Former Leader of Opposition Latigo Hints at Northern Secession over Age Limit Debate

The former Leader of Opposition, Prof. Morris Ogenga Latigo has hinted on formation of the Nile Republic.

Professor Latigo who is the MP of Agago North told the media shortly after anti-age limit amendment MPs walked out of Parliament chambers on Monday, that the day’s debate had been characterized by a total ban on Parliament’s Rules of Procedure with the major interest of only passing the Bill.

Latigo told journalists that Members of Parliament from the North are particularly saddened that in the process of amending the constitution, the approach that has been taken is not one to sustain them as a people.

“No body brought us to this country and so if anybody deludes him or herself that they own the country and all of us, then there is something coming,” clearly unhappy Prof. Latigo said.

“After 2016 general elections, it was said that everything was fine except the people from the North,” Latigo said adding that he and DP Party President Norbert Mao had appeared on separate radio stations and the statements they made shared a lot in common as if they had consulted each other.

“The statement was that we were not dying to be Ugandans. Our point was very simple; that if you don’t respect what binds us together, then respect my right to decide what to do.”

The Professor said there was need for the people from the North to secede from Uganda over the manner in which a committee report on age limit Bill was presented before Parliament.

Latigo said that Parliament as well as the Constitution don’t belong to NRM but the people of Uganda whose rights must be respected.

“We would not be struggling now if the gov’t had ensured comprehensive amendment of the constitution, but they chose to use an individual whose record is suspect,” Prof. Latigo explained.

He revealed that members (from the North) shall reject what is happening adding that they now know where they belong.

“After many years of conflict, the only thing that is sustaining us people from the North is fair play. We shall do what it takes to ensure that the interests of our people are addressed,” he said.

It is not the first time that hints to formation of a Nile Republic are made.

In 2013, MPs from Acholi region began a process to collect signatures to support a secession from the rest of Uganda.

Then Kitgum Woman MP, Beatrice Anywar said that much as fragmentation of the country was not desirable, Northern Uganda had been marginalised to the extreme.

The MPs said that the northern part of Uganda was ignored even in its recovery from a 20-year long war.