Leaders in Amuru district have said they are open to giving land to Attiak Sugar factory, saying the owners of the factory undergoing construction in Attiak in Amuru district have used the right way to acquire land for their investment.
The leaders were speaking yesterday during a meeting at Gem village in Okidi parish, where local leaders from Acholi, the local community in Attiak were meeting the Dr Amina Hersi Moghe, the CEO Atiak sugar factory.
Michael Lakony, the newly elected Chairman of Amuru said at the meeting that local leaders will only consider investors who speak directly to the land owners.
“We are only ready to work with investors who come to the local people. Not through the government. We have seen the way Horyal Investment Holding Company Limited is doing and we are happy. We shall give them more land in Lakang,” Lakony said at the meeting organized by Horyal Investment Holding Company Limited, the company which owns the sugar factory.
Lakony criticized the Madhavani group, which is also interested in setting up a sugar factory in Amuru for using government to ‘forcefully’ ’acquire land in the district.
The new Amuru Chairman said he is ready to take Dr. Amina Hersi Moghe to Lakang for more land for her investment since she is working well with the community in Atiak.
He called upon the owners of Atiak Sugar factory to employ youth from Amuru.
Gilbert Olanya the Kilak County MP in Amuru District agreed with Lakony and called on land owners in Amuru to resist investors who want to grab their land.
Olanya condemned the burning of a part of the sugarcane plantation a few months ago saying it was because of a misunderstanding by a section of workers at the factory.
“If we get to know the workers who are burning the sugarcanes, we shall deal with them according to the law. We must thank investors who come directly to work with the community because they are the right ones,” Olanya said.
Acholi leaders have over the years maintained that they are not opposed to investors per se; the leaders say they are interested and ready to work with investors who deal directly with land owners instead of going through the government and other third parties.
Martin Oroma, the chairperson LC1 Pachilo village in Atiak Sub County called on the owners of Attiak Sugar Factory to support out growers who he said are 300 in number.
Dr. Amina Hersi Moghe, the CEO Atiak sugar factory while addressing the community of Atiak sub County said she plans to build a university and a hospital for the people of Amuru and northern Uganda.
“I am not looking at only the people of Atiak Sub County but the whole of Northern Uganda because I am setting up modern facilities here that will cut across many districts”, Amina said.
The factory seats on over 25,000 acres of land which was given by the family of John Omaya of Attiak in under a private arrangement.
Putting up the factory is expected to cost between 70-100 million dollars. Already 60 million dollars has been invested in the first phase of the company. The factory is expected to be commissioned in September 2016.
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Ci Acoli ma gitwero cakko gin ma kumeno dong peke? Pingo myero lurok aye gutim?
Kombeddi ngom en aye odoko lonyo ma pire tek i wilobo pien cam tye ka doko nok. Ilobo mogo ngom oballe woko ma pe gitwero pitto jami ci gimito pa dano. En mumiyo kitwero nongngo cuk me pwuro cam me acata bot wilobo ka tekke kin’yang cuk kadi World Food Program. Acoli myero pe gutuk ki ngom ma pwud odong i cinggi ni. Lutino Acoli ma tye woko ki matye gang ki nen kit me pokko ngom ma tye kaka ki kaka. Ka dano gupokke dul ki dul. Ngom moni ki bi pito iiye gin munyo ci kicato kamoni.