TOP SECRET: Top Soroti City Land Board Officials Fight over Plots Deepens
Top Soroti City land board officials are secretly fighting over alleged illegal allocation of plots, approval of land titles and renewal of leases.
A source at Soroti City says that both the Land board boss Jorem Opian Obicho and former acting City land board Secretary Badru Ochengel have been in a secret fight from May 2022 that has forced Mr. Ochengel to resign from the job.
In one of the leaked documents seen by this website Mr. Opian accused the Ochengel for impersonation, fraud, abuse of office, corruption and misrepresentation of the land board.
Opian in his November 30, 2022 letter said that, the Soroti City Land Board had in the recent past had been shocked and saddened by the unfortunate and absurd developments in form of malpractices that are traced to the office of the Secretary Soroti City Land board (now outgone) in particular Mr. Ochengel Badiru, something they have drawn their conclusion and findings amount to or border on impersonation, fraud, abuse of office, corruption and misrepresentation of the Land Board to say the least.
Opian referred the City Mayor to interest himself to investigate; A lease extension letter to Katongole Edith dated 11th August 2022 purported minute extract no. SCLB 06/2022 4(A) 4 extended lease for plot no 51 Gweri Road, a matter we are reliably informed has a family dispute which is unresolved in courts of law and was never handled by the City Land Board.
Opian added that, contrary to the mandatory provision of Section 62 (3) of the Land Act, the Board has not been able to sit for the last almost six (6) months against pleas and demands by the board for the same to be organized.
We have also learnt that Opian is also not pleased with his former secretary for forging minutes in regards to issuance of certificate of title vide misc. application no.0028 of 2019 in respect of plot 14, cemetery road in Soroti city
He wrote to the owner of the estate Mr. Tasman Mayende noting that he (Tasman) was provided with forged minutes.
“You provided, for reference, “our minute” No. SDLB 01/2020 5(A) 01 of 31 January 2020. You may need to be guided, that Soroti City Land Board wasn’t in existence by then, as Soroti City wasn’t yet in existence till around August of 2020. The minute you quote, belongs to Soroti District Land Board, which is a different body from Soroti City Land Board, which in its own right, began operations around February of 2022. Soroti City Land Board did not succeed Soroti district land board,” Opian said
“In light of the above, the file you are referring to has never been handled by Soroti City Land Board. In fact, the board was shocked to discover a letter originated by then Ag. Soroti City Land Board Secretary, purporting to have been handled by the board and yet it has never been the case.”
Opian however during an Interview with our reporter on Tuesday in Arapai ward said that matters of forgery are being taken through its due process but was quick to say that as of now “we do not have any serious matter now.”
But the accused Ochengel said that the allegations in his name are baseless, noting that all the legal processes of acquiring land titles, leases and others were being followed.
He added that the issues being raised by the city land board boss are personal.
Ochengel now the outgoing secretary also added that, “My brother we all make errors while quoting minute numbers however, after realizing a submission was made to zonal offices to disregard the error,”