I was intrigued by press reports that
president Museveni of Uganda has given former legislators U Shs 1
billion to buy buses. The story reported that the money was part of
UShs 2 billion pledge he made to their Sacco to improve their welfare.
While it is alright to get concerned about the former
MPs’ welfare, we need to ask a number of questions: did the President
draw that money from his personal account or it was drawn from state
coffers? If he drew it from his personal account, how does he intend to
recoup it? Is it only the former legislators whose welfare needs to be
improved or the other citizens also? The president and his lieutenants
have vowed to crush corruption; is it possible when he is busy dishing
out patronage to his clients?
Our country has suffered a great haemorrhage of funds. Only a few days ago, the state owned newspaper The New Vision reported
that U Shs 370 billion was spent on CHOGM. Prior to the summit, I
questioned on air what an ordinary Ugandan would benefit from CHOGM. The
skeptics are now being vindicated. It is coming to light that CHOGM
cost us more money than we were told.
Ugandans are dying of famine; higher education has
been reduced to a preserve of a few as fees in public institutions have
been over-hiked and our country is being turned into a man-eat-man
society. It is ironical that those who were preaching Marxism before
capturing power have now turned into far rightists hell bent on
promoting individual welfare instead of the common good.
Ugandans must stop complacency and begin asking tough
questions such as: do we benefit from our taxes? Why have leaders who
preached frugality become wanton big spenders? Ugandan elites must keep
reminding our dear president of his 1986 inaugural speech and his book,
“What is Africa’s Problem?” As my area MP Honourable Otafiire has always
said, ebibagamba nibanyuka tibyo bagamba nibataha (what they
say while making local brew is different from what they do while drawing
it), but our leaders need to be told that not all Ugandans are too
daft.
Uganda has a miniscule number of university graduates
yet most of them have no jobs. The government is always telling them to
create their own jobs. Why couldn’t former MPs who were earning huge
sums of money fail to create their own jobs - that they have to continue
sucking the state coffers?
Could the money dished to former MPs be a reward for
having struck out the constitutional provision which limited the
president to two five year terms hence giving Museveni green light to
rule the country ad infinitum? Assuming, many lost because of
no-performance, should the president continue rewarding
non-performers?
I know of many first class and second upper graduates
who fail to get jobs because jobs are given on patronage and the
unfortunate graduates have no godparents. These people have chosen to
write course works for others in order to make ends meet. Others have
chosen to do printing business and are busy forging O level, A level and
university documents. The NRM government on the other hand deludes
itself that it is fighting corruption!
On 6th April 2008, when I was hosted on UBC TV with
Hon Charles Bakabulindi, I said that the government was seated on a time
bomb because of graduate unemployment. Now the government, which always
learns the hard way, has seen it. I doubt whether they would have
deciphered that had it not been the events of 10th to 12th September
2009 which claimed the lives of more than 20 people. The government now
knows that unemployment can push people into frustration,
hopelessness and wave of criminality.
We have a minute number of genuine university
graduates but we have too many people with academic papers. I have
advised the NRM government to verify all employee documents; the
government has chosen to keep a deaf ear. Could it be behind the
forgery?
Uganda's opposition parties must shape up and address
critical issues. I wish they had think tanks and research desks to help
them address critical national issues. Only then shall we look at them
as viable alternatives.
Uganda has a new generation of voters who shall not
be fed on deception and manipulation.This generation wants assurance
that the country belongs to them.
By Vincent Nuwagaba.
Mr. Vincent Nuwagaba is a political scientist cum human rights defender and can be reached via mpvessynuwagaba@gmail.com
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