Last Updated on: 16th May 2023, 10:53 am
Lira, May 16, 2023: I am reliably informed that while we are still mourning our late leader Col (Rtd) Okello Engola Macodwogo, President Museveni is around in Lango at Baralegi State Lodge to carry on with his usual businesses.
Lango is expecting measurable answers on the persistent issues and pledges which the President and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces have been making to Lango besides taking action on urgent security matters.
Instead of the usual political gimmicks of pretence and camouflage at this time when our people are in grief and pain of the loss of lives and properties of the people of Acholi, Lango and Teso due to purported Karamojong rustling, the President must be very clear and straightforward.
We are reliably informed that the so-called Karamojong rustlers are burning houses, killing people and loading animals away. This is uncommon in the mode of operations of the Karamojong rustlers.
The question one is asking is ‘What kind of Karamojong rustlers are these?’
Government must substantiate these kinds of rustlings and recover the animals taken if they are within Karamoja or compensate the owners without pretence.
The government must also know that Lango, Teso and Acholi are tired of remaining perennial and permanent victims and complainants of the NRM misrule since the time of revenge killings from 1986 when NRA had just come to power to the shameless grabbing (rustling) of animals from1987- 1989.
The grabbing of prime lands and the 20 years of LRA insurgency forced our people into the most humiliating and degrading situation in the IDP camps, which was followed by shameless looting of all the monies meant for reparations and rehabilitation of the war-ravaged areas of northern Uganda.
President Museveni and NRM government should know that Lango and Acholi have been deliberately deprived of government services for so long without proper response to the chronic demands while leaders continue to plead (bakodog), cry (koko) and kneel before President Museveni for favour as if our people are non-citizens who don’t deserve services from the government and have no right to enjoy from the State.
The mere fact that Lango and Acholi are not in charge of the current State doesn’t mean that they should remain permanent beggars, claimants and victims of the regime.
Government should work for every citizen regardless of their tribe, region and political affiliation other than leaving some regions as permanent beggars and victims while other regions are served quickly and diligently.
Sadly, while our promising political and military leaders Gen. Lokech, Col. Rtd. Abiriga, Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah, Gen. Oketta and now Col. Rtd. Okello Engola continue to die mysteriously, there are no independent investigative reports given to the public, and yet the pledges due to their deaths are just ignored and never acted upon.
The only task which is given to Lango and Acholi are to speak in praise of President Museveni and his son Muhoozi or to wear their t-shirts when other regions are swinging in wealth and power.
Finally, I demand from President Museveni and his NRA/M government to stop wasting public monies and time in holding meetings with local leaders without any tangible result.
If Lango and Acholi leaders are serious to meet President Museveni, they should demand implementation reports for the previous pledges instead of heaping the President with new requests that land on deaf ears.
The usual methods of writing long and repeated lists of requests and resolutions from Councils for the sake of receiving food allowances from President Museveni should stop.
President Museveni should also clarify whether he is going to compensate the animals and lives taken recently by the suspected Karamojong rustlers besides assurance to protect the lives and properties of the people of northern Uganda. The people of northern Uganda, notably Lango, Acholi and West Nile now demand answers and accountability not the usual lip service from the NRM government.
I say all these
For God and My Country
Ishaa Otto Amiza is the former MP of Oyam South and a political and civil activist based in northern Uganda
Mobile: 0789174376
What can you expect from NRM or Museveni.
When I was MP, due to LRA, I managed to unite the north for an agenda. The LRA. And we dealt a blow to them. With little and timid support from government.
Our answer will never come from Museveni. It lies in our unity or disunity.
I want to hear somebody uniting us and calling for a northern
conference. Count me in.