Acholi chief to critics: Back off my throne
Attacked. Acholi Paramount Chief Rwot David Onen Acana II at a past press briefing at his palace in Gulu Town. PHOTO BY CISSY MAKUMBI.
What you need to know:
Wasted effort. The paramount chief says those who want his position to be rotational will not be successful.
Gulu. The Paramount Chief of Acholi, Rwot David Onen Acana II, has said he will not yield to demands to relinquish his seat despite receiving threats and criticism from some people.
Addressing a press conference at Acholi chiefdom headquarters at the weekend, Rwot Acana said some Acholi are suggesting that he should be removed and others want his position to be rotational.
“Their discussion is always on my tenure in office. Many are now pushing for rotational paramount chiefs where one should be in office for only five years. Whatever they are planning will never yield fruits,” he said.
“There are some chiefs that are being used by politicians who have come out as whistleblower in implementing their interests. I am not ready to surrender the power to self-styled chiefs, whether they want to kill me or not. It was bestowed to me from my ancestors by birth,” the paramount chief said.
Paramount Chief Acana took over the throne after the death of his father Rwot Justine Acana in 2005.
He cited Buganda Kingdom where the Kabaka is supported in his bid to give quality services to the people contrary to Acholi where “greed and politics are instead the order of the day”.
The Alokolum Clan chief, Mr Peter Oola Ojigi, recently attributed the main source of conflict in the chiefdom to government financial support to the paramount chief.
“Each person feels that the paramount chief is getting a lot of money,” he said.
The chief only gets Shs5 million from government monthly.
Attempts
In 2013, Puranga chief George William Lugayi advocated for his enthronement as a new chief having acted in the position when Paramount Chief Acana had gone for studies abroad.
