Drama unfolded when Mr Okul, who is currently serving in Khartoum as Charge d’ Affaires, stormed a meeting at the Lango Cultural Centre with his two bodyguards at around 1:37pm. One of the bodyguards was holding a green plastic chair.
Upon arrival, dozens of people stood up and surrounded Mr Okul, seemingly with intent to throw him out of the meeting which was being attended by Lango clan leaders and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) from Lango Sub-region.
The meeting was chaired by Otuke RDC, Mr George Abudul, and attended by Kole Woman MP, Ms Judith Alyek. It was intended to prepare delegates from Lango to participate in Ateker Festival scheduled to kick off Soroti City on November 26, 2024.
However, the initially calm-looking women and men turned chaotic as the presence of Mr Ogwang Okul, who was seated in front of them made them uncomfortable.
Elderly clan leaders started shouting, “he must go, Ogwang Okul must not be allowed to attend this meeting”. After a handful of peace-loving Lango sweet-talked him to respect the elders, Mr Ogwang Okul stood up and started walking away.
However, after walking about 10 metres away, he drew a pistol and attempted to fire it. But just as he held the trigger of the already cocked gun, seven armed police personnel pounced on him and wrestled him to the ground in effort to disarm him.
The officer successfully disarmed him after about five minutes of struggling.
He was immediately apprehended and taken to Lira Central Police Station for questing.
Ms Lillian Eyal, the RDC of Lira, said had it not been the intervention of the security personnel, “something stupid” could have occurred at Lango Cultural Centre on Sunday.
The incident comes weeks after the High Court in Lira blocked Lango Cultural Foundation (LCF) – a company limited by guarantee – and their agents from handing over the office of Won Nyaci (Paramount Chief of Lango) to Mr Ogwang Okul.
The court further restrained the LCF’s electoral commission from informing the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi Ongom, that Ogwang is the newly-elected Won Nyaci for the purpose of causing his name to be published in the gazette.
The October 28, 2024 verdict by Justice Phillip Odoki followed an application by Eng Dr Michael Odongo Okune, George Ojwang Opota and Willie Omodo Omodo against Denis Obia Acila, Benjamin Okii, Ogwang Okul, Dr Dan Okello, Dr Richard Nam, Dan Opito Odwee, and Dennis Jaramogi Okwir (respondents).
Who is Ambassador Ogwang Okul?
In 2018, the State Department of the United States of America asked him to return home over domestic violence. He asked to immediately pack his bags after he allegedly beat his wife.
Before being assigned to America in 2010, Mr Ogwang served as a Public Prosecutor at the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
He graduated at the top of his legal course while serving on active duty, grew up in extreme poverty as a rural boy in Ayer Sub-county in the present Kole District.
Mr Ogwang holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University, Kampala, Masters of Administrative Science – Diplomacy and International Relations from Farleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ, USA; a specialized Diploma in prosecutions and Diploma in laws from the Law Development Centre.
He has over 20 years of experience in national and international diplomacy.
He has been active in the national politics of Uganda; was involved in the 1993-94/95 Uganda constitution making processes as a student activist being the then president of Uganda National Student Association (UNSA).
From teenage years, Ambassador Ogwang taught his fellow students to avoid violent school strikes and demonstrations but showed them peaceful ways of negotiating issues with school authorities and boards to find amicable solutions.
Later in life, he became a champion of peace and conflict resolution becoming the First African to be certified as an International Conciliator by the Institute for Christian Conciliation, USA Inc.
