12 years later, ‘Ambassador’ Alex Abura has never been deployed to duty station despite being appointed by Museveni

BY NELLY NELSONS OTTO

LIRA

MEDICS have always debated and failed to agree on what the two oft-used terminologies, “miscarriage” and “stillbirth” means when it comes to pregnancy.

Some health experts define miscarriage as the loss of a pregnancy during the first 23 weeks while still birth is when a baby is born dead after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy.

The analogies seem to apply to a Lira based Alex Abura Lolo Kawa who was appointed as a Deputy Ambassador 12 years ago but in actual sense, the man has never been deployed to the duty station.

“….I write to inform you that HE the President has appointed Messrs Moto and Kawa as Deputy Ambassadors. He requests that you formalize this appointment in line with the governing procedures; and give them duty stations…”reads in part a letter by Grace Akello,the then Acting Principal Private Secretary(PPS) to the President.

In the letter dated 6^th March,2011,Grace Akello now the head of Uganda’s Mission in India also attached copies of the duo’s curriculum vitae for ease by the then Head of Public Service/Secretary to the Cabinet John Mitala.

The letter with reference PO/23 was titled, Appointment of Mssrs Julius Peter Moto and Alex Abura Lolo Kawa as Deputy Ambassadors and was copied to the then PS Foreign Affairs Ministry Amb. James Mugume and the Minister In Charge of the Presidency.

Ambassador Julius Moto’s appointment was successfully concluded and he began his diplomatic duties as head of Mission in South Africa, South Sudan and Uganda’s High Commissioner to the UK until the first quarter of 2022 when his contract was not renewed under unclear circumstances.

WHAT WENT WRONG, A MISCARRIAGE OR STILLBIRTH?

When asked for a comment for the purpose of this article, Lolo, whose command of the English language and Leb Lango is not questionable, subtly said, “…I also don’t know but am still waiting for deployment…” adding may be all the positions are still filled”.

Asked whether he tried to follow up, Lolo as he is fondly referred to by contemporaries, said he met President Yoweri Museveni (the appointing authority) seven times and each time he would direct his people to handle his matter in vain.

“…at one time the President directed the now retired Maj. Gen. Proscovia Nalweysio on the matter, who in turn directed the now Col Edith Nakalema to expedite the process…,” he said.

He is now asking the people of Lango to demand for ‘compensation’ from the government for deceiving them that it would marry their ‘daughter’ but failed to conclude the process.

To put it in perspective, in Lango when a boy initiates a marriage but fails to conclude, its referred to as “Bwolo Nyom”loosely translated as Deceiving that you want to marry but fails and the boy is supposed to be taken to the court.

So in this case, Lolo likens himself to a Lango bride whose ‘marriage’ with the government as a boy was never concluded hence the call for compensation.

Was this a miscarriage or stillbirth? The answer depends on which lenses one is using to look at the stingy unresolved matter.

As expected, speculators quickly jumped on the table to spin or manufacture dozens of conspiracy theories as to why Lolo’s appointment was never consummated, for lack of a better word.

A section of people blamed it on the chronic disease nicknamed Pull Him Down (PHD) which has persisted in the Lango sub region where a handful of people want to be the sole kingmakers.

“…the moment you don’t kneel down before them, you are destined for disaster as long as you want to attain or maintain any juicy appointment in public office…,” some people commented on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

Other sources claim that Lolo stubbornly refused to ‘wet the beaks’ of some people with some good millions the President gave him, which angered them to turn around and maliced him as not suitable for diplomatic duties.

Now 68, Lolo looks comfortable and is not poor by any standards, thanks to the overzealous politicians in Dokolo Local Government who piled pressure on the District Service commission to unlawfully dismiss him from the job as Senior Personnel Officer.

Lolo, who has maintained the designation of ‘Ambassador” dragged the District to the Court which in 2019 ruled in his favour and ordered the district to pay him 400M/= as costs and damages for the unlawful termination of his services.

He is currently serving happily as one of the secretaries in the Tekwaro Lango Cultural institution led by Won Nyaci Eng Dr Michael Moses Odongo-Okune.

The title for diplomats depends on what they represent. High Commissioners represent Commonwealth countries while ambassadors represent non commonwealth countries and Nuncios represent the Holy See, the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church.

In other countries, ambassador is a title that accrues to its holder only with respect to a specific position and may not be used after leaving or beyond the position, while in some countries, a former ambassador may continue to be styled and addressed as ambassador throughout their life.