UGANDA: ACHOLI CHIEFDOMS DETHRONED PARAMOUNT CHIEF ACANA II, CROWN APIRE RICHARD SANTOS PARAMOUNT CHIEF AMIDST CHAOS.

Rwot Collin Mutu Atiko, declared during a press conference at Northern Uganda Media Press briefing. We have given Rwot David Acana II 14 days to evacuate Acholi paramount chief palace, failure to abide by that we are going to use other means.

Ambrose Oola, the Prime Minister for Acholi Ker Kwaro, spokesperson for Rwot David Acana II, in his latest press release downplayed the new development, stated that the Acholi community should downplay those chiefs who are self-seekers.

Disregard those who are advocating for a new change in leadership of Acholi Ker Kwaro, and requested those chiefs to report for the meeting call by his boss Rwot David Acana II.

GULU CITY-MONDAY, June 26, 2023. Things fall apart at Acholi Paramount chief palace on Wednesday, June 19, 2023 Paramount Chief Rwot David Onen Acana II, ordered all the 54 chiefs to leave or else they will face the wrath. Rwot Collin Mutu Atiko narrates to members of Uganda Media a day after the saga.

It was a total darkness at noon, Rwot Collin Atika who appeared to address Uganda media at Northern Uganda Media Club, NUMEC came with handful of Acholi Chiefs who includes among them Rwot OdokonyeroOpige of Paicor, Rwot Jimmy OchanLuwala of Puranga chiefdom, Rwot Justice OcitiBinyi of Lamogi  Pagak, Rwot Ogenga John of Labongo, Rwot OjokAginya of Bwobbo, Rwot Opira Bosco Padibbe.

Rwot Collin Mutu Atiko, who presented all the 54 Rwodi of Acholi, says there are several accusations which the former Acholi paramount chief Rwot David Acana II is facing. We the all Acholi chiefs we are equal in terms of hierarchy no any chief is greater than the other. However, the former Paramount chief have level all of them as only council of chief, to extend that he has tried to sell the land that belong to Ker Kwaro Acholi, which opposite Gulu district Council hall, the land was sold at UGX 3.5 billion to Uganda National Social Security Fund (NSSF), But the rust and put court injunction to stop the ongoing sale.

Secondly, the former paramount chief Rwot David Onen Acana has registered Acholi chiefdom as a private company with some prominent elders of Acholi that includes the late PS. Wilson Lutara, Nyeko Paulino and others. “Who is the king” of Acholi chiefdom, we don’t have that title whatsoever in Acholi.

“According to the Acholi chiefdom norms, all the chiefs can elect one overseer to be the head of all the chiefs, and this has been a long long time in memory. And Rwot Acana being the chief that hail from Payira chiefdom, in 1995 with the amalgamate of new Uganda Constitutions, President Museveni mooted to restore all the traditional cultural chiefdom, and in 2004, all the chiefs in Acholi elected him as Acholi paramount chief.

We the councils of chiefs we elected him, and under our mandate we are able to the dethrone him, and when we called for the meeting of all councils of chiefs at Acholi Ker Kwaro, he Acana ordered UPDF and Uganda Police Forces to send away from our palace, this abomination.”

We have decided to go to Sport View Hotel, in Pece-Laroo Division to hold our meeting and during discussion we have decided to enthrone new paramount chief Rwot Santos Apire of Atiak.

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The Acholi Paramount Chief, David Onen Acana II. The council of chiefs made the decision in an impromptu council meeting held in Gulu City on Tuesday.

They unanimously resolved to remove Rwot Acana for alleged failure to discharge his responsibilities,

 Includes mismanagement, and degrading integrity that have soiled the image and management of the cultural institution. Justine OcitiBinyi, the Chief of Pagak Clan said Wednesday that the move was largely triggered by Acana’s recent attempt to sell away a piece of land belonging to the institution. URN couldn’t independently verify the claims.

The land measuring 0.33 hectares located at Plot 5-5a along Airfield Road in Bardege-Layibi Division in Gulu City was purportedly donated by the president to the cultural institution 10 years ago. Binyi alleged that Rwot Acana was already making a clandestine deal to sell away the piece of land to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) at Shillings 3.5 billion as his own land.

