Well put, I thought you were an oil policy analyst, now your level of anthropology is baffling. Kudos
Sent from my iPhone On Jul 21, 2013, at 7:28 AM, Angelo Izama <izama.ang...@gmail.com> wrote: > Good people, > > Some of you may recognize that my name Angelo > Opi-aiya Izama is similar to that of Angelo Adalla Izama, the late paramount > chief of Madi. The late Izama is my grandfather and I think my middle name > Opiaiya - refers to the scattering of that authority or put it differently > responsibility. > > Am aware of the renewed interest in redefining cultural meaning of > traditional institutions driven mainly, in my view, by elite accommodation of > the recent politics of political patronage. There is nothing wrong with this. > Political organisations by their nature are opportunistic and if there are > some who argue that creating a Kingdom status for the Lugbara has advantages- > well, they should be allowed to make their argument. > > It has however to be an intellectually honest process. West Nile's > egalitarian nature what has been described by Ambassador Harold Acemah as > institutionalized traditional republicanism has always for me been a higher > calling than some of the pretensions to European style monarchy that go on in > Central and South Central Uganda. > > Opi boronji ( or the sons of chiefs) as is my humble heritage was not a > status that needed pampering by anyone but was a call to service as the > historiography attests. In Ma'adi cultural tradition where the Opi and the > Ojoo are summoned to constitute structures of need during crisis - its done > so that there is leadership never as an imposition of rule as some have > suggested. There is something special about this system that places a premium > on responsibility and not entitlement, on power deriving from authority and > that authority itself based on a position of responsibility. > > I have two arguments to make here. Firstly to the claim that political > institutions are flexible. Its true that colonialism and before it ethnic > intercourse restructured political institutions over time. But luckily today > and with hindsight, political institutions that are culturally relevant can > be arrived at by deliberation and by choice. > > Secondly a society for cultural heritage and revival can be political. > Politics is about constituency. What we should be careful about is to > resurrect , through creative interpretations of history, institutions that > are not anchored on the value that our societies in West Nile have placed on > the freedom and independence ( and responsibility) of individuals. > > I have offered the same advice to my friends in Buganda who are trapped in > the institutions of the past ( hard power institutions based on the near > absolute power of the Kabaka) and failed to transition into today's times. > Cultural soft power is malleable to politics yes but it is a different > perhaps more humane, intelligent form of institutional formation. > > best wishes > > Angelo Opi-aiya Izama > > > > > > On Sun, Jul 21, 2013 at 12:59 AM, Charles Male <cdm...@gmail.com> wrote: >> For those who haven't seen it here is Acemah's article published in >> the Monitor (June 20, 2013). >> >> >> http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/Quest-for-Lugbara-chiefdom-is-nothing/-/689364/1891142/-/oe9392/-/index.html >> >> ++++++ >> >> Today, your columnist has decided to go native, for once; after all, >> charity begins at home, but should extend beyond home and end >> elsewhere. >> >> My attention has been drawn to an article published in the Saturday >> Monitor of June 1, 2013 titled, “Lugbara recognition for chiefdom”. >> According to the article by Clement Aluma, the quest for Lugbara Kari >> (chiefdom) to be recognised like other cultural institutions in the >> country is gaining momentum. >> >> Several meetings have allegedly taken place between the line ministry >> and a Lugbara council of elders to discuss the matter and the >> spokesman of the Lugbara Kari, Haruna Ndema, told the Saturday Monitor >> that they were awaiting government’s response. >> >> The article ends by lamenting that, “several correspondences between >> State House and the cultural institution, seen by the Saturday Monitor >> show that attempts by the leaders to meet President Museveni have all >> failed”. >> >> Contrary to the allegation that the quest for the recognition of a >> Lugbara cultural institution is gaining momentum, this was the first >> time yours truly and many others whom he randomly sampled had learnt >> of the existence of a Lugbara chiefdom! >> >> The quest for a Lugbara chiefdom could be an attempt to take advantage >> of Article 246, Section 3 and sub- section 6 of the Constitution of >> Uganda which defines a cultural or traditional leader such as the >> Kabaka of