Africa-Press – Uganda. The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Judith Nabakooba, has suspended the Lira District Land Board for allegedly engaging in fraudulent land transactions.
The decision was arrived at after the ministry received a complaint of misconduct involving corruption and influence peddling against members of the district land board.
“The purpose of this letter is to suspend the officials of the board to pave way for investigations into the allegations and new members to be nominated for appointment and my approval,” Ms Nabakooba said in a February 4, 2022, letter addressed to the chief administrative officer (CAO) and the district chairperson.
The minister indicated that she has asked the State minister for Lands to guide Lira District and Lira City authorities on “effective process” of nominating new members on the District Land Board within a month’s time.
This publication established that trouble started after the Lira Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Mr Lawrence Emmy Egole, alerted the ministry that fraudulent land transactions continued taking place in the area with impunity. The land in question falls within the city boundaries.
Lands that are said to have been fraudulently given out include Plot 47 Olwol Road comprised in LRV 3 Folio 4, leased five years to Tom Ibrahim Okello (Bishop of All Nations Christian Care), Plot 6 Elong Jani close comprised in FRV LIR90 Folio 3, a freehold title processed in the name of Ejang Immaculate Petra.
Concerns
According to the RCC, on February 3 at around 9:30pm, security intercepted the secretary of Lira District Land Board, Mr Francis Okello Olwa, with district and Lira City land documents fully packed in a private car smuggled from the district land offices.
The suspect, who was reportedly driving away with the documents to an unknown destination, was arrested. But North Kyoga regional police spokesperson, Mr Jimmy Patrick Okema, told this newspaper that he did not have details of the case.
The same concern was echoed by a concerned citizen, Mr Anthony Ojuka, who highlighted abuse of office, misconduct and incompetence among staff within Lira Ministry Zonal office.
Mr Ojuka also claims that he received death threats because of exposing the scandal.
Mr Okello dismissed the fraud allegations levelled against the Board.
“I have not yet received this communication from the minister officially. However, I have heard it as a rumour that the minister did that when she received reports from RCC Lira that they arrested me smuggling land board files to an unknown destination,” Mr Okello told our reporter via WhatsApp message.
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