The Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Eng Hillary Onek has petitioned Highcourt seeking to be paid 400 million shillings in damages after his fellow MPs from Acholi referred to him as a non Ugandan.
Eng. Onek specifically seeks damages from the Aruu county MP Odonga Otto, Kilak South County MP Gilbert Oulanya and the Chwa West MP Okin Ojara. The three are also members of a social parliamentary group – Acholi Parliamentary group.
The minister in his law suit filed before the Kampala Highcourt Civil division contends that his fellow legislators while appearing on one of the Radio talk shows repeatedly referred to him as a non-Ugandan who migrated from South Sudan .
Minister Onek continues to narrate in his plait that MP Odonga Otto allegedly claimed to know his brother who is serving as a minister in the South Sudanese government and a sister who is an MP in Juba allegations that were supported by the other two MPs who were co-guests .
According to Onek , all these statements made on the 17th of June 2020 by the three MPs were injurious and defamatory to his name and thus if not retracted, he risks losing touch with his supporters in Lamwo district .
The minister further seeks an apology from the three legislators for branding him as a land grabber and an oppressor alleging the same defamatory statements were widely shared on social media .