He says they have since resolved as the council of chiefs that the entire leadership and management of Rwot David Acana and his Deputy Rwot Otinga Otto YaiOtuka cease to hold office and carry out official duties on behalf of the institution with immediate effect. Binyi adds that they are also demanding that Acana provide the council of chiefs accountability and inventory of assets belonging to the cultural institution within 14 days.

Some of the issues also raised by the chiefs include alleged failure by Acana to produce a constitution for the cultural institution, mismanagement of funds between 203-2014, and lack of accountability for Shillings 200 million offered by President Museveni in October last year for dialogue over Apaa land conflicts.

Others include alleged misrepresentation of the title by Acana, breach of protocol, and the involvement of cultural leaders in the fraudulent sale of land in the Acholi Sub-region. Collins MuttuAtiku, the chief of the Patiko Clan, says that the council of chiefs had earlier written to Acana to convene a meeting with them so that he briefs them on the land deal but he thrice declined to reply to their letter.

Muttu says the decision of the chiefs wasn’t reached with ill motives but to save the integrity of the Acholi people and its heritage, which are being tainted by the actions of the paramount chief. He notes that they have since formed an interim committee to steer the cultural institution for the next three months as they make necessary adjustments and restructure the management of the institution.

The chiefs have installed Atiak Clan Chief ApireRichard Santos as the interim Paramount Chief who will be deputized by John OgengaOtika, the clan chief of LabongoAmida in Kitgum District. Others on the interim committee are John Paul Lugai II, the Palwo Clan Chief in Pader District, Justine OcitiBinyi, the Chief of Pagak Clan, Collins Atiko Mutu, the clan chief of Patiko, and Ojok Michael Aginya the clan Chief of Bwobo.

The Acholi Cultural Institution Prime Minister, Ambrose Olaa maintain his position   of leadership change at the cultural institution in a statement he issued Wednesday.  He said that the institution has taken note of the issues being raised and is organizing a meeting with the Executive Council of Chiefs and the Council of Chiefs to deliberate and resolve the matte”

By the late 18 Century, before the advent of the British Colonial era, the headquarter of Acholi paramount chiefs was at Nimule, the current South Sudan, and by that time, all the chiefs would be gathering for any important discussion at the foot of Nimule Kituba tree which was headed by Rwot Olyaa of Atiak, the ground father of Rwot Santos Apire, THE NEW Acholi paramount chief.

Under the paramount chief of Olyaa, he came out with the bye-law how the then Luo would be gathering, among the bye-law which Rwot Olyaa put in place was the marriage law, by that time the bride groom would present two hoe “KwriTile madeimported fromMadi community in Sudan, and marrying was very expensive.

So, Rwot Olyaa came up with decree that the bride groom should present two cow as Lim Akumu for marrying his loved one, elope a girl you have to pay two goats, and marrying became possible, because the Luo had no monetary element, they were trading in batter system of trade.

Rwot Olyaa of Atiak also passed the bye-law that whoever, break the teeth of someone was mandated to pay one cow, and also if you goose an eye of someone you are mandated to pay a fine of one cow, he re-enforced (tumukir) abomination the dos and the don’t that whoever break the law he or she must present a goat, or a ram

And when Rwot Olyaa passed on, Rwot Awich of Payira was elected by the council of chiefs to become the paramount chief of Acholi, which also he defended and challenged Queen of England on land rights, when Queen of England demanded that all the Acholi land Must belong long to her, Rwot Awich, the paramount chiefs says God gave Acholi land and also gave Briton land, equally they were all the same.

After the death of Rwot Awich in 1946, Rwot MatayoLamot of Adilang was elected Acholi paramount chief by the council of chiefs, during Rwot MatayoLamot reign he fought to resist the British Colonial rule of grabbing Acholi land, mainly especially from South, North, West and East of Acholi land he defended.

