--- original message ---
> A suggestion to contact the Prime Minster was raised we should plan how
> to
> present our case to him. While we are doing that I suggest that a
> committee
> be formed to present the case to parliament. Parliament can respond
> faster
> than the PM's office. Since the NL is set up by Act its in the interest
> of
> parliament to see it run and not collapse.
Forwarded.
Fellow Ugandans,
Immagine a Country without a "National heltage"!. The National Library is
mandated to "act as a depository for national and foreign governments
publication... for purpose of promoting research... and for preservation of
published national culture and intellectual out put" (The National Library
act, 2003 Dated 17th January, 2003).This function has been formally
performed by Makerere University Library, and Uganda Management
Institute.Less than a year after enactment of the national Library, the
Government comes out with a statement saying "...The Ministry has also
failed to pay the rent arrears and national Library will be evicted from the
current offices because the land loard has given them a notice to quit his
premises at Buganda Road by 10th may 2004" (Statement of the honourable
Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development to the Social Services
Committee, 29th April, 2003).What do you say?
Read the message below.
Thanks.
Elisam Magara
Senior Lecturer, East African School of Library and Information Science,
Makerere University
Home address:Box 16217, Kampala
Personal address: Box 40277, Kampala
Fax: 256-41-540817,
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED];
website: http://www.makerere.ac.ug/easlis/people/magara.html
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
From: "charles batambuze" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
List-Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: 04 May 2004, 03:08:44 PM
Subject: [Uganda_LibAssoc] Crisis hits NLU
NLU IN CRISIS OVER RENT ARREARS
In a period of less than a year since the enaction of the National Library
Act 2003, establishing the National Library of Uganda (NLU)a looming crisis
over rent threatens to sniff out the short life of the newly born
institution. According to sources, NLU has an accumulated bill of Shs 127
million spanning a period of 3 1/2 years. The Ministry of Gender, Labour and
Social Development under whom NLU falls has indicated that they have failed
to pay the rent arrears and so the library will be evicted. A notice of
eviction has been served by the land lord, Patidar Samaj giving 10 May 2004
as the date by which NLU should vacate. The Ministry is moving towards
relocating the library to Mengo Kisenyi, a proposal that is unpopular with
staff of NLU, Uganda Library Association and some Members of Parliament. The
reason being that Kisenyi is a slum and the social centre is in a very sorry
state to house an institution worth the name of a national library.
In another development, the Uganda Library Association (ULA) in a petition
dated 15 April 2004, petitioned Parliament through the Social Services
Sessional Committee to intervene and stall the schemes of the Ministry of
Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) to kill NLU. ULA petition got
a hearing last week on 29 April 2004 when the Minister of Gender, Labour and
Social Development, Hon. Zoe Bakoko Bakoru and her team were appearing
before the Social Services Sessional Committee over the budget for FY
2004-05. The Ministry did not budge on its determination to relocate the
library to Mengo Kisenyi inspite of protests from some MPs on the Social
Services Committee, NLU Director and fearless arguments advanced by ULA
Chairperson Elisam Magara. The committee decided that they would visit the
Social Centre in Mengo Kisenyi this week beginning 5 May before a decision
to move the library is made.
At the end of the meeting, the Minister and Permanent Secretary were full of
rage and fury over the petition and the petitioners. They did not have kind
words for ULA which they said is a small organisation that won't move them.
They pointed out that our "screaming" before the Social Services Committee
would not help to resolve the crisis.
The above statements not withstanding, ULA remains committed to ensuring
that this high profile case gets to a satisfactory end. We believe that we
are a small organisation that is politically significant. An organisation
whose power of mobilisation and movement must not be underestimated. An
organisation whose real power resides with the resilience of our membership
and their creativity. ULA is now moving towards drawing the public into the
debate of eviction and the broader debate of library funding through the
mass media. We trust that our membership will contribute to the debate
through letters to the editor, etc. For now please watch this space for
updates on the case.
Charles Batambuze
GENERAL SECRETARY
Från: Beatrice Sekabembe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Datum: 2004.05.07 07:35
Till: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Storlek: 2
Kopia: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Rubrik: Re: Crisis hits National Library of Uganda
Dear All,
This being a crisis (10th May is around the corner), I suggest that two
crisis teams should immediately be formed by ULA to go to both the P.M's
office and to Parliament. A third team should try to plead with the land
lord to give us a little more time while we sort ourselves out. I also
thought of approaching the mayor. Please don't underestimate his powers in
issues regarding city structures and possibly LAND to build. He should at
least have a general picture.
Now, talking about a National heritage, can't we form a relationship with
the National Museam? Even if it is temporary. Do they occupy all their
physical space? I am looking for a friendly environment where we could keep
our collection should the land lord stand by his 10th May deadline.
Briefly, I am trying to look for a practical solution, while we talk and
talk and ...
Beatrice
David Mukholi writes:
Beatrice Sekabembe
Secretary SCANUL-ECS /
Head, School of Education Library
Makerere University, P.O.Box 7062, Kampala
Uganda.
Tel: 256 041 541524
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
