PRESS STATEMENT BY ANDAMA RICHARD; AYIVU CHIEFDOM, CULTURAL EVOLUTION Chief ( His Highness AGONDUA MIKE/) visa vie " OPI" PROPAGANDA. Visa vie AYIVU/ ARUA CITY LAND.

The development gurus and architects will believe with me that development is a process and it must go thru its logical stages to attain desired results. 

The liturgical transformation and development of culture has taken a center stage in Ayivu in particular Arua city.   

   Ayivu is not a tribe but a bigger section and  component of  Lugbara people as a  community that predominantly occupy the Arua city as the original descendants and land lords in Arua city now covering Arua central and Ayivu division. 

Although a number of people who migrated from DRC , South Sudan,neighboring city and elsewhere have become  residents  and  purchased land in the two divisions while others got it freely from  our fore great grandparents since our interest in land was communal or freehold tenure system. Therefore we now leave as brothers and sisters but preserving our culture, norms, values etc.

Consequently , Arua central engulfed two divisions ie Oli and Arua hill while,  Ayivu division engulfed Oluko, Dadamu, Manibe, Aroi, Ayivuni, Pajulu, Adumi sub counties with population of over 600,000 residents.

Since 2011, when this was instituted and made active under the guidance of Gen. Saleh to date government has forgotten about what is happening with the events unfolding at Onduparaka the HQ of Ayivu division. Serious insecurity has been brewing in this area as far as cultural development and formation is concerned with quite a lot of accusations and counter accusations ! If not attended to blood shed shall  soon roll in according to intelligence  sources !

Politicians and some few civil servants whose list has been supplied have again taken two jobs in this society,  to be consultants of cultural formation and do government work  and at the same time play the role  of elders council to interfere in matters of culture to appoint and enthrone chiefs or elders at will,  something which can easily  escalate into tribal and clan wars. Yet we are waiting for court's verdict over this specific matter....

 Therefore, we don't want to witness what happened in Kasese with Mumbere here in Arua city  we don't want spontaneous and oblivion state of confusion to continue as we the elite sons and daughters are being taken advantage of !

We must always learn to do the right thing and do it within the law....

 Alternately and practically we want to see an organized transition if need be which must be transparent, Democratic, accountable and legitimate if not done so i call upon government to timely intervene into illegitimate cultural activities that is always being practiced year in year out at Onduparaka HQs under the guise of certain indoor pronouncements without permission .

Yet this exposes ones inner most interest, caliber, corrupted and criminal mind to involve himself / herself in an occupation where one  has  no mandate and aorta. The burden is on one to prove who one actually represents  and why one  interests his/ herself   creating insecurity !

Since 2017,  a number of candid  appointments and elections of elders and chiefs have been orchestrated, crafted, engineered, propagated, designed by some specific individuals who would wish to control the political landscape of Ayivu and Arua city in particular but again their aspirations tend to deviate from the core values, norms, customs, aspirations and expectations of the majority of the people of Ayivu.

They are doing things with total impunity and within close range of security apparatus that one day will take security  by surprise of what has actually transpired yet the same is instigated by some of our leaders whom we elected for direction ! 

 On 13th November, 2021 this group violated covid 19 Sops instituted by Ministry of health and president's directives then  called for a big sitting under the pretext of having a  reconciliation prayer for Ayivu people but to the surprise of many the meeting which was fully facilitated , financed by some  MPs and local politicians was actually geared towards installing another chief( chairman)  whose status and background is being doubted by a  cross section of Ayivu people and core elders council who are mandated to convene such a cultural  gathering .  This was done  to replace Mike Agondua the current holder of Ayivus' power stick.( The cradle power stick )

The feud with Agondua is his willingness to work with everyone in the city regardless of ones social background , faith, colour , sex , political affiliation and being corruption free. 

Agondua has never being discriminative and sectarian but one of his shortfalls is being pro government, this again has squarely being twisted by some politicians as inverted and rolls his pendulum on the left and right.

 

This is now the third time the same group are manipulating , crippling the society to  install  chiefs at will,  another Chief  Yuma Manasi whom they had appointed to draft a one sided constitution for Ayivu Chiefdom and yet  the Agondua team had successfully drafted a comprehensive  one  and submitted to the Ministry of Gender, labour, and Social Development is on his heels reasons best known to them...

