Gen. Charles Otema Awany, the Commander of the UPDF Reserve Forces has taken a Wealth Creation Mobilisation tour in Pece-Laroo Division in Gulu City having done the same in Bardege-Laybi division last year where many people believed he was harboring political ambition for Bardege-Layibi Division MP seat currently occupied by Ojara Martin Mapenduzi who signed an MOU with the NRM party recently.
To this, he officially announced during this tour that he would not be contesting against Ojara Martin Mapenduzi since Ojara is officially in the National Resistance Movement, and he can now lobby for his people directly by being in the NRM.
Gen. Otema started his Laroo-Pece Division Wealth creation tour on Monday,17th February 2025 from Pageya and Kal and covering Aywee, Tegwana, Labourline wards, and on Tuesday covered Laliya, Iriaga, Pageya-Laroo wards among others. During the tour, he gave out over UGX 100 million to over 700 village microfinance saving groups in this division to support their stake in microfinance development in revolving funds management common in Acoli, known as Bolicup
Gen. Otema who on the first day moved with Lakony Michael the Amuru LCV chairperson who recently defected to NRM and Otim Geoffrey the Laroo-Pece Division mayor on the Democratic Party ticket and accompanied by many opposition councilors in the division said wealth creation has no party and its the government to be lobbied hence leaders should abandon their differences to support their people.
Gen.Otema also told the people that he was involved in the fighting of the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) physically as a soldier and now that there are peace and worrying statistics on poverty in Northern Uganda, he is actively joining the fight against poverty using all tactics including the tour.
During the tour, Gen. Otema was also attending to issues relating to public service deliveries in these areas including electricity, water scarcity, and bad road challenges among others.
On electricity and water connection challenges in some of the wards in the city. Gen. Otema told the people in Pece-Laroo that he has engaged with officials from the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) and the National Water and Sewages Cooperation to see that some of these challenges are fixed within the city.
As he did in Bardege-Layibi Division, Otema promised to get a bulldozer Caterpillar and called upon Laroo-Division to provide fuel so that grading work could start on some of the roads when rain falls.
When in Laliya ward Gen. Otema also promised to support the construction of Daudi and Jildo Chapel with 100 iron sheets and over 50 bags of cement.
The Opposition councilors in Laroo-Pece Division led by their Chief whip Nono Denis (FDC) said they are willing to support Gen. Otema on wealth creation and mobilising the people to come out of poverty.
In his tour, he moved with the Mayor Laroo-Pece Division, Otim Geoffrey (DP), and Deputy RCC Peter Banya, and visited most of the wards represented by Opposition councilors in the division supporting all groups under their wards.
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