Prof. Openjuru George Ladaah, the Gulu University Vice-Chancellor, and his technical officers have 21 days effective from November, 2nd 2023 to report to the Ministry of Education and Sports on the checklist they have been given to be ticked immediately to restore Government hope in them that they are moving in the direction which would see the Gulu Central Forest Reserve in Laroo-Pece in Gulu City degazetted for expansion of the University as earlier directed by President Yoweri Museveni Kaguta after attending their 15th Graduation in January 2020.
The checklist the Government wants handled urgently by the University authority includes, a Gulu City Council Resolution supporting the degazettement, a Nwoya Council Resolution allowing Gulu University’s 500-acre land to be turned into a Forest Reserve, an Environmental Impact Social Assessment Report (EIA) in the Nwoya land and the forest reserve and change of lease land tenure to freehold of the Nwoya Land in the name of National Forestry Authority to complete the swap for the Central Forest Reserve Land in Gulu City that would also be in the name of Gulu University.
The urgent need for these requirements was made known to Gulu University officials in a meeting chaired by Denis Hamson Obua, the Government Chief Whip on November 2nd, 2023 in his office at Parliament.
Obua told the University delegation led by Obol David Otori, the University Secretary that the Government urgently wants to conclude the degazettement of the Central Forest Reserve in the interest and wisdom of President Yoweri Museveni Kaguta and urged the University to expedite the process by giving updated position on the progress within 21 days.
Ogwang Peter, the State Minister of Sports who represented the Ministry of Education and Sports said that at worst early 2024 should get Gulu University with the land title of the Forest Reserve to allow the institution to expand and attract other developments.
He added that his office is waiting for Gulu University to report whatever progress they would have made within the time frame the meeting has given and volunteered to whip the University on the matter.
Anywar-Beatrice, the State Minister of Environment who attended the meeting with Tom Obong Okello, the Executive Director of the National Forestry Authority told the meeting that the Ministry of Water and Environment has no objection with the presidential directive provided the University complies with the requirement for degazettement.
Ojara Martin Mapenduzi, the Member of Parliament for Layibi-Bardege who raised the motion seeking parliament to degazette the said Reserve in 2021 when the Late Jacob Oulanya was still the Speaker told the meeting that the Government has already invested in parts of the area under discussion and they knew this process would be done in the near future.
Obol David Otori the University Secretary who led the University delegation promised to work hard and make some headways on the checklist as demanded by the officials.
Gulu University already has multi-billion Permanent infrastructures in parts of the Central Forest Reserve and they include the Faculty of Agriculture and Environment block, New-Library, the Multifunctional Research Laboratories, the Faculty of Medicine, and an ongoing construction of the Business and Development Centre among others.
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