ICT, COMMUNICATION MEDIUM meaninglessness
Why do we have scandals like computerised plastic driving permits, national identity cards, mal-functioning NSSF software, ghost soldiers, delayed transcripts, public services grossed up workers register, non-audited Global Fund Accounts, Postal Office mis-addressed letters etc. What happened to the World Bank funded Internet based health project? Laughable isnt it? What is Ugandans; information communication technology, postal, telephony and broadcasting development backbone? At least there should exist, basic structures to go by. That is, if there is any? It is easier to access all forms of communication mediums outlined above in Europe, United States, Canada and some parts of Asia than when in Uganda! Logically, high and medium developed nations will have higher unit usability cost the industry and trade is extensive and when economies of scale are applied. Affordability is very limited of all mediums mentioned above in Uganda. One cant easily access Uganda Broadcasting tv/radio over the Internet in Uganda. It will be costly. Faxing within Uganda is equally costly there are virtually no clear landline connection all over the country. My mobile and computer are yet to receive faxes. But then we have audited bank accounts, automated teller machines, automated billing system over mobile phones, during the elections in march, Daily Monitor automated polling station worked efficiently, GSM based newscast and updates is also a reality in Uganda. Uganda is now a bastion of out sourced computer jobs barony! Two lines of arguments arise; one banks are working and Uganda Communication Commission is not. Second, Ugandans are incompetent, and foreigners competent. There are more parameters to this i.e. corruption, selfishness and indifference. All indications show, Uganda is moving towards a Ministry of information technology, a welcome move. With developments in other sectors such as the gigantic Faculty of Computer Sciences at Makerere, that has not been able to produce a single group of nations computer literate programmers, this one too might end up as an ivory tower. The above based on facts, i.e. Uganda at large, is outsourcing all its, needs and requirements for computer aided business administrative work and software development. Politically and economically, it is massive deskilling of the people. NRM strategy is working very well, encouraging investors to do their job while we Ugandans, milk them of taxes. URA is busting with soaring revenues! Uganda public communication mediums are in shambles, many years since the inception of Uganda Communication Commission, mandated to do research work and not least develop appropriate technologies into the fields of communication media. Is UCC hitting a dead end as any other African institution?! The facts shows that UGANDA SOCIAL SECURITY FUND contracted, yes contracted a South African computer firm to design the software algorithm for their clients. Will such a programme be to big for Makerere University, or a premeditated UCC will all dollars at its disposal? Uganda has a lot of computer programmers who can do such work within a day and later test it for a week, monitor it for years, improve on it along over the years and all will be done! Uganda contracted, as far as Ive read the same firm (nssf) to design software algorithm for a computerised national driving permit. Note too that this permit has generated a lot of controversy in many circles, some referring to the permit as a mere plastic card. Anyhow and interestingly so, how could a driving permit, just that card be so computerised without a national identification card? It appears a driving permit is only offering data on particular individuals eligibility to handle vehicles on public roads. What is the national driving permit based on? The NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD has only generated corruption and NRM is crying foul that some (aah yes indeed some) cadres are very corrupt. Really, what does it take to design a comprehensive national identity and why should it be contracted out if a government academic institution could not do research, monitor, evaluate and later develop one? When I looked in some of the programmes, Ive on my box, as former student of script design, I discovered a complete software with a complete programme that could i.e. register; ones birth date, social security number, address, passport photo, id card number, names and expiry date. One could modify it to have bank accounts withdraw and debiting, employment station, a complete database and so many other things. This is what the Indians have been doing in this country to earn billions of shillings - modification of computer programmes to fit into what does not exist in reality in Uganda. And they have property rights on such code! For example non-existence of a national identification card, birth and death registers, social security numbers, implies an absence of a nationals identification system. The electoral commission has its own system, which by the way is in no way synchronised, with all the entities I have mentioned above. I for one a registered voter had never got my card where my picture is supposed to be attached. Funny enough, stolen cars have been registered in Uganda but later discovered they were actually stolen. Such software must be mixing up data to make some vehicles appear stolen yet they are legally registered. How UCC views such maladies tell us a lot about the entity itself. Now it will appear UCC is a professional body to handle such technical issues and hence advise accordingly. Indeed Bwanika ________ http://www.idrconsulting.com --> for your consultancy needs _______________________________________________ Ugandanet mailing list [email protected] http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. ---------------------------------------