Buganda and the Omukama of Bunyoro as follows: >> >> ‘For the purposes of this article, “traditional leader or cultural >> leader” means a king or similar traditional leader or cultural leader >> by whatever name called, who derives allegiance from the fact of birth >> or descent in accordance with the customs, traditions, usage or >> consent of the people led by that traditional or cultural leader’. >> >> Against this background, I was amazed by the demand made by some >> elders for recognition of an institution which does not exist and has, >> in fact, never existed since time immemorial. >> In this regard, I welcome the silence of those who have assiduously >> and vigorously promoted the fragmentation of Uganda into small and >> worthless cultural and administrative entities to suit their grand >> design to divide and rule Uganda in perpetuity. >> >> I hope and pray they continue to turn a blind eye to the quest for a >> Lugbara chiefdom which will add no value to the wananchi of the West >> Nile region. We must resist the temptation to dance to a conjurer’s >> tune whose lyrics we do not comprehend. >> >> According to one of the foremost authorities on the Lugbara of Uganda, >> John Middleton, the Lugbara are what anthropologists call a segmentary >> society who have no central authority. >> >> In his book, Tribes Without Rulers: Studies in African Segmentary >> Systems, John Middleton argues that the Lugbara, whose ancestors are >> the Madi, were traditionally a segmentary people and occupy parts of >> northwestern Uganda and the Orientale province of DR Congo. They had >> no traditional chiefs; the county or saza chiefs were created by the >> British colonial authorities to help them rule the natives and >> administer then West Nile district. >> >> The Lugbara believed that all men are born equal and are created by >> God with similar rights and responsibilities. We had clan heads who >> were chosen on merit by the elders to act as spokesmen in times of >> need and were not hereditary. >> >> Honesty, integrity and hard work were and still are the cherished >> traditional values of the Lugbara. >> >> Why would anybody wish to abandon such an egalitarian and republican >> system in favour of a system which promotes inequality, class >> formation and is moreover not based on meritocracy? I hope the people >> of West Nile will, in their wisdom, not accept such a move. >> I am advised that Mr Jason Avutia, a former tutor at Arua Teachers >> Training College, is the interim “Agofe” or paramount chief of the >> Lugbara, while Mr Haruna Ndema is the interim prime minister. >> >> My humble and honest advice to all who are agitating for the >> recognition of a non- existent cultural institution is to stop the >> process because the vast majority of the Lugbara people of Uganda do >> not need a chiefdom or a kingdom! >> >> Let us instead promote unity in diversity in West Nile, in greater >> North and ultimately the whole of Uganda. We respect the desire of >> those Ugandans who have opted to revive or establish kingdoms or >> chiefdoms. >> >> I believe we can all coexist peacefully and happily in a united and >> prosperous Uganda. May the Lord have mercy! >> >> Mr Acemah is a political scientist, consultant and a retired career diplomat. >> >> hace...@gmail.com >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On 7/20/13, samuel andema <andema...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: >> > Dear Caleb, >> > >> > Thank you for inviting us to respond to this very important subject >> > regarding the institution of Agofe among the Lugbara. Unfortunately, I seem >> > not to have read the articles by my elder brothers Mr. Acema and >> > Hon. Dr. Okuonzi or if I did, I never paid much attention to them to be >> > able >> > to respond to the specific arguments they have made. I will therefore limit >> > my response to their two claims that you have alluded to, namely: 1) that >> > those seeking Agofe are self seekers, 2) that the Lugbara were egalitarian >> > and believed in equality. >> > >> > In the first place the claim that those seeking Agofe are self seekers >> > without providing sufficient evidence is disrespectful to people like Mzee >> > Jason Avutia (Chairman, Lugbara Elders' Association) who played crucial >> > role >> > in averting a potentially serious armed conflict between National >> > Resistance >> > Army (NRA) and the soldiers who had retreated to West Nile and regrouped to >> > resist the NRA under the leadership of Brigadier Go Wilson Toko. The >> > soldiers were itching to fight but when Toko convened a meeting with >> > the elders from Arua District to seek their approval and blessing a war >> > against the advancing NRA, they insisted that war was not the best option. >> > Instead the elders offered to go to the front line with