The Otuke District Woman Member of Parliament, Susan Jolly Abeja, has defended her decision to exit the Lango Parliamentary Group (LPG) WhatsApp platform, citing what she described as an unfair distribution of agricultural seeds across the Lango Sub-region that left her district with the smallest allocation.
Abeja said her decision was prompted by Otuke’s allocation of only 5,000 kilogrammes of maize, which she argued was inadequate compared to other districts and deprived farmers of an opportunity to benefit from the government-supported planting programme. She maintained that her action was a protest against what she termed an imbalance in the distribution rather than a withdrawal from the regional parliamentary caucus.
The legislator clarified that she remains a member of the Lango Parliamentary Group but said she was deeply disappointed by the allocation. She added that she would only fully operate under the group’s leadership if Otuke’s allocation is increased to 35,000 kilogrammes, saying this would place the district on a more equitable footing with others in the sub-region.
The seeds in question are part of a government intervention being distributed through the Office of the Prime Minister to support agricultural production and improve household livelihoods across the Lango Sub-region ahead of the planting season.
Responding to the concerns, LPG Chairperson and Oyam South Member of Parliament Patrick Ogwang Obura said many legislators are still in their respective constituencies, making it difficult to obtain all the facts immediately.
He emphasised the importance of unity within the parliamentary group, noting that members with grievances should openly present them through the structures provided by the LPG constitution. He said the group’s constitution clearly outlines mechanisms for resolving disputes and misunderstandings amicably.
According to the Lango Sub-region seed allocation schedule, a total of 487,000 kilogrammes of seeds have been distributed across the region. Oyam District received the largest allocation of 129,500 kilogrammes, followed by Lira City with 83,500 kilogrammes, Lira District with 79,000 kilogrammes, Apac with 49,000 kilogrammes, Dokolo with 41,000 kilogrammes, Kole and Alebtong with 35,000 kilogrammes each, Amolatar and Kwania with 15,000 kilogrammes each, while Otuke received 5,000 kilogrammes.
The overall distribution comprises 405,000 kilogrammes of maize, 1,000 kilogrammes of sesame, 41,000 kilogrammes of soyabean, 5,000 kilogrammes of beans, 30,000 kilogrammes of rice, 4,000 kilogrammes of groundnuts and 1,000 kilogrammes of sunflower seeds.