A faction of the Lugbara Cultural Institution (Kari) has defied a court ruling, barring them from installing and swearing in another Chief.
There are currently two factions of Lugbara Kari: one group led by the elected 4th Chief of Lugbara Kari, Yumah Amuku Manase, who is also the clan chief of the Ayivu people following the death of the then third Chief, His Highness Jackson Avutia, two years ago, and another led by Ismail Tuku, then Prime Minister, Jaffer Alekua, then Clerk to Council, Christopher Yiki, Speaker of Parliament, and Anzelo Pati, the clan leader of the Maracha people, also Chief Designate.
However, the rift between the two groups took a new twist in September last year after ‘concerned’ people in Arua City reportedly wrote a letter to the Gender Ministry accusing Manase of supporting Save Ayivu Initiative, a local organization that has since demanded Ayivu district instead of being absorbed into Arua City.
This, according to Ismail Tuku, then Prime Minister in Lugbara Kari, brought their plans of swearing in Manase and Gazetting Lugbara Kari to a standstill, forcing them to look for an alternative of fronting Anzelo Pati of Maracha as Lugbara Agofe designate to proceed with the gazettement process as Manase stays aside to resolve his matter with the Ministry.
But, following this development, Agofe Manase made public the dismissal of Prime Minister Ismail Tuku, Clerk to Lugbara Council Jaffer Alekua, Speaker of Lugbara Council Christopher Yiki, and several others, and put in place a new Cabinet with which he now works.
In a twist of events, Ismail Tuku and his group mobilized funds to organize an event to have Chief Designate Anzelo Pati sworn in today, Monday, as Chief of Lugbara Cultural Institution, for which they invited several dignitaries to attend and the Chief Magistrate to preside over the swearing-in.
The group under Manase, led by Elly Ejiku, the Prime Minister, then rushed to court this morning to stop the function on the grounds that Anzelo Ali was not elected as Chief and that his swearing in when Chief Manase is still in charge, amounts to an illegality.
After three hours of debate and arbitration between the two parties at the High Court hall in Arua on Monday morning, Paul Matema, the Chief Magistrate of Arua, ruled that Anzelo Alia cannot be sworn in since Lugbara Kari is not yet gazetted and has a living, duly elected Chief Manase.
Matema also advised the two parties to reconcile as Lugbara people and work together instead of creating factions. adding that the Court is ready to welcome them again.
However, Elly Ejiku Emo, the Prime Minister Lugbara Kari under ‘Lugbara Agofe’ Yuma Manase, who led a team to put an injunction in Court against swearing in and installation of Anzelo Pati, said they welcome the court decision to stop the function and the Chief Magistrate’s decision not to preside over the event since its illegal.
According to Ejiku, the Ismail Tuku group can remain in Lugbara Kari but not occupy positions in the previous Agofe regime after the matter is fully resolved.
Similarly, Richard Andama, one of the witnesses in court, said they will bring the two parties together to ensure that due process is followed and there is harmony in Lugbara Kari.
But speaking in Lugbara to the congregation that gathered at Coco Palm Gardens in Arua City for the function after the court ruling, Ismail Tuku, the Prime Minister of the Lugbara Kari faction, said they listened with respect to the Chief Magistrate; though it pained them, they decided to forgive the Petitioners because Lugbara cultural institutions are built on peace.
Meanwhile, Reverend Christopher Yiki, the Speaker of Parliament of the Lugbara Kari Faction, said the Chief Magistrate’s words were clear on gazettement first before swearing in, which they have accepted.
Following the Court’s ruling, many dignitaries, including lawyers like Retired Justice Kania, Amnesty Commission chairperson Obafemi Gama, and other Legal officers left the function for fear of legal reprisal-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
