There was total joy and excitement as senior Presidential Advisor in charge of the Lango Zone, Sam Engola, visited a farmers’ cooperative group in Bar Sub-county on Friday afternoon.
Hon. Sam Engola, the Senior Presidential Advisor and Erute South MP hopeful, donated over 6 million Uganda shillings on Friday, February 14, 2025, in Bar Sub-county, Erute South, Lira District, to support the Myek Women Farmers Cooperative Limited.
Hundreds of residents, mainly voters and members of the Myek Women Farmers Cooperative Society Ltd, gathered at Ober-Abany Village, Abunga Parish, in Bar Sub-county, Lira District, to listen to vibrant words of consultation concerning Hon. Engola’s MP ambitions ahead of the 2026 general elections.
A group of poetry members in Bar Sub-county praised him for his past contributions when he was still an MP and expressed hope that this time around, they want someone who can deliver good results, assuring him that they want him to return to the 12th Parliament to bring much-needed development, commonly referred to in the local language as “Dongo Lobo.”
Otim Charles, the LC1 of Ober-Abungu Village, said they trust Sam Engola, ever since he started helping them when he held a ministerial position.
The LC1 also expressed delight at Engola’s visit, emphasizing that Hon. Engola is a “tested and trusted leader.” He highlighted the problems the community has faced due to Mr. Engola’s absence from Parliament, particularly in areas such as infrastructure, clean water access, and education.
The LC2 Chairman of Abungu Parish, Onyanga Ayoo, said the people of Abunga Parish have already sealed their votes for Hon. Sam Engola come 2026. He requested that Engola repair two non-functional, broken boreholes in Abongorec. There and then, Engola ordered that the two boreholes be repaired immediately, with work set to begin the following Saturday.
The Chairman of Myek Women Farmers Cooperative Limited, Mr. Ogwang Isaac, stated that Engola has always stood with them at all times and in all ways. He shared that the cooperative, which started in 2022 with 30 members, has now grown to 648 registered members. This includes 517 women, 9 PWDs, and 191 men.
The event also featured wonderful performances from cultural folk groups and PWDs, whose songs voiced the frustrations of Erute South residents with poor leadership, calling for a change in leadership and massive support for Sam Engola in 2026.
Mr. Ogwang Isaac, the chairperson of Myek Women Farmers Cooperative Society Limited, shared the cooperative’s remarkable growth since its establishment in 2022. He appealed to Engola to help them access better markets for their produce and facilitate exposure visits to modern farms in other regions.
Opio Geoffrey Belmos, the NRM Secretary for Bar Sub-county, urged locals to vote for Engola, emphasizing the need for value addition in agriculture to increase household incomes.
During his address, Senior Presidential Advisor Sam Engola acknowledged a key challenge facing Lira District: the division between Erute South and Erute North following the creation of Lira City. He stated that he had engaged the Minister of Local Government about creating a new district for Erute South. However, he reassured the people of Bar Sub-county that his discussions with the President would continue to find a way forward on the matter, as the distance to Ogur is very far for the people of Amac Sub-county and other locations within Erute South, which are miles away from the district headquarters.
Engola emphasized the need for peaceful elections, urging residents to avoid politics of hatred. He cited the decline in education standards in Lira District, particularly in Agali Sub-county, which recently performed poorly in PLE. He noted that during his time as MP, he had motivated teachers and secured scholarships for at least 305 students. Engola urged parents to utilize government schools like Bar S.S. instead of struggling to send their children to distant schools in Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso.
Many voters who spoke to The Ankole Times assured Sam Engola of his victory in the 2026 elections as MP of Erute South, in order for them to achieve much-needed development.
