12 out of the 28 Gulu district LC V councilors have signed a petition to remove the LC V Chairperson, Christopher Opiyo Ateker from office because of incompetence, abuse of office, and misconduct.
Led by Samuel Baker Mwaka, the Patiko Sub County LC V Councilor, the petitioners wrote a petition to the speaker on March 13, 2023.
‘’As provided by standard rule of procedures for local government council in Uganda rule number (19), the local government act cap 243 section 14, (2). We write to notify your office to consider the above motion that intends to pass a resolution of the council to remove the district chairperson on the grounds set below,' reads part of the petition.
Other signatories include Grace Aciro of Bungatira Sub County, Bosco Oryema of Paibona, Teddy Luwar of PWD in Gulu district, Stella Lalam of Awach/Pukony, and Irene Lamwaka of Palaro among others. They claim that the LC V chairperson has failed to abide by the law in his operations and failed to recognize section 35 (1) when relocating the district headquarters to the Awach sub-county, which required effective planning.
The councilors also accuse Ateker of assuming the mandate of the councilors, intimidating them in relation to service delivery in the district, practicing dictatorship, and undermining the relevance and values of the council.
Phoebe Ayoo, the speaker of Gulu district has confirmed receipt of the petition, saying that the matter will come for hearing in the next council meeting.
Ateker has dismissed the allegations leveled against him. Ateker, who ran on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party ticket beat Justine Simpleman of the Democratic Party (DP), and John Okwonga of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in the last election.