The family of the first black Inspector General of Police(IGP) Lt Col Wilson Erinayo Oryema has pleaded with Annet Anita Among the Speaker of Parliament to use the ongoing parliamentary sitting in Northern Uganda to intervene and save the Estate of the deceased which is being fraudulently grabbed.
Led by Nancy Oryema, the granddaughter to the deceased, the fallen IGP’s family said that they have filed several complaints to police against the land grabbers including Ukrainian investor Maxim Shevchuk but nothing is being done.
“We petitioned the Office of the current IGP Abas Byakagaba for help because the tractors which were sent by Shevchuk to destroy our food destroyed the house we built on the land and almost demolished his grave,” Nancy said.
DJ Ochii the Assistant Resident District Commissioner Nwoya district where Lt Col Oryema was buried confirmed to theGrapevine that the family has filed a complaint with police against Shevchuk and he was summoned to record a statement over the allegations against him.
He explained that Shevchuk is accused of destroying with impunity the crops of the complainants using tractors which the complainants claim were from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.
He confirmed that the district security committee sat at Purongo, Kilak County where the contested land is located to verify and examine the crops destroyed and damage caused.
However, the family claims that the Ukrainian investor is being supported by top government officials from Acholi who have interest in the land and it is the reason why he is using armed men in UPDF uniform and Uganda police to torture them with impunity.
The family also claims that local leaders told them that they will not win against the investor because he is supported by government who want him to use their land to grow food which is going to be taken to his home country to feed the troubled people who have be ravaged by the war with Russia.
The family insists that some top government leaders from Acholi are fronting a one Beatrice Oryema who is not known by the family to harass them and fuel their illegal eviction.
Nancy claims that her workers on the farm are receiving threatening messages of being kidnapped or killed and they have filed a number of complaints to police but they haven’t yet received any help.
She wants the Speaker to force police leadership to explain who authorized the deployment of Cp Onagi and PC Onenchan on their land because they are commanding the force that the investor is using to destroy their crops and properties.
theGrapevine has established that the grave of the former IGP is being protected by tourists police commandos deployed by former IGP Gen Edward Kale Kayihura.
Nancy narrated how they exchange bullets with the investor’s armed men who wanted to exhume the remains of their grandfather.
Nancy said that over 50 acres of soya beans, g-nuts and maize were destroyed by the investor.
She adds that if it was not for the double standards of the leaders in the area, they would have got justice because they have everything including documents which were left behind by their grandfather.
She re-counts how police have been arresting her workers on the farm but have failed to arrest Beatrice, the investor and their henchmen who are encroaching on their land comprising LRV 778, Folio 23 land at Purongo, Kilak County, Acholi, currently Nwoya district.
She pleaded with the speaker that since she met Gen Salim Saleh the head of Operation Wealth Creation this week, she should also visit their farmland to examine who lost their crops which were given to them by Gen Saleh to fight poverty in Acholi.
Nancy added that the Ukranian investor has also destroyed the farms of other investors from the United Kingdom and their complaints are not being attended to by police.
She further explains that other properties of her grandfather in other parts of the country including those in Kampala city, Gulu city have been also grabbed by big wings from Acholi who are using private guards from PSG private security in Gulu to deny them access to their properties.
Land is a security issue in Acholi and top government officials especially army generals, judges, ministers have been abusing their powers and fraudulently evicting locals from the land.
By Sengooba Alirabaki
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