As a security expert i think these actions are detrimental to society and there is need for government to investigate such incidences  to avoid unexpected revolt and spontaneous clashes in the city. 

These worrying parties should be barred from holding such disorganized and ill intended gatherings that are frivolous, and blood stained.

Agondua is still our legitimate leader come rain come sunshine ! We want to see how the ( Cradle power stick) will be transparently transfered at time" T" with the help of government officials including the heads  of security in the city that is headed by  president's representative but not by use of force or cheap politics ! this is a total  procrastination and it undermines democratic values of a society.  If a better platform for dialogue is not forth coming all the parties must wait for court's decision !

The barifa saga seem to create a recent in palatability and over flow after recent comments made by Chief Agondua in favour of Hon. Lee Oguzu  and  Gen Salim Saleh falsely accusing him for taking sides for likely bribes , now their favoured man Manasi whom they seem to again have impressed has been  deposited due to his waiver and lack of allegiance has been pushed away from the parochial arena. He has been accused of many unsure chronicles  ☝why they were able to fetch now one Aderubo Edward who is widely criticized by the core Ayivu elders council, youths and women for reasons best known by them after learning  about the recent developments that took place at Onduparaka Ayivu HQs.

However, the same group on realizing that these developments had already taken place under the stewardship of His Highness Mike Agondua, they designed a strategy under the public litigation arrangement around 2018 used a one Congolese descent to sue Agondua and his team while they do financing  under carpet.

The case under grade one was dismissed with costs in favor of Agondua and the team. The team then appealed   went to high court!

The prevailing contradictions still prevail ,  why take law into your hands to water down court processes ?  Is this not prejudice and recipe for disaster to engage the people of Ayivu and mix them up with aim to divide and rule at the expense of their ignorance and poverty situation !

The people of Ayivu need better  education, better health care ,  employable opportunities , better roads, clean water supply, sustained electricity, daily  food on the table, better livelihood , financial inclusion , including shelter among others.

 These services are wanting but our politicians are busy tiptoeing on issues that are designate to specifics of wisdom and  dividing elders !

Our people need trickling of information about government programs, it being emyooga, parish model, vaccination, Sops, for both covid and terrorists that are targeting our people....!

 We want to see a sustainable road map /plan for the city not waste valuable time on issues that do not concern you much.

 Leave elders to do their work and structure themselves you can only build their capacity financially if you can.

Our people must demand for service delivery ! Time for politics is  over...empower the elders  let them shape the future of Ayivu people to address rampant challenges that befell them for decades. 

We know they are vulnerable but we must join them  in order not to cause rifts and potential blood shed. 

 This should be a shared responsibility among different actors including cultural , religious, civil society entities and politicians ! most cases i see a clear cut fight and divisions being perpetuated, manipulated  for selfish interests .

I strongly visualize and think that this is totally  impractical and not  sustainable if such characters continue without a viable protagonist to address the plight of Ayivu people. "peace for the  people of AYIVU" shouldn't be used as a scapegoat " peace should be universal for everyone including other  occupants or tenants....!

Absolute peace is what we want to see....Agondua is still the custodian of our power stick and peace....we must stop unnecessary contradictions and power struggle....without sufficient annotated reasons.

The fact is these institutions from the time memorial have always and continue to play integral role in our society and they are inseparable if natured well to verify our heritage .

Their capacity and capability is our shared responsibility if we want to see complete transformation is our communities ! We can evidently  see in some areas how stakeholders are tackling the challenges of teenage pregnancies and early marriages  at all spheres. 

No man is an island and by standing on the peripheries of the fence doesn't mean  you have won all, we are still within the same Corel reefs  !

The first blessing comes from elders and our  parents but when we  instigate to create division among them and instead insult and ridicule them our  Vail will be at stake.  

After the recap of so called "reconciliation prayer"  that eventually turned to install another chief or chairman as they have always done  to describe events  irrespective of  restricting  the usage of  coefficient "OPI"by the politicians and some civil servants whose list is yet to be availed to ministry of Local government for action.

I think state house anti corruption unit should look at this form of Cultural corruption analyze its efficacy  to society for action  since it is an evolution  and unproductive practice that has got dire consequences to the state since it affects service delivery.

The Agondua team has heavily mobilized to conduct a  sensitization cultural meeting at Onduparaka on 27 th November, 2021according to reliable information sources i got this morning  has this team being granted the same justice the politicians used ? Who will take the prerogative mandate to either permit or refuse !

