A conference called to discuss issues affecting Tororo district and its Jopadhola community over the weekend resolved to make the meeting an annual event largely to spur development.
Speaking during the inaugural conference held on August 11 at Makerere University main hall, Jerome George Osuna, chairman of the Jopadhola Community Association, underlined the theme “Positioning the Jopadhola for the 21st century and beyond”.
“We want to see the outcome of this conference as an annual event where we can sit and discuss matters affecting Tororo and we will keep engaging with different stakeholders to come up with resolutions that can lift our region,” Osuna said.
The gathered Jopadhhola, who turned up in in big numbers, discussed education as a tool of change, health care, culture as heritage and as a true resource history of Padhola (the land of Jopadhola people) and Tororo as an industrial city for social economic development.
Despite its rich mineral and other wealth, Tororo remains one of the poorest and worst-performing districts in education and health.
In a speech read for him by Osinde Owor, second deputy premier of the Tieng Adhola, Moses Stephen Kwar Adhola urged his people to find avenues through which they can develop and improve Padhola through unity and peace.
“I earnestly urge all of you Nyikway Adhola and well-wishers interested in strong and viable growth of Padhola to set your heart on the achievement of these goals,” the speech read in part.
Owor appealed to the group leaders to stick to their objectives because the name they have chosen of “Jopadhola Community” is considered to be open ended.
Tororo municipality MP Yeri Ofwono said, “Many of those developing districts have regular meetings, educating their voters on development issues but here in Tororo, it is survival of the fittest. Our main objectives in parliament are to see development but how do we bring the national cake home, is the question.”
“We should stop dividing our people along tribal lines; this cannot take us anywhere. The time we spend on dividing our people, if it was spent on promoting district activities, we would be far. So, my fellow MPs, we must come together for the betterment of Padhola,” he said.
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