By LBS Editorial
PARLIAMENT
Members of Parliament from Lango are seeking government intervention of food relief and planting materials to address possible famine following the long dry spell experienced recently.
Lango sub-region received normal rainfall from the onset of the first season in March up to April when rain disappeared leaving farmers in losses because both food and cash crops had withered.
On Wednesday, a section of members of the Lango parliamentary group (LPG) held a standing meeting at Parliament where they agreed that the plight of the people of Lango should be brought to the attention of government during the time designated for members to raise matters of national importance.
They reportedly asked Otuke county member of Parliament Paul Omara (Independent) to raise the matter and indeed, he raised.
Speaking on the floor of parliament, Paul Omara said the whole Lango sub-region recently experienced a prolonged drought, and this affected production of food and cash crops.
Omara said that the government should intervene to help the people of Lango in three ways by providing food relief and fast maturity crops so that people can plant to address possible food insecurity.
He also added that, recently, the government donated hand hoes to several households in West Nile and Karamoja sub-regions, leaving out Lango which he says has for long been the country’s food basket because of the hard work of her people.
Omara said the office of the Prime Minister should also come in to do the same for the people of Lango.
Julius Achon Bua of Otuke East constituency supplemented that the government’s intervention should be expedited because some families are already foregoing meals.
Achon said in his area, people have started dying of hunger.
This follows the death of two of his constituents whom he claims died of hunger on Tuesday this week after taking seven days without eating food and were only surviving on boiled water.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabanja asked parliament to give her time so that she can present to parliament a concrete response to the requests.
