TEKWARO LANGO CLAN CHIEFS ASKS SUBJECTS TO EMBRACE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME ON ACQUISITION OF TITLES ON CUSTOMARY LAND.
Tekwaro Lango clan chiefs under the paramount Chief Eng. Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune have welcomed the efforts of the central government to facilitate locals in the acquisition of titles for their customarily owned land.
Okune notes that land is one of the most important asset the people of Lango still have which can stimulate growth and development in the region that is recovering from the shock of two decades of insurgency.
This after more than 4,000 families in Northern Uganda including Lango and Acholi sub-regions received customary land titles in a ceremony presided over by President Museveni in Apac district.
Beneficiaries were drawn from Chegere and Ibuje sub-counties in Apac district and four other sub-counties in the districts of Agago (Acholi) and Maracha (in West Nile) where the pilot project is being implemented.
According to the Head of Cooperation European Union Caroline Adriaensen, the EU will continue supporting the government of Uganda to roll out the project across the entire Northern and Eastern Regions.
Echoing President Museveni’s call to the beneficiaries against misuse of land including land fragmentation, Okune asked clan chiefs at different levels to sensitize subjects against reckless sale of land.
“…its painful and regrettable that cases of land conflicts among family members including brothers have ended in loss of lives in many cases, as if we do not have capable clan systems in place…”,he lamented.
He has also asked the people of Lango to wholeheartedly embrace the project which is part of the interventions in the land sector aimed at ensuring the security of land rights funded by the European Union.
Okune says it’s shameful for some educated youth to mistakenly think that agriculture is for the uneducated and end up trotting the whole towns and cities in search of unemployment.
“…agriculture is the backbone of our economy and there are many people including civil servants who get time to engage in and get a lot of money to improve on their standard of living…” he pointed out.
Okune also cautions young people against undermining certain gainful economic activities in preference of only white collar jobs in government which can absorb only a few.
He has also implored other stakeholders like the religious bodies to join hands in sensitizing followers on proper and peaceful resolution of conflicts on land related matters as opposed to violence.
George Ojwang-Opota the Prime Minister also notes with concern that most young people are running away from villages after selling off family land to buy motor cycles to engage in bodaboda business.
Saying although bodaboda employs hundreds of young people, Ojwang-Opota stresses the need for them to diversify by investing their money back home in farming activities.
“…unfortunately some of our young people get lost in towns where they indulge in reckless lifestyles like drunkenness, lose sexual immorality and substance abuses…’ the prime minister lamented.
Ojwang-Opota is asking all clan leaders to extend their efforts to their members especially the youth who are scattered in urban centres saying they all belong to their respective clans.