Classmates,  Acholi leaders eulogise Oulanyah

Former classmates and old students who studied with deceased Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah have described him as an active  student who participated in every school activity and a fellow who hated to give up.
 On Wednesday, Monitor interviewed some members of the public who studied in the same class or shared a school with him.
 Mr Victor Acaye, a resident of Layierac Village, Jaka Parish, Lalogi Sub-county, Omoro District, shared the same class with Oulanyah at Lalogi Primary School until 1979 when they sat Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).

 Although he was ahead of Oulanyah, Mr Acaye said the Speaker was a brilliant and active pupil whose intelligence made him catch up with them in Primary Seven class.
 “Oulanyah’s leadership skills date back to the time we were in primary school. He was in Primary Four  when I was in Primary Five. Every day we trekked four kilometers to and from school on an empty stomach and a determined Oulanyah would always pull me forward even when I didn’t want to get to class.”

 “He was a cross-cutting boy who was very active in every co-curricular activity like athletics, music, dance, and drama. He loved debating with all his heart and it didn’t surprise me that he turned out to be one of  the best legislators,” Mr Acaye said.
 Mr Acaye, now the current chairperson school management committee of Lalogi Primary School, recalls when Oulanyah would encourage the rest to keep practising to write on the ground at the time they did not have books and pens.
“Sometimes there were no writing materials unlike these days, we were conditioned to write on the compound and in the sun which irritated many but he would encourage us, especially his friends,” he said.

 While Oulanyah went to St Joseph’s College Layibi for his secondary education, Mr Acaye went to Gulu High School (a few kilometers apart) but  they kept sharing notes and other learning materials due to his (Oulanyah) emphasis.
 Mr Mathew Angel Oryem, the current deputy head teacher of the school, says it was only the outbreak of the pandemic and the eventual illness of the Speaker that sabotaged the plan to fundraise for the refurbishment of the school.

 “The OBs and OGs of the school (mobilised by the late), planned to fundraise to refurbish the school. We still have that plan, two weeks ago we had a meeting in the school and we are still trying to push for that plan,” he said.
 “His death is a big loss, it is not easy to carry on a programme. We cannot get another person like him, the way he would mobilise resources, the way he talked to people is different,” Mr Oryem added.
 Before his demise, Oulanyah reportedly had planned to build an administrative block at the school including a sanitary facility (changing room) for girls to promote girl-child education in the area and more teachers’ houses.

 District leaders react
The Omoro District chairman, Mr Douglas Peter Okello, also the chairperson of the local organising committee for the burial, said the death of the Speaker has left several gaps.
 Mr Okello said Oulanyah had started several projects for the people of Omoro, which the district and the community may not be able to complete.
 He cited plans to establish a radio and a television station at Lalogi Town to enable information sharing and communication among the communities. 

“He had a big vision and he believed in the power of communication and information sharing. That is why he came up with the idea of putting up the facilities in which the building was ready but now that becomes a dream because of his demise,” Mr Okello said. 
“ As the people and leaders of Omoro, we would like to appeal to President Museveni and the government (ICT Ministry and UCC) to intervene and help achieve this vision,” Mr Okello said.
 Mr Okello also said the late Speaker sponsored more than 200 students in various learning institutions around the country.

 This publication established that the ‘Dano Pa Dano’ Foundation he initiated ran a revolving fund of nearly Shs3 billion which the people of Omoro District utilised as a startup for various microbusinesses with emphasis on women.
“We want the Foundation to continue, we are calling upon the President and the Parliament not to let this die. We are also cognizant of the hundreds of learners whose fate now hangs in the balance because he is no more,” Mr Okello added.