Dickson Ogwang Okul recalled from foreign service
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recalled Dickson Ogwang Okul, the Foreign Service Officer Grade II from his posting at the Ugandan Mission in South Sudan.
He has been recalled back to the Ministry’s Headquarters with immediate effect.
“You should therefore hand over office by Section F-d of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders (2021) and report to the undersigned for further guidance.” the recall letter reads in part.
The letter dated November 20th was written by Bagire Vincent Waiswa, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The recall of Okul follows an incident on Sunday where he drew his pistol at Lango clan leaders during a cultural meeting at Lango Cultural Centre in Lira during preparations for the upcoming Ateker Festival in Soroti, scheduled for this month.
Ogwang Okul’s presence at the meeting was met with disapproval by other clan heads due to his involvement in the ongoing leadership dispute over the Won-Nyaci (Paramount Chief) position. Despite being asked to leave, Ogwang Okul maintained that he had received a formal invitation to attend and saw no reason to exit.
Earlier, Bagire had written to Ogwang requesting him to show cause as to why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for breaching the provisions of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders.
He also raised concerns as to why Ogwang Okul was in the country at the time when he was not permitted to.
“Whereas permission was granted to you to travel to Uganda from 23rd February 2024 and to South Africa from 4th to 9th March 2024, it has been established that no permission has been granted to you to leave your duty station in Port Sudan for the date in question.”
He then requested the Head of Mission in Port Sudan to provide him with details relating to the dates of Ogwang ‘s absence from the station to enable the Ministry to take further appropriate decisions. Adding that payment of his allowance should be halted.
But Ogwang Okul blamed political interference on cultural matters as a reason for his recall.
“Please understand that navigating these intricate political and cultural landscapes is never easy. Who told you it would be easy? This is a testament to the challenges we face in our pursuit of a better future for Lango.” he wrote on his WhatsApp forum arguing the people of Lango to remain calm.
“Let us remain firm, focused, and determined in our shared vision. I urge you to refrain from speculation and divisive actions because the truth will eventually prevail, and I am confident that transparency will shed light on this matter. Let the truth set us free.”
This is the second time Ogwang is being recalled from foreign duty. In 2020, the State Department of the United States asked him to return home after he allegedly beat up his wife at the time when he served as the Deputy Ambassador to the United States.
He was asked to leave Washington DC after he reportedly invoked diplomatic immunity to avoid prosecution.
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