Former MP Odonga Otto under fire for illegally intercepting charcoal trucks
Police in the Aswa River Region have issued a stern warning to the relentless former Aruu County Mp Odonga Otto to desist from illegally blocking charcoal trucks and distributing stock to locals.
Otto formed ‘Ribbe Pi Paco’ (RPP), an environmental youth advocacy and activism group working to implement the Ministry of Environment’s ban on commercial trade, production, and transportation of charcoal and forest products.
On two separate occasions, the former legislator has been spotted intercepting trucks along the Kitgum-Pader road in Pader District on grounds that they are disregarding a directive banning the commercial production, trade, and transportation of charcoal and forest products within the Gulu district.
In late March, Odonga stopped a truck carrying 380 bags of charcoal worth 24.7 million shillings from one Rashid Buwembo, a businessman in Kikaya zone in Kisasi Kampala. Locals looted the charcoal and fled the scene.
Following this incident, Buwembo filed a theft complaint at Pader Central Police Station.
Now David Ongom Mudong the police spokesperson for Aswa River Region says Otto should have followed the correct procedures by informing the Environmental Police and National Forestry Authority, who are mandated to fight environmental crimes.
He says the Police have opened an investigation into the act, adding that they are considering summoning Otto to answer the allegations.
“There is no enforcement that must be done in isolation, that is equivalent to robbery and theft. Environmental police is on the ground and doing their job.. Now someone has complained of theft, he can also be charged for being involved” he said.
Former MP Odonga Otto under fire for illegally intercepting charcoal trucks
Otto accuses the police of conniving with charcoal dealers to aid the transportation of their products, despite a ban on the movement of forest products in the region.
“The challenge is if you leave it to the Uganda police alone, they will be picking bribes . So they see us as competitors spoiling their trade. There are some police officers who are picking bribes, the truck arrives and they pick 500000 shillings now for us we stop it, ” says Odonga.
He also faults the government for issuing a directive without any budgetary allocation to facilitate the Environmental Police in implementing the ban, something that has prompted civilians to take up action.
In January of this year, the State Minister for Environment, Beatrice Atim Anywar, issued a directive banning the commercial production, trade, and transportation of charcoal and forest products within the Gulu district, citing the growing threats to the environment.
The ban was later extended to the rest of the districts in the Acholi Sub-region grappling with forest cover depletion for timber and charcoal.
Former MP Odonga Otto under fire for illegally intercepting charcoal trucks
