The
Minister of Lands Housing and Urban Development has suspended the entire Lira
district land board with immediate effect.
In her
letter dated 4th February 2022 addressed to the Chief Administrative Officer and
the LCV chairperson, the Minister Judith Nabakooba says she has received
complaints of misconduct involving corruption and influence peddling against
members of Lira district land board.
“This nature
of allegation translates to question of moral turpitude against the officials
serving on the board where she is the approving officer of such appointments.”
The letter reads in part.
Nabakooba
says the suspension will pave way for investigations into the allegations and
new members to be nominated for appointments and approval by her.
She has
also asked the minister of state for lands and housing to guide the district
and the city on effective process of nominating new members on the district
land board within a period of one month.
The
minister also requested the Inspector General of Government to take up the
matter for investigation and further guide on the next course of action.
The
suspension letter came hours after the arrest of the secretary district land
board who was found in possession of land documents and files from the district
land office.
Francis
Okello Olwa, who doubles as the Community Development Officer, clerk to council and the district's spokesperson was arrested on Thursday night while in possession of important documents of the
land board in his personal car.
Meanwhile,
the Lira Chief Magistrate his Worship Samson Louwum Abiti has warned the newly
instituted members of the Lira City Land Board against involving in corruption
tendencies while handling land matters.
The
installed Board Members includes Joel Aliro Omara as Chairperson, Denis Franco
Amot, Augustine Omara, EuniceToli and Farida Okeng.
Abiti’s
remarks followed numerous complaints of corruption levied on the Lira District
Land Board members who was care taking the city assets.
According
to him, corruption which is now a day today business in Uganda is affecting
development and Transactions in land related issues in court. Adding that the
board should remember their oath to secrecy.
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the city is concerned.”//
“When the
people know that the offices that concerns land work with transparency, when
they know that the people who are there are people who are trusty and
transparent you will see the confidence that the community around here will put
on you and you will see the difference it will create in their lives.”
But Sam
Atul, the Lira City Mayor is optimistic that the Board will bring sanity in the
City and they should help in acquiring more land for the developmental of the
City saying the city is highly congested because of the small land it has.
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allowing orderly development.”//
Meanwhile
Joel Aliro Omara, the chairperson board promised to do their work diligently so
that the Lands within Lira City serves its purpose.
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citizen of this city.”//
Ever since
its creation, Lira City did not have a substantive land board and this resulted
into disputes Lira, the mother district and the city which for accused the
district land board for conniving with the office of the Regional Land Board to
sell off public lands within its boundaries.
