UGANDA: HOW GURRE PONGDWONGO WILL CHAMPION RESTORATION OF THE LOST ACHOLI CULTURAL NORMS-JUSTICE OWINY DOLLO CIGAMOI AND AMB. OLARA OTUNNU ON MISSION.

The Acholi adage theory, (Anga makwanyo Lagitin ki iyi Olang?) who can bail the cat from basket, Justice Owiny Dollo Cigamoi and Amb. Dr. Olara Otunnu dared the status quo to call for an end to the mayhem and heinousness of the post Lord Resistance Army (LRA) suffering among the Acholi people in Northern Uganda.

GULU CITY-SATURDAY FEB. 2, 2024.

Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo Cigamoi and Amb Dr. Olara Otunnu have spelled out the responsibilities and roles of individuals that will champion the implementation of the resolutions adopted from the historic Acholi meeting referred Gure me Pongdwongo which took place on December 27, 2023., from Sir Samuel Baker School.

Justice Owiny Dollo and Amb Dr. Olara Otunnu who are currently touring Acholi sub region to convey the resolutions of Acholi agenda to the locals, issued the communique on January 7^th 2024.  The tour seeks to sensitize to understand and welcome the move to revival of Acholi cultural norms that suffered setback during series of insurgencies, to mention but a few, the 20-year Lord’s Resistance Army war.

In a write up that Black Star News gained access to, Lawyer Francis Gimara has been chosen to head the Bolo Manyen, an institution’s vehicle that will drive the project of Acholi cultural revival dubbed “Doro Paco campaign.”

The groups that is in charge of education fund raising that has been instituted to review deploring poor education performance in Acholi Sub Region is headed by Prof. Lonzy Ojok, his vice chairman Counsel Ojok Acii OO

Restoration of school, the program of restoration of school education, the six senior secondary school bodies selected are as follows: St. Joseph College Layibi, Sacred Heart Girls Senior Secondary School, Sir Samuel Baker, (Pongdwongo Secondary school), Gulu High Senior Secondary School, Kitgum High Senior Secondary School and Y.Y Memorial Girls Secondary School. which will be headed by Charles Odoch Langoya.

The position which they Co-Chairs of Gurre Pongdwongo resolution are implementing includes; restoration of Lwo language, the program to revive Acholi Language Board is headed by DSO Polber, Prof. Sunday Okello Angoma, Mego Malaim Okello, Zeru Abuka and others.

1. The January 7, 2024 meeting also resolved

I, on the agenda of unity with Acholi living in diaspora, the program to work hand in hand with our brethren who are working outside Uganda, United State of America, Europeans Union Countries and Eastern Asian Countries. For policies to attract diaspora investments.

II, among other the meeting realized measures to protect Diaspora Investment

III, Diaspora Information Centre is headed by Margret Lakidi, Michael Odong Odoki Amanyangole, John Olak, Ojok Acii and Jackie Oloya.

Also the meeting agreed on the issue of sending our people outside the countries, especially for scholarship, to open the eyes for our people after the post LRA conflict, and was headed by Ojok Acii and Jackie Oloya.

Restoration of Cooperatives Movement, they recognize importance and say we are restoring Cooperatives Movement, the first on agenda program in Acholi, second program, restoration of west Acholi Cooperative Union.

IV, Restoration of East Acholi Cooperative Union, which includes Puranga Gunny Cooperative Society defunct, the program is headed by J.J Oloya.

The program of Produce Marketing, we are restoring the Produce Marketing Program of stabilization funds, the program is headed by Dr. J.J Oloya. funds

Program for Afforestation trees planting, we have the program of tree planting day of tree planting (Days designated for tree planting.

V, Tree planting like Agro forestry, III Tree planting for charcoal, trees program is headed by C.D. Langoya, Michael Tebere, Mases Opiyo Ogal.

Perennial crops: the program of farming perennial crops, for example Coffee planting, Macadamia etc., the program is headed by Dr. Opira Otto.

The Law Regime, the rule of law, by-laws. Kacoke Pongdwongo is coming up with the by-laws for Acholi community, the by-laws to stop sales of alcohol.

VI, Women and men do engage in heavy drinking at dawn till evening, community cultivation during planting season.

Resistant and resilient crops that will stand long dry spells for food security, example. Sorghum, Cassava penalty that will be put in place to punish thief of food crop from garden from homestead, or thief of food crops from the granary.

The by-laws that will regulate forester parents to take their children to school. The by-laws that will force Acholi community to restoration of wang OO, the by-laws that will force every homestead to be with granaries as food storage as it were before in 1980 before the war.

The by-laws that promote cleanliness and hygiene in every homestead, the program headed by George Ocaya Onen, Charles Ocaya, Prof. Sunday Okello Angoma.

The land issue, the program and issues that affect land, land conflict, for example land grabbing, land conflict within relatives, brother and in-law, sales of customary land sales, the program is headed by Okello Okello John Livingstone, Francis Gimara and Phillip Adonga.

The program of business commodities, issues that affect commodities exchange, the program is headed by Odoch Charles Langoya, Charles Abola.

Investment vehicle, the issues of investments vehicle super funds, the program is headed by Dr. Opira Otto

Pongdwongo meeting 2024, Co-chairs. The Public relation officer in-charge of information dissemination, increases awareness of journalism in communications, dissemination within the country and in the diaspora.

This is in line with strengthening collaborative journalism and joint advocacy for press freedoms in Acholi Sub Region.

And the program of the Co-chairs meeting values clan members talking with youths, religious leaders, women leaders and Program is head of clan’s members, Justice Owiny Dollo and Amb. Dr. Olara.

2- Monitoring and Evaluation the program of monitoring regime for the restoring program is headed by Bishop Mack Baker Ochola, Peter Oloya, Michael Odong, and Florence Amony.

Data collection, the program of data collection, the program is headed by Edward Otika, Christine Lutara etc.

Reports to all the departments of various programmers, all departments will give their reports before the month of March, 2024.

Secondly, report will be publishing before the month of June 2024, this is review for the all performance for the beginning of Pongdwongo that will be in July 2024 the report support Gurre Pongdwongo can come to help, or give ideas about Gurre Pongdwongo resolution.

Let everybody be open to and give his/her contribution in the above position mentioned

Priorities, all the programs for Gurre Pongdwongo are all very important to move our people in the promised land and how this will come after the reports have been given in the month of June 2024.

In conclusion the Co-Chairs Justice Owiny Dollo Cigamoi and Amb. Olara Otunnu, argues that they are going to make sure that all the programs number 1, 2, 3, 5, 12, 13, 18 ,19 and 20 should begin according to the practice before the month of June 2024.

The Gurre Pongdwongo resolved meeting is now being opposed by Prof. Nyako Pen Mogi, to water down the Acholi Agenda being propelled. The Ministry of land is moving to register all Acholi land under Certificate of Customary Ownership, just to give leeway.

Prof. Pen Mogi who appeared on Radio PASI, Catholic Based is telling the Acholi community to get their land title to allow them to get a loan from the bank and buy motor bikes.

“Just go and register your customary land under Certificate of Customary Ownership, you will walk with your land title in your pocket just as your education certificate. I have registered my two areas of land, I got land title one for Centenary bank and one is Stanbic Bank. When you get money from one bank and fail to pay the loan, that land bank will take it while the other land will not be taken.