Musicians Odong Romeo and Freeman Sande have officially withdrawn from being in the technical committee for West Nile, Acholi, Lango and Karamoja (Walk).
This comes amidst several critics and threats to their life and businesses around Gulu City.
The Yoo Leng hitmaker, pointed out that they have decided to withdraw because they want to protect their professional integrity and also preserve their personal brands and careers from any potential damage.
However, he thanked the creatives in the WALK Region for entrusting them with the opportunity and mandate to contribute toward the development of solutions for the betterment of the creative communities.
Unpleasant Odong Romeo pens down a long letter to clear air on why they have decided to step down.
Foundation Ltd
Following our selection as part of a 30-member committee during the creatives’ meeting held four months ago at Da Hub in Gulu City, we were entrusted with the responsibility of developing a proposal to address the challenges faced by creatives in the WALK Region, comprising West Nile,
Acholi, Lango, and Karamoja.
Subsequent to this, at a follow-up meeting convened at the Office of the Prime Minister, we were further selected to serve on a smaller team of four Technical Committee Members to accelerate
the ongoing technical efforts.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all creatives in the WALK Region for entrusting us with the opportunity and mandate to contribute toward the development of solutions for the betterment of our creative communities. It has been both an honor and a privilege to serve in this capacity.
We are pleased to report that we have successfully completed the technical work, presenting and defending the proposals at various stakeholder forums. Additionally, we have established a formal
institutional entity to oversee the implementation of these proposals by incorporating Walk Creative Arts Foundation Ltd as a Company Limited by Guarantee, alongside the formation of
WALK SACCO. This organizational structure as a Company Limited by Guarantee ensures that the Foundation operates without shareholders and is designed to serve the collective interests of all creatives in the WALK Region who choose to become members. Furthermore, we have secured
an office address at Plot 13B Airfield Road, Opposite Gulu Independent Hospital, which will serve as the operational headquarters for both the Foundation and SACCO.
However, after careful consideration, we regret to inform our fellow creatives that we have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Technical/Leadership Team of Walk Creative Arts Foundation Ltd. Despite our initial enthusiasm, we have realized that certain pertinent matters—
such as internal conflicts, lack of transparency and open communications, and disruptive actions
by certain individuals—are undermining the team’s ability to effectively pursue its goals (best interests of all creatives). As members of the Northern Uganda music industry, and also Gospel
Musicians, we find it untenable to continue working in an atmosphere where unity of purpose and ethical standards are compromised.
The challenges the organization is facing are largely due to external intrusion and control from
highhanded officials in positions of influence, which has caused a lot of divisions within the technical committee and the entire creatives of the WALK sub region.
Our primary concern is to protect our professional integrity and preserve our personal brands and careers from any potential damage. We do not wish to be associated with any actions or situations
that may tarnish our reputations or hinder the achievement of the collective goals set forth by the
creative community in the WALK Region.
We would like to extend our gratitude to Gen. Salim Saleh for his support towards the establishment of the WALK offices. It is important to note that, to date, the Technical/Leadership
Team has not received any other direct financial contributions from him or from members of the creative community. The only funding we obtained was the transport facilitations for the meetings at The Hub, Office of the Prime Minister and The Mediation Meeting which every creative who was in attendance got. We deem all our efforts and sacrifices during the process our gift to the creatives in the Region as it wasn’t paid for. This clarification should serve to dispel any
misperceptions on the matter.
We recommend that the Foundation should be genuinely owned by the creatives, and not hijacked by individuals in positions of influence. There should be open communication with utmost transparency regarding any transactions on behalf of the organization. The organization Leadership should be willing to stop, listen, and take action to address the grievances and dissatisfaction of its members, and not ignore and look at them as stumbling blocks–as has been displayed recently. Although we are withdrawing from the Technical/Leadership Team with immediate effect, we remain hopeful for the continued success of the initiatives and wish the remaining team members the best in their future endeavors. We strongly believe that, if implemented as intended, the proposals we have developed have the potential to bring significant benefits to creatives in the WALK Region.
To God be the Glory.
Sincerely,
WALK CREATIVE ARTS FOUNDATION