Will the security do due diligence to provide desired eclipse of the same ! what is the  magnitude .?

The elders council is on the look to perform cultural ritual at Onduparaka Ayivu HQ this Saturday where Agondua was enthroned in retaliation to what happened on 13th November 2021..will the former or latter account for what happens there after or later !

Consequences of cultural evolution in Ayivu may either be positive or negative depending on how technically and remorseful this will be handled at security level .... ...earlier the elders settled for a chairman to coordinate and meet societal  requirements and needs of its people_ Muzei Naftali Falea was the first chairman, he handed over to Muzei Anyaku Daudi ( elders council  unanimously accepted _ no voting) then when Anyaku fell sick, he couldn't perform his duties as required  he then opted to handover the mantle ( power stick) of leadership back to Muzei Naftali  Falea for safe custody before he died.

At the appropriate time around 2011,  Muzei Falea summoned the elders council to decide on a new chairman . You will remember here that several others wanted the same position, yet they never had a constitution to guide them on how to proceed then voting was organized at Onduparaka AYIVU  HQs, some of the candidates whom i can remember were  Nahori Oyaa Awua current RDC Arua district , Godo John a former teacher, late Paul Igwee (RIP)  ( Afro triangle) a businessman, Eriku Ciril former Lc5 Chairman Arua district, Yuma Manasi among others who pulled out. This was graced by Muzei Onyolo Zackayo who is now 105 years still active and riding bicycle.

Agondua Mike a businessman by in South Sudan was called to come and take the stick,  then known for his unity and courage factor was overwhelmingly voted as chairman of Ayivu elders , then rivalry set in from that time then politicians of Ayivu dug in a hole ! Agondua became powerful and he would determine who becomes an MP and even a local council official because people would pay allegiance to his call or endorsement since he was  a close friend to Gen Saleh and loved by people. 

 He played a big roll in shaping political direction in Ayivu and Arua municipality while   his elders council then handled a number of land conflicts and domestic violence cases. 

Similarly, in  2015 while in state house , President addressed Agondua the Chief of Ayivu _during the conflict resolution between the people of Arua Municipality ,  Ayivu and Vurra sub county after pronouncement of Arua city in 2014 at Arua hill boma ground.

This was a great cultural road map for a cross section of development loving Ayivus who were part of the delegation including me.

 Then in 2016 Agondua decided to reform its institution by  appointing  his cabinet ministers  and various development committees  to work with,   until  2017  Agondua's name became household thing , then he  embarked on abrogating the narrow constitution to include all interest groups, ie Youths , women, children and disabled  hence cultural formation / Ayivu Chiefdom....the name Chief ( OPI) took center stage....this became an insult in the face of Agondua's haters ...they then started the animal farm politics of restricting him from addressing gatherings at functions ! This they would command the MC not to leave any breathing space for him to even get the microphone ! Wanting to embarrass him before public. 

In 2017  I  was eventually appointed by Agondua a Prime Minister i then left the work at NRM secretariat kampala to come organize this institution , after my  vetting  by elders council i then became the first prime minister of Ayivu Chiefdom, we embarked on drafting all inclusive constitution looking forward to his throne by government but the team was infiltrated and later the whole idea of consolidating and realizing a cultural formation was a subortage. 

Now if you fight your own to access government services what "peace" are  you preaching on behalf the Ayivu people. What makes you different from a Hippocrates ! 

The team hijacked the whole process , appointed the deposed Yuma  Manasi to chair at Onduparaka while they kept financing the parallel group as we kept on drafting the same at Anyafio palace near Arua based Presidential lodge  which we eventually registered with  Arua  Community Development officer then submitted copies to the Ministry in kampala.

My question is, is  it really a taboo or unlawful  for the people  of Ayivu with the same aspirations , desires, likings, visions, missions, objectives  to use the coefficient " OPI" as a title for chairman...? Are such words preserve for a collection of certain prolific protagonists !

More questions in the next episode as AYIVU Cultural Evolution takes center stage in Arua city/ Land security  @ 2021...

Andama Richard

Former NRM primaries  MP candidate Ayivu County  2016/ Former Prime Minister Ayivu Chiefdom/ Former RDC  Yumbe District/ Former  chairman  westnile RDCs fraternity ( Still security expert)