Hon. Daniel Omara Atubo, the former minister of lands, Friday signed a petition to drag his former boss President Museveni to International Criminal Court [ICC] for gross violation of human rights and crimes against humanity.
The shocking incident happened at Forum for Democratic Change [FDC] offices in Lira town, Northern Uganda.
Daniel Omara Atubo, a lawyer, educator and politician, is the former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, in the Ugandan Cabinet, a position he served in from May 2006 until May 2011.
In the cabinet reshuffle on 27 May 2011, he was dropped from the Cabinet.
According to Ronald Muhinda, an aide to opposition figure Kizza Besigye, Atubo walked himself into the signing centre and put his signature and NIN on the petition forms to ICC to cause the international court to investigate, try and indict Museveni.
By the end of the day, People’s Government had collected and verified 600,000 signatures from different parts of the country.
“Junta sabotage notwithstanding through invasion of offices and arrest of PG staff, the people are brave to make this one contribution to the struggle,” Muhinda said.
In Mukono, the exercise led by Information Minister MP Bakireke Nambooze was sabotaged after police surrounded her home and blocked her exit.
Muhinda also believes Museveni will send in people to intimidate Atubo but he is strong.
Atubo said by signing the petition, he didn’t hate Museveni but loves Uganda more.
Atubo addressed members of the press on the importance of the exercise to Uganda.
He called upon all Lango people and Ugandans at large to sign the petition.
“I love Museveni but I love Uganda more than I love him,” he said.
Factfile:
During the late 1980s Omara Atubo served as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, from 1987 until 1991.
He was first elected to parliament in 1987 and was continuously a Member of Parliament until 2011.
He was appointed as Minister of Lands, Housing & Urban Development, serving in that capacity from May 2006 until he was dropped from the Cabinet in May 2011.
Controversy
On 15 April 1991 members of the National Resistance Council, the then Parliament, met to discuss a rebel screening programme set up in districts of Northern Uganda, which was causing divisions within the Ugandan Army.
Following that meeting three men, including Omara Atubo, then a member of the Ugandan Cabinet, were arrested and charged, along with thirteen others, with treason.
The case was later dismissed. Omara Atubo was dropped from the cabinet on account of those allegations.
Just prior to the 2006 presidential and parliamentary elections, Omara Atubo, then a member of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) disagreed with Miria Obote, the party’s president.
Eventually Atubo left UPC and contested those elections as an Independent. He won and was offered a cabinet position in the ruling National Resistance Movement government, which he accepted.