Why Pati’s installation as Lugbara Agofe is raising more questions than answers
Pati while being installed as the Agofe at Coco Palm in Arua City on Monday
ARUA CITY – The installation of Angelo Pati Alia as the fourth Paramount Chief (Agofe) of the Lugbara Cultural Institution (Lugbara Kari) has continued to raise more questions than answers among his subjects.
Pati was installed as Agofe on Monday after traditional rituals and the handover of cultural instruments of office at Coco Palm, a popular hangout spot in Arua City.
The ceremony went ahead despite a directive from the Arua Chief Magistrate’s Court to halt the function.
This is after a rival Lugbara Kari faction under the administration of Manase Yuma Amuku had petitioned His Worship Paul Matyama, the Chief Magistrate who was expected to preside over the event, to call it off. The petitioners cited illegalities in the selection process of Pati.
The Chief Magistrate summoned both parties and allowed each side to present its grievances. He later ruled against holding the function because the Agofe-designate, Pati, had not yet been gazetted.
The ruling prompted some cultural leaders and invited guests who had gathered at Coco Palm to leave the venue.
Pati’s team, however, proceeded with the installation, further intensifying questions about the legality of the ceremony.
Ismail Tuku, the contested Prime Minister of Lugbara Kari, argued that the court had only advised them to halt the legal process of gazettement and had not stopped them from carrying out cultural activities.
“The court advised us to halt the coronation process, but the advice came late when we had already planned everything. This does not stop us from proceeding with the cultural installation of the Agofe. The legal gazettement process will come later. We were hurt by the court decision, but we forgave them,” Tuku said.
On the contrary, Elly Ejiku Emo, the Lugbara Kari Prime Minister under Manase Yuma Amuku’s administration, insisted that by law the head of a cultural institution must be gazetted before being installed.
“When you see on the media that they were allowed to enthrone Pati and that he is now only left with gazettement, that is the reverse order. Gazettement comes before enthronement. This is the beginning of unveiling the lies these people have always been feeding the public. This is the first; others are still coming. Wait and see the truth,” Ejiku said during a press conference in Onduparaka on Tuesday.
He added: “These people carried out the enthronement in a hotel. Where is their palace and how can you enthrone a Paramount Chief on a stool or plastic chair if these people were serious? We are saying let us leave the lies of these people. We would like to thank the elders; their prayers around the fire on Saturday helped us recover the bank account these people had refused to hand over for the last five years. It has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that what they did was illegal, which is why the Magistrate refused to take part in the illegality.”
Ejiku further claimed that, as a result of the prayers, a petition that their rivals had long cited—allegedly written by the people of Ayivu against Yuma Manase, was found not to be genuine. He said it was instead discovered to have been written by a GISO officer, and that the government has not yet even signed any memorandum of understanding with the rival team, contrary to their claims.
Ejiku promised the public that his side is now on the right track toward gazetting Yuma Manase Amuku, whom he described as duly elected by the Lugbara people.
He stated that Yuma’s election as Agofe was presided over by the Langa (the Council/Parliament of Lugbara elders), in which at least one chief and 15 subjects from each of the chiefdoms of Vurra, Maracha, Terego and Ayivu participated. In contrast, he said Pati was selected by a few self-seekers who are now rushing to install him without following due process.
“Now that all has been done, the next step is for us to push for the gazettement of His Highness Yuma Manase Amuku by the government, have him installed culturally, and later hold the swearing-in ceremony, which will be presided over by the Chief Magistrate,” Ejiku said.
During the same press briefing, Philliam Agotre Adriko, Ejiku’s deputy, renewed the call for the reinstatement of the Chief of Maracha. He argued that Pati is not in the lineage of Alugbe, a true Chief of Maracha who resisted the colonialists in Maracha. Agotre said Alugbe is his grandfather from the Yivu-Alipi clan, making him the rightful Chief of Maracha rather than Pati.
Richard Andama, the former Ayivu Chiefdom Prime Minister under Mike Agondoa, said they have come together to support Yuma Manase in order to promote unity. He stressed that their move is intended to show the public that Ayivu is united and that there is no cultural conflict among its people, as some have portrayed.
“Therefore, the elders, the youth and the women’s fraternity have come together under the tree to spread the gospel of unity—of bringing the people of Ayivu together and ensuring that the fourth Agofe comes from Ayivu.
We are all aware that the first Agofe came from Maracha, the second from Terego, the third from Vurra, and now the fourth should come from Ayivu. We are living in a democratic community, and the community is saying Yuma Manase was duly elected by the people of Ayivu, Maracha, Terego and Vurra. Therefore, we must continue with that Lugbara solidarity,” Andama said.