In a bold and principled stand against what she describes as blatant discrimination, the Otuke District Woman Member of Parliament, Susan Jolly Abeja, has made waves by exiting the Lango Parliamentary Group digital communication hub. This move is far more than a simple exit from a chat room; it is a powerful protest against a distribution system that has left the hardworking farmers of Otuke with nothing but the scraps of a regional agricultural bounty. MP Abeja is sounding the alarm on a distribution model that awarded her district a mere 5,000 kilograms of maize while other areas received over twenty times that amount.
The legislator is making it clear that she is not abandoning her colleagues in the regional caucus, but she refuses to remain silent in a space where inequality is allowed to persist. Her demand is simple and just: the allocation for Otuke must be increased to at least 35,000 kilograms to ensure her district can stand on equal footing with its neighbors. She insists that until this gross imbalance is corrected and her constituents are treated with the respect they deserve, her participation in the group leadership activities will remain suspended.
These seeds, provided through the Office of the Prime Minister, are meant to be a vital lifeline for families across the Lango Sub-region. They are intended to boost food security, improve household livelihoods, and empower farmers as the planting season begins. However, the current figures paint a troubling picture of favoritism and neglect. Out of a total regional pool of 487,000 kilograms, Oyam District was granted a massive 129,500 kilograms, while Lira City and Lira District received 83,500 and 79,000 kilograms respectively. Even districts like Kole and Alebtong were assigned 35,000 kilograms each, leaving Otuke’s tiny portion looking like an afterthought.
In response to the controversy, the LPG Chairperson, Patrick Ogwang Obura, has called for unity and urged members to resolve their grievances through official internal channels. He noted that the group’s constitution provides a framework for handling such disputes. However, for MP Abeja, the urgency of the planting season means that the people of Otuke cannot afford to wait for slow-moving bureaucracy. She believes that the farmers she represents deserve more than just calls for unity; they deserve their fair share of the national resources.
The overall seed distribution includes essential crops like soybean, beans, rice, groundnuts, and sunflowers. With the future of local agriculture on the line, Susan Jolly Abeja’s protest serves as a wake-up call for leaders to ensure that government support is distributed with transparency and fairness. By taking this stand, she is ensuring that the voices of Otuke’s farmers are heard loud and clear, demanding a future where no community is left to struggle while others flourish.