By Andrew Cohen Amvesi
ARUA
The fight over supremacy between the two embattled Chiefs of Ayivu, Mike Agondoa and Manase Amuku Yuma is far from over.
The fight started some two years ago when clan leaders elected Yuma as the Chief of Ayivu people in the Lugbara Chiefdom, a position Agondoa has been holding for more than ten years.
Aggrieved of the decision, Agondoa said Yuma’s election was politically motivated and vowed not to vacate the seat for him.
Since then, Ayivu people got divided into two with a section paying allegiance to Yuma’s leadership in Onduparaka while others remained following Agondoa whose government sits in Anyafio, a suburb of Arua City.
The situation worsened on April 28, 2024 when the Chiefs of Terego, Vurra and Maracha sat to elect Yuma as the new Paramount Chief (Agofe) of the Lugbara Cultural Institution (Lugbara Kari).
Yuma’s election to replace His Highness Nason Avutia who died in January 2023 has sparked fire from Agondoa who has now vowed never to recognize the former civil servant at all.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday May 1, 2024, Agondoa said Yuma’s election as the Paramount Chief of the Lugbara people was totally illegal.
Agondoa went ahead threatening not to allow Yuma and Lugbara Kari officials to conduct any business in his area of jurisdiction.
“That declaration of Yuma as the new Paramount Chief is totally illegal and we are not going to accept it. You cannot come from nowhere to become a Paramount Chief, no! I think they just wasted their time and we are not going to accept that, and we are not going to give them even chance to operate within our area here within Ayivu County and Arua City,” Agondoa warned.
He added that: “If they want to play their games, let them go and play elsewhere but not here in Arua. There are ways to culturally become a leader of people like a Paramount Chief but not through such shortcuts. First of all, they didn’t invite me as the Chief of Ayivu people and for that reason, how do you say that Yuma is my Paramount Chief, from where?”
Agondoa urged the people of Ayivu to remain calm and forget about the Kangaroo manner in which Yuma was elected as the said Paramount Chief of Lugbara.
But when contacted, Yuma maintained that on the problem of the Chief of Ayivu, there was election done and presided over by officials of Lugbara Kari where his brother, Agondoa was around.
“He (Agondoa) got 2 votes while I got 57 votes of the clan leaders. So, I don’t see any reason why he should argue. If he disagrees, it is up to him. Before me, he was elected as chairman of elders’ association for Ayivu. He has problems with politicians and the case is in court, he had a problem with officials of Lugbara Kari but for me Yuma alone, I have no problem with him,” Yuma said.
“Our difference is too big. I have been an administrator, I have never come as a Chief or Paramount Chief on my own, it is people who said please Yuma, you come and help us. I have helped the people of Ayivu and I will continue to help the people of Ayivu even in my new capacity as the Paramount Chief of Lugbara until they get a new Chief to replace me in Ayivu. It will not be between me Yuma and Agondoa but it will be the people of Ayivu to decide who should become their new Chief to replace me,” Yuma added.
Yuma, however, noted that Agondoa has no right to stop Lugbara Kari from conducting business in Ayivu since he has no territory and besides, Ayivu or Arua city doesn’t belong to him.
Relatedly, Ismail Tuku, the Lugbara Kari Prime Minister confirmed that all due processes were followed during the election of Yuma right from the level of being a Chief to now the Paramount Chief.
