive committee member who voted yes. Working separately is State Minister for Defense Charles Engora Okello who has been arguing that it’s high time two splinter groups emerge out of LPG.
He wants those who voted no to stay in the old LPG since the entire executive (except Amoru) voted so while those who voted yes must massively quit and form a parallel group to rival the activities of the main stream LPG. “He has always has vendetta against the LPG Chairman Okot Ogong because he even wanted to become the chairman but members rejected him on grounds that making a minister chairman would kill objectivity of LPG,” said a media analyst based in Lira.
Charles Engora has further argued that there is need to urgently form a parallel LPG which is friendly to the NRM government because there is no way Museveni will prioritize development and service delivery in Lango anymore when the association uniting area MPs is hostile to his continued leadership.
There are also reports that, apart from Amoru, the other LPG executive members have started identifying and marketing candidates to oust the Lango MPs who voted for the Magyezi motion.
Most of the people they are fronting are highly qualified medics who are politically conscious. “This has nothing to do with FDC, UPC or even NRM. We are looking at filling the 11th Parliament with MPs who are solidly behind the aspirations of the people even if it means having all of them on independent ticket but these traitors must be removed,” said one of the LPG members, an MP, who voted no. Amolatar woman MP Doreen Amulle is also said to be among those not interested in a cohesive LPG anymore because she says it has been hijacked by leaders opposed to life presidency.
She has previously indicated to some of her supporters that she can do without LPG and she has indeed stopped making the monthly remittance of Shs300,000. There are many reasons beyond the Magyezi bill vote why the Museveni State House must be sleepless about LPG in its current state of leadership.
They have previously messed up the big man’s plans including the proposed amendments on Article 26 of the Constitution to permit government acquire land for grand infrastructure projects like the Standard Gauge Railway. It was the LPG resistance that actually prompted Museveni to halt the process and embark on the countrywide radio programs to market his proposals for the new law.
