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BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU
ARUA: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2025
At 53 years, Asa Suleiman Orodriyo, a resident of Bazaar Ward in Arua Central Division has participated in all the elections since the National Resistance Movement reintroduced elective politics starting with the resistance councils.
“I represented Bazaa women in the local council for ten years, after that I represented the Bazaar ward in former Arua hill Division for ten years. All these years I haven’t seen any member of parliament like Jackson Atima,” she said.
“The work that Atima has done can be seen even by small children,” she added.
Orodriyo appealed to the voters in Arua Central division to vote wisely and objectively, stressing that the City needs to be represented by a reputable leader with undoubted integrity.
“Atima is from Maracha, I am from Terego but let us speak the truth. Atima is a Christian but what he has done for Moslems, if any Moslem cannot give him appreciation, I say you are hypocrite,” she pointed out.
Orodriyo reiterated that even if some people pretentiously dispute the work that Atima has done, the Almighty God in Heaven is in the know.
“Who can pull money from his pocket up to sh40m to build a mosque? Atima has participated in building of mosques and churches, he bought for us a community bus, and he sponsored our children in Omugo technical institute and in Nurse training and at the university,” she reaffirmed.
She was speaking during Atima’s latest rally held at the heart of the Arua City central business area in Bazaa ward.
Orodriyo lamented the poor hygiene in the Central Division, saying that the city is uniquely dirty unlike other cities in the rest of Uganda as if there is no Mayor or council in the central Division.
She also appealed to the Arua city voters to rise above petty politics of tribe or ethnicity and religion and embrace mature politics of competence and development.
“If somebody has worked, give him the appreciation. I am from Terego and a Moslem but I cannot support any of the four candidates who come from Terego to try to oust Hon Atima” Orodriyo stated emphatically.
She was referring to the National Unity Platform candidate, Jackson Obindu, the Alliance for National Transformation candidate Kassiano Wadri, Forum for Democratic Change’s Khemis Muzaidi, and NRM primary election loser, Ronald Debo.
The other contestant is Salim Hadad from Yumbe district who dumped the National Unity Platform to contest as independent candidate.
Alice Ajio, resident of Old Bus Park Cell, a hair dresser at Onzivu Street, noted that the Central Division is a cosmopolitan constituency having residents from all over West Nile, other parts of Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
Majority of these people are attracted by business opportunities upon which their livelihoods depend. However she noted with sadness that the Central Division and the City council wanted to close some markets and chase away street vendors.
It was MP Atima who showed sympathy and solidarity to stand for these vulnerable vendors that eventually saved the markets and cushioned the street vendors from eviction.
Ajio insisted that Atima has attached himself with the government like the late former Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Abiriga had done that she is sure that he will work well with president Yoweri Museveni to develop Arua City.
“We also think that since he is going for the second term, Atima would be fit to be appointed as a minister to steer national development. He is not corrupt, he is not selfish and he embraces everybody regardless of ethnicity, religion or status,” she commended.
Ajio said Atima started supporting the business community before he became an MP, arguing that “he saw our suffering due to lack of good leadership that is the reason he offered himself to provide leadership. Such are the qualities of the people we want to lead us.”
She asked Atima to improve the place where the women are working at as members of Alio Atizo United women group at Onzivu Street.
Atima who has resumed campaigns after one week of break to attend to Parliamentary business, addressed his rally at the said Onzivu Street in Bazaa Word.
He gave accountability of what he has done in parliament in the four and a-half-years he has been in Parliament as the people’s representative.
Atima forgave opponents who gossip about him during rallies instead of presenting their manifesto for which they seek for votes from the people.
He informed the people that as a member of the parliamentary finance committee, he sits at the table where national cake is cut and distributed.
He added that as regional government chief whip for West Nile, he supervises all the MPs from West Nile to present a united voice over the issues of the region and those efforts have led to the rehabilitation of the road from Karuma to Arua, the hooking of West Nile to the National Grid among others.
Atima said he has represented the people so well that when the Lorries of fish of unlicensed fishmongers were impounded at Elegu, near the Nimule border post and Pakwach, he intervened through the Uganda Revenue Authority and the fish was released, rather than destroyed.
He said the resolution of the unpopular resolution of the council to shutdown Lobidra, Sudanese fish market, Owino market and the street vending was unwise and that is why he acted to stop it.
“The City council brought a grader to clear the markets and he had asked for police escorts. I called the City Clerk from Kampala to confirm the report I received in phone call from the vendors. Then I called the 409 brigade commander of the Uganda Peoples Defence forces who deployed soldiers to subdue the police and stop any evictions,” he explained.
Atima said he also worked with the local government minister, Raphael Magyezi to stamp out corruption in local revenue collection leading to increase in the amount of local revenue collection to over sh5 billion per annum.
“Why can’t the city and division councils use that local revenue to create jobs for the young people whom are being accused of snatching phones, pickpocketing and stealing of petty goods? he queried.
Atima said his intervention on behalf of the bodaboda cyclists resulted into the URA slashing registration of numberless motorcycles by half that instead of sh1.5m, West Nile cyclists register motorcycles at sh750,000.
The MP appealed to the people to appreciate the government of President Yoweri Museveni, saying it has created a conducive and peaceful environment which has led to rapid development with high rising arcades and apartments ever increasing in number.
The Arua regional referral hospital has a new complex for a blood bank, a modern laboratory, and intensive care unit is nearing completion and a call and dispatch center for ambulances to coordinate the region is also being constructed.
However Amina said he still has unfinished business with the youths for whom he purchased a building for a skilling center. The center is yet to be equipped with different machinery to support training in tailoring, vehicle driving among others.
He also said he has plans for the women that need another term to realize transformation. These are some of the reasons for which he is seeking a second term. He also said the works on the religious institutions are still incomplete that he needs a renewal of his term to allow him to complete those projects.
