By Solomon Hamala
IGANGA
Iganga Local Council Five Councilors have been advised to pass a council resolution permitting them to use Lusoga in deliberating council business.
The Chief Magistrate Iganga, Zulaika Nanteza gave the advice on Tuesday 18th May 21, 2021 while conducting the swearing of LCV Councilors of Iganga district.
Nanteza was prompted to make the call after majority of the councilors fumbled with the Queen’s language as they took oaths of office.
Indeed there was drama as councilors failed to clearly pronounce spellings of words while being sworn into office.
Crowds of people that had turned up to witness the swearing in ceremony burst into laughter after most councilors failed to pronounce words correctly written on a paper.
However locals who had turned up to witness the swearing in ceremony were left wondering as to how council will be conducted yet majority of councilors cannot read and write.
The process that should have lasted for less than thirty minutes took over three hours as the district councilors labored to put right the spellings of words on the oath as a requirement to be eligible to serve in office.
The swearing in ceremony held at Iganga district headquarters conducted by Nanteza was scheduled to be concluded by 4 PM but went into the night hours after the councilors failed to pronounce words correctly besides writing names of people contesting for the position of speaker wrongly.
Voting had to be conducted three times after councilors wrote wrongly names of people contesting for the position of Speaker Bugiri District Local Government.
Nanteza had to come in to offer help to councilors who could not write correctly stretching the process to 8 PM.
Joseph Basoga a hawker said most of the councilors who cannot write and speak English will only come to council to sleep and wait to sign their sitting allowances.
Bernard Mpungu later won the tight race by 19 votes against those of his rival who got 10.
Ruth Namkima, a Female Workers Councilor was elected Deputy Speaker after beating Rose Nabirye by 23 votes against 6.
Meanwhile, shortly after being sworn into office, the LC 5 chairman Iganga, Ezra Gabula promised to lobby for an increment in sitting allowances of councilors from the current Shs98,000 to at least Shs400,000.
He said the current sitting allowances are very low compared to other districts yet the councilors spend a lot in terms of attending burial ceremonies in their areas besides offering assistance to the needy members of the electorates.
Gabula also promised to lobby funds towards renovation of health centers in a dilapidated form in the district in a bid to improve health services.
He later appointed Male Workers Councilor, Ali Mukacha as the vice chairperson, Suzan Namukobe female councilor for Nabitende Sub County as the secretary finance, Shafiq Kalama as secretary social services, while Lydia Tokola took the position of secretary production.
The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Iganga, Thomas Matende urged politicians in Busoga sub region to desist from infighting in order to realize meaningful development in their areas.
