The Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, Betty Amongi, has clarified that Rwot David Onen Acana II is the legitimate Paramount Chief of Acholi, recognized by the government.
This comes in the wake of nearly two years of protracted power row at the Acholi cultural Institution, after a breakaway faction of chiefs led by the Atiak Clan Chief Rwot Santo Apire attempted to oust Acana.
The rival faction also went on to elect Rwot Apire, as the rival paramount chief of Acholi before opening up parallel offices purportedly for the Acholi cultural institution.
During a meeting at the Acholi Cultural Institution palace in Gulu City, Amongi noted that Acana is among 17 other cultural leaders whom the government recognizes.
She said Acana’s name was recently published in the Uganda Gazette in April this year, the official government publication confirming his legitimacy as the Acholi cultural leader.
Amongi said there is a need for comprehensive dialogue among cultural leaders in case of future grievances to promote harmony and a good image of the traditional leadership in Northern Uganda.
According to Amongi, while her office had been well informed of the fights in the Acholi cultural institution, she declined to intervene, citing that the government doesn’t resolve leadership disputes in cultural institutions.
She noted that disputes at the cultural institution are resolved by the council of elders/chiefs, whose roles are to mediate and inform the government of their resolutions, since they also don’t have the power to dethrone any cultural leader.
During the meeting that attracted cultural leaders from about 50 out of the 57 chiefdoms within the Acholi Sub-region, Amongi revealed that the government had purchased two vehicles each for the recognized 17 cultural leaders in the country.
She said the vehicles which will be delivered in the first week of July will help address challenges of transport and security faced by the cultural leaders.
Rwot Acana however noted that as the cultural institution, they had been open for dialogues with the breakaway faction of rival chiefs but most of them remained opposed to it.
He said the majority of the rival chiefs are not legitimate and weren’t ordained to their thrones adding that the current conflict at the institution was fueled by powerful government individuals.
Acana told the Minister that the genesis of the fight against his leadership started after he demanded accountability for funds from one of the former employees at the cultural institution.
He noted that his demand for accountability on various projects rattled the individuals who turned against him with unfounded accusations.
Power row at the cultural institution began in June 2023 after a section of the chiefs resolved in a meeting widely regarded as illegal to remove Rwot Acana and his deputy Rwot Martin Otinga Otto Yai Atuka II from heading the cultural institution and instead voted for Rwot Apire as an interim Paramount Chief of Acholi.
They accused Rwot Acana of alleged financial mismanagement, poor leadership, and attempts to allegedly attempting to sell off a piece of land belonging to the cultural institution to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) at 2.5 billion Shillings. Rwot Acana denied all the allegations.
In response to the accusations and attempt to oust the Paramount chief, the council of chiefs in a June 8 2023 resolution suspended all the rival chiefs who would only be allowed back with an apology.
Those suspended were John Peko Lugai II, of Palwo Chiefdom, Rwot John Ogenga Otika, the Labongo Amida Chief, Justine Ociti Binyi, the Chief of Pagak, and Collins Muttu Atiku the chief of the Patiko.
Others are Richard Santo Apire the Chief of Atiak, Michael Ojok Aginya (deceased) of Bwobo chiefdom, and Rwot Jimmy Ochan Luwala of Puranga. Rwot Luwala has since returned to the cultural institution after abandoning the rival camp.