Acholi land boundary was first, was in Got Ngeta following down ward of River Kole to Atura, this was in the late 18 Century, till 1909 when Acholi was beaten in the war by Lango, who were re-enforced by Karamojong, Iteso and Kukulem, the boundary came to Teboke, in 1925 when cotton was introduced by the colonial master, Puranga chiefdom had six Ginny factories for cotton. Which includes, Puranga Ginny, Minakulu Ginny, Otwal Ginny, Aber Ginny, Aboke Ginny and Abili Ginny.

 But when Langi agitated and demanded that the boundary should be change from Teboke, Oguu to KuluOtwilo, in 1942, Lawii Tong of LangoOchen was killed during borader inspection, when the referanundom was carried, although Rwot MatayoLamot came up with all the names of streams that bared Acholi ward, the Colonial master had their agenda to cut and grabbed Acholi land and gave it to Lango, the boundary which was in Aura, came to Minakulu and Aromo.

Also, the all Abim, Labwor land was grabbed and taken to Karamoja Sub Region, early on in 1925 the Acholi North, the British master demarcated Uganda and Sudan boundary cutting the all Acholi of Sudan from Agoro range, and that year 1925 the all Parabongo of Lamogi, Bororo clan and Lamogi clan were removed from Ajumani and their land was given to Madi, the latest arrival from Uganda according to migration, by 1914 when Madi of Sudan and the all communities from West Nile were annexed to become part of Uganda.

Rwot MatayoLamot, was the first Chairman of Acholi district council, and he was the one who built Gulu District Council hall, he was elected in 1962, to represent Acholi LEGCO, although he did not know to speak English, Antony Opwa was his translator.

What then, is the new pheromone, on 9, December, 1961. In Lancaster, London Conference when Uganda members of Constitutional Assembly adopted the 1962 Uganda constitutions which allow the election of Uganda Independent of 1962, the Lancaster Conference had article that later would be presented by the Black Star News, agreed that under the new constitutions, head of elected chiefs in every 10 districts are Acholi, Lango, Teso, Koramoja, Bugishu, Bukedia, Alur, Madi and L MadiOkoro and Bakiga.  The Five Kingdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro, Ankole, Tororo and Busoga were mandated to elect Presidential candidates. And therefore Acholi had to elect their paramount chief, which was not under the Acholi Cultural traditional norms.

Although Acholi did not have their Paramount chief in 1962 election, in 1963 AdongaPilliph of Pajule chiefdom  and YonaOdida of Payira chiefdom contested for the election of paramount chief, under  electoral college , The councilors where to vote for them, by that time, OkenySeveroAtwoma was the councilor for KitgumMatidi, he hail from Pajule chiefdom, and AkeraAnania was the councilor for Bobi sub county he hail from Puranga chiefdom, therefore, he mooted that YonaOdida could not be elected because Puranga, Pajule and Pader chiefdoms are the major chiefdoms in Acholi and their father of the three chiefs was called Beno.

Therefore, Okeny and AkeraAnania play tribal intricate, proposed the song (DokoBoyiTek, OlalOkwero Kop Cero wanganino, iyeeLitino Puranga kaoboloKwirdokoboyipajii, Wadek” later the two sweet talked member of Uganda Congress Party UPC in East Acholi to boycott voting for their candidate of UPC YonaOdida, even UPC member from West Acholi were told to boycott voting for YonaOdida, which made it easy for AdongaPilliph of Pajule to win with landslide.

Rwot OchanLuwala, on a side interview with the Black Star News says, Rwot Achan II, apart from selling land belonging to Acholi Ker Kwaro, he is a corrupt person, the government gave Nine vehicles in the name of all the chiefs of Acholi, but instead he sold three vehicles, and the six vehicles he is keeping.

Rwot AchanLuwala, alleged that when the former paramount chief, Rwot Acana went outside Uganda, he lobbied for assistance, instead he used all the gifts he got from outside for himself.

“Rwot Acana has been under rating them, calls us a mare council of chiefs, let him face the guillotine now.

AbruseOola, the Prime minister Acholi Ker Kwaro, twitter imminently advising Acholi community to downplay the current outburst by defected chiefs, later Rwot Acana summoned all the chiefs to appear for a meeting on 8, July 2023.