Tororo residents rubbish OWC boss Sylvia Owori in failed demo to grab their land

By Nathan Ngobi

Sylvia Owor Damalie, the director of Operation Wealth creation (OWC) faces fresh attacks from residents of Agururu B whose land she attempts to grab claiming it belonged to her late father George William Owor.

“Stop acts of racism, intimidation, thuggery, threatening violence and manipulation using your office of operation Wealth Creation (OWC) with the aim of grabbing land from the Bonafede owners in Tororo,” said Odoi Felix a school administrator in Tororo Municipality who hails on the land that Owor prefer to grab.

While as John Emun, a former police officer whose family has lived on the same land for over 4 decades rubbished Sylvia Owor’s move to grab their land as a waste of time and resources.

“On what planet was Sylvia Owor Damalie when her claimed land was being taken? So that she comes now after the land had gone through many hands being sold, other people went to courts of law challenging ownership and lost battles while some won, let her go to court and provide ownership” the officer Emun told us .

The latest attack from the owners of the land come after a failed mobilization meeting by Sylvia Owor to have sections of people in Tororo to demonstrate on her behalf.

Sylvia Owor Damalie claims ownership of a land comprised on plot 8 B along Busia road next to Agururu primary school in Agururu B2 village in Western division of Tororo Municipality.

A source close to Sylvia Owor told us that she fears going to court to challenge the locals and families occupying the land since she has no documents to prove her case.

However after several attempts using threats and intimidations to remove the occupants failed Sylvia on a Sunday mobilized locals and some elders in Agururu B through her agents the area defense secretary LC1 Agururu B  Ojulo George to hold a meeting on a planned demonstration in her favour.

She claims the land measuring 6.5 acres belonged to her late father George William Owor who acquired it in 1976

William Owor was killed in a cold blood at Rock Hotel Tororo by Iddi Amin’s soldiers purportedly over a woman.

Sylvia Owor’s meeting yielded no fruits for her as residents  headed by the area LC1 chairperson Nyacho Everlyn joined her subjects to rubbish Sylvia Owor and her planned demonstration as useless , unpalatable, akeake and backward method that would cause insecurity, violence and bloodshed  but instead advised Owor Damalie Sylvia to seek court redress other than violence means in her area.

“Go and use your illegal means elsewhere not here in Agururu B village” Nyacho advised Sylvia Owor.

At the moment some of the occupants at the land include Odoi Felix, Owor Ema, Namubiru Fatuma, Novo enterprises, Birungi Esther, Ajore Anne Eliza, Odoi Simon, Musa Nsangi, Emun John, Dr. Edirisa, Maria Apoya, Odeke Ismail, Juma Seyid and one only identified as Anyango among others.

The locals resolved and vowed to chase Sylvia Owor should she risk setting foot in their land , this according to them is backed by minutes of the meeting chaired by Tororo RDC Owole Nickson in the presence of Sylvia Owor that where he resolved that the status quo must be maintained until matters go to court and determined.

Juma Sayid  a professional journalist  currently earning his bread at Rock Mambo FM in Tororo told us while at his home in Agururu B that he met Sylvia Owor at RDC’ s office and told her point blank to go to court other than intimidating locals.

“She told me that when I came, I had gathered a lot about you Juma…. And I replied to her that the good and bad side of what you heard about me is me and I will not change but instead leave our land, we bought from willing sellers and for so many years without following the proper land laws procedures you come to threaten, intimidate us , we are not moved just go to court we shall disprove you” Juma narrated to The Second Opinion.

Sylvia for a long time is accused of wiring threatening messages to the directors and locals fellow Ugandan investors of NOVO Enterprises based on color .

“But to Juma he told Sylvia face to face at the RDC ‘s office that they are all Ugandans irrespective of status or colour and contribute to the nation’s building. No one is special or above the law. In this particular case, all of us are protected by the constitution and the land act as amended”.

“My sister Sylvia claims her life is under threat and doesn’t want to be murdered like her late father George William Owor but am shocked that she can also cry, yet she uses  her military guards and office to intimidate and harass  the locals in Tororo over land that she wants to grab”,.

We have audio recordings and pictorial evidence to that effect. I think the court is the only best place for all of us. Your actions are time wasting and has caused us a lot of inconvenience, mental anguish and disrupted our ongoing projects.

We shall never succumb to any of your unbecoming behaviours because we are all protected by the law,” Juma assured Sylvia before the RDC.

He also warned Sylvia against disrupting the investment being put in place by Novo Eenterprises accusing her of being an enemy of development, Juma narrated to us.

Efforts to talk to Gen. Salim Saleh Akandwanaho over behaviors of his officer at the helm of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) by press time failed as he was not responding to our numerous cellular calls.

However, a source from statehouse intimated to us that soon a whip  to tame Sylvia Owori’s actions would be released.