white flags >> > to negotiate a peaceful entry of NRA into West Nile. As a result NRA >> > entered >> > West Nile without a single bullet which saved us from bloodshed and >> > destruction of property. Had the elders not intervened and had Toko not >> > listened >> > to their wise counsel, our situation would have been worst than the >> > suffering that the people of Gulu have endured for decades. >> > >> > It was against such a background that the need for a more structured >> > cultural institution among Lugbara elders arose to facilitate coordination >> > and mobilization to respond to common challenges and threats. It is >> > important to appreciate the historical context in which Agofe evolved to >> > constructively discuss its merits and demerits. This is not to say that >> > there can be no self seekers in such an organization. Definitely like any >> > organization there will always be some individuals who would want to take >> > advantage of such an institution to advance their selfish interests at the >> > expense of a common good. With time such self seekers and their selfish >> > schemes will be exposed. In my view, the question should be how we as young >> > people can build on what the elders have done but not to tear it down for >> > equally selfish reasons. We should be discussing how we can make the Agofe >> > more democratic, transparent, and all inclusive. The constitution of Uganda >> > recognizes cultural institutions as legitimate institutions to play >> > complementary roles in promoting unity and service delivery. The Agofe can >> > play an important role in resolving conflicts and fostering unity, >> > preserving our institution memory through artifacts, promoting our cultural >> > identity, promoting tourism, developing language etc. >> > >> > While I agree with Acema and Okuonzi that the Lugbara were generally viewed >> > as an egalitarian society by the dawn of colonialism, I do not subscribe to >> > the notion that social formation among the Lugbara communities was static >> > and the institutions of leadership would not have grown beyond clans. In >> > fact to the contrary, colonialism came in as a disruption to state >> > formation among communities of West Nile as Ahluwalia (1995) and Leopold >> > (2005) accurately describe in their books entitled "Plantation and the >> > Politics of Sugar in Uganda" and "Inside West Nile" respectively which I >> > encourage those interested in the history of our people to read. Copies of >> > these books can be found in Aristock Bookshop in Kampala. Our challenge is >> > that we have a poor reading culture which limits our ability to objectively >> > examine documentary evidence to make plausible arguments. >> > >> > I would like to conclude by suggesting that the executive of this forum >> > should consider organizing an event in form of a workshop or a conference >> > in >> > which people with strong views about the notion of Agofe can be invited to >> > present alternative views based on research evidence. I would be willing to >> > offer my own perspective to the discussions. >> > >> > Thanks. >> > >> > Sam >> > >> > >> > >> > Subject: [WestNileNet] Do the Lugbara need a traditional Chief >> > >> > >> > Some time ago, Ambassador Achema Harold, opined in one of the dailies that >> > those seeking Agofe are self seekers, that the Lugbara were egalitarian and >> > believed in equality. Hon Dr. Okuonzi MP Vura rebutted the same, and >> > supported the idea, it is not the most pressing issue we have, Sam Andema >> > and father Ruffino and others what is your take on this matter. >> > >> > Sent from my iPhone >> > _______________________________________________ >> > WestNileNet mailing list >> > WestNileNet@kym.net >> > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >> > >> > WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >> > >> > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >> > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any >> > way. >> > _______________________________________________ >> _______________________________________________ >> WestNileNet mailing list >> WestNileNet@kym.net >> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >> >> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >> >> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >> attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. >> _______________________________________________ > > > > -- > Angelo Izama > > Writer, journalist, analyst, consultant > > +256 712 666 999 > > angeloizama.com > > Skype: opiaiya > Twitter: @opiaiya > aiz...@stanford.edu > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > WestNileNet@kym.net > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. > _______________________________________________
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