Gulu varsity evicts former IDPs

The university evicted the former IDPs to pave way for the expansion of its campus in Lira.

LIRA

At least 2,500 former internally displaced people who have been living at Bala Stock Farm in Lira Municipality have been forcefully evicted by law enforcers and authorities of Gulu University to pave way for establishing the institution’s constituent college in Lango sub-region.

The eviction follows a plan by the university to expand its campus in Lira District to accommodate more students this academic year, starting in June.

The evictees, who have been living on the land after they fled their homes during the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency, said they have nowhere to relocate to although others have temporarily taken refuge with relatives and friends in the outskirts of Lira Town.

Ms Santa Ejang, 54, from Abura Village, Otuke District, said she is stranded with her family of six because returning to her village and establishing a house could cost more than Shs220,000, which she cannot afford. “I might be forced to sell my foodstuff that were recently harvested to make ends meet because with my family size, we cannot continue to stay with a friend,” Ms Ejang said.

Mr Simon Odongo, 78, who hails from Abala village, Alela Sub-county in Lira, said their efforts to ask Lira Sub-county officials to negotiate with the university authorities for more time before vacating the land in question fell on deaf ears. “We expected the sub-county leadership to at least come to our rescue by asking the university to give us at least one more month but that did not happen. It’s really a trying moment for us,” Mr Odongo, said.

However, Mr James Acela, the Lira Sub- county chairman, said the people were living in the area illegally because they were told to return to their home villages in 2006 when relative peace returned to the region. “Some of these evictees have become used to tilling free land for sunflower and maize growing within the urban setting here. They have been against returning to their villages for unclear reasons,” Mr Acela said.

The then Minister for Education, Ms Namirembe Bitamazire officially opened the university’s branch in Lira in 2010 but due to technical hitches, it could not open its doors for operation.

Dr Lunjino Ogwal, the university’s branch task force secretary, last week said following the inception of construction works at the campus, space has become limited, calling for the eviction of the squatters.

He, however, denied that the former IDPs were evicted without giving them prior notice, adding that the deadline for them to leave the area elapsed about a month ago. “We acted within the law because we gave them time to leave the place because we now want to use the land for development purposes,” Dr Ogwal said.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com