Prime Minister Ogwal Oyee appointed interim Lango Chief
Ogwal and wife after the enronthment as clan chief of Inomo clan in Lira City
By Emmanuel Opeto
The Council of Owitong (clan leaders) of the Lango Cultural Foundation (LCF) has appointed Prime Minister Frederick Ogwal Oyee as interim head of the institution following the death of Paramount Chief Won Nyaci Yosam Odur Ebii.
During a Special General Assembly held on Tuesday at Senior Quarters ‘A’ in Lira City EastDivision, Lira City, the council officially declared the office of Won Nyaci vacant, a day after the chief’s passing on Monday, November 10, at Lira University Teaching Hospital.
In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, the council cited Article 8(2) of the Lango CulturalFoundation Constitution (2017), designating Prime Minister Ogwal Oyee to lead the institution for a period not exceeding one year as preparations begin for the election of a new Paramount Chief.
“Pursuant to Article 8 clause (2) of the Constitution of the Lango Cultural Foundation 2017, Prime Minister Ogwal Oyee, the current Prime Minister, shall head the institution for a period not exceeding one year while the Electoral Commission of LCF organizes the election of the new Paramount Chief,”
the council stated.
According to the resolution, the late Odur, aged 99, will be laid to rest on November 22 at his ancestral home in Teboke, Apac District.
The council also announced a mourning period from November 11 to November 22, urging the Lango people, both at home and abroad, to observe dignity and discipline during this solemn time.
The statement, signed by Dr. Laury Ocen, Speaker of the Council and a lecturer at Lira University, together with Anthony Ayo, reaffirmed that the process of selecting and enthroning a new Paramount Chief will strictly adhere to the procedures and timelines provided in the 2017 Constitution.
“No individual or group has the mandate to usurp, manipulate, or preempt this constitutional process,”
the statement emphasized.
However, divisions within Lango’s cultural leadership resurfaced after Eng. Dr. MichealOdongo Okune, who heads a rival faction known as the Lango Cultural Institution, declared seven days of mourning and proposed that the late chief’s body be taken to the Lango Cultural Centre for a final eulogy.
The LCF spokesperson, Jacob Ocen, dismissed these announcements, saying they hold no legitimacy within the recognized framework of the Lango Cultural Foundation.
Won Nyaci Odur Ebii was elected and enthroned in 2003, but persistent leadership disputes later split Lango’s traditional leadership into two factions — one led by Odur under the Lango Cultural Foundation, and the other by Odongo Okune under the Lango Cultural Institution.
As the Lango community mourns the passing of its long-serving cultural leader, the council has called for unity, patience, and respect for due process as the institution prepares to elect a new Paramount Chief.
