We are still mourning late Abiriga, now mafias want to kill another of our own -West Nile MPs cry to security agencies

A section of MPs from the West Nile region have backed State Minister for Investment and Privatisation, Evelyn Anite’s stance on Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) saga, stating that they will resign their positions in the 10th Parliament and agitate for a breakaway from the rest of Uganda if the ‘mafias’ don’t stop threatening her life as she alleged on Monday morning during a press conference.

The MPs from the same region as Anite said they and their voters were still mourning the murder of former Arua Minicipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga who was gunned down by assailants last year in Matuga, Wakiso district on his way home. Like the late Abiriga, Anite belongs to the NRM party.

“As MPs for West Nile region, we demand an explanation from government on the threats on Anite’s life. Government pronounces itself on Anite’s security and the anxious people of West Nile of her safety. Government formally communicates to the country on the state of affairs at UTL and status of UTL assets,” Songa said on Tuesday while addressing the media at parliament on behalf of the MPs from the same region.

The MPs from the 11 districts that make up the West Nile region were led by Lawrence Songa (Ora County). Others were Rose Ayaka (Maracha Woman MP), Denis Lee Oguzu (Maracha East), Alioni Yorke Odria (Aringa South) and Jane Avur Pacuto (Pakwach Woman) among others. They  tabled a number of demands they want government to address, saying the region is still haunted by the death of former Arua Municipality MP Abiriga.

The lawmakers also tasked government to guarantee that no Ugandan irrespective of their tribe and affiliation should be vindicated while performing their duties including demanding accountability.

They also called on the Ministry of ICT, Uganda Communications Commission and Police to investigate and come with a report on allegations of Anite’s phone tapping, poisoning threats and trailing.

The lawmakers said that they are eagerly waiting for government’s lasting solution to the UTL saga, with calls to have the matter settled to ensure all Ugandans live in harmony.

Alioni said that they are in possession of information and data which proves that there is corruption taking place at UTL and called on Ugandans to applaud Anite instead of mocking her efforts to fight corruption.

“Anite deserves credit however much she is in the system, she always stands out what is right. She doesn’t protect the wrong things. So her coming out to pronounce herself on issues going wrong at UTL doesn’t call for threats to her life. This time anything to happen to Anite, we shall all resign from this Parliament go back to West Nile, pick our people, leave this country and see how we shall live in this country,” he said.

Other MPs described Anite who is also Koboko Municipality MP, as a mother to many people in West Nile and that she has been key for West Nile’s development.

On Monday Minister Anite alleged that there was a clique of mafias in the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government that wants to finish her off for her stance on having the financially crippled UTL audited so as to establish its current status.

“They have held meetings in various places in Kampala. They have recruited people to trail me. They have got printouts of my telephone conversations. When I die, there should be no postmortem,” she told astonished journalists at the Ministry of Finance headquarters.