Dear Lee, I am impressed with the ideas you have put forward. It is the duty of people who have such knowledge to inform our low educated voters who do not understand how important their votes can be in shapping the country. If such ideas are not welcomed in this forum, then I am afraid, we cannot stand for the voiceless and it will therefore have no meaning for us to be making noise on this forum that we want to rejuninate our region. What rejuvinationation if we just want to sit and see ourselves being exploited by the very government which is supposed to be accountable to her citizens? Very soon we shall have a compulsary national health insurance and some of us will be paying 50% taxes out of our salaries. And guess what? The money will go to buy an expensive presidential jet which will be used for taking first daugthers to deliver in Germany while our mothers, daughters wives and sisters will be delivering in Arua hospital with plenty of dont have's. So we should keep quite and watch? While other regions waited till now to see the other side of the government, WestNile with always alert citizens show it come very early. I am very proud to be part of such people who think ahead. It will be unfortunate of us when everybody is now fed up we make a U turn without tangible benefits to support what we didnt for the last 24 years. I am sorry, I dont go by majority and wont support because others are doing so. Should I be discontinued from this forum, Alleluia!
I am sorry to say that those who dont like freedom of expression in this forum are like the government who likes praying on the ignorance of people and get so annoyed when there are elites with alot of information like this one. Information is power, we should educate our people about voting and voting wisely. It is our duty we must fullfill. That is why government is trembling to close media houses and putting them in limbo. I know some of you could be government spies. But if you want to spy on your brothers and sisters, the richness wont take you far and your generation will be finished when you are still watching. Thanks Christine ________________________________ From: Sunday Akile <[email protected]> To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> Sent: Sun, April 25, 2010 11:08:15 AM Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] Can Northern Uganda cast vote of self-destruction? Hulo Lee, Excellent research. I salute you for your opinion. But be careful not so many will like this kind of interllectual discourse and intercourse on this forum. Lest you become history on this forum.They will not think this piece of mind is developmental. Akile ________________________________ From: oguzu lee <[email protected]> To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> Sent: Tue, April 20, 2010 6:13:57 PM Subject: [WestNileNet] Can Northern Uganda cast vote of self-destruction? Dear members, As we await for the outcome of projects being spearheaded by our colleagues, if nothing preoccupies you, may you feel able and motivated to read this hoping it doesn't clash with your political views. You'll recall that a number of claims have been made by various individuals and media houses alike claiming victory for NRM party without due consideration of issues that matter and are bound to influence voters in 2011 elections. The question is whether Northerners can cast vote of self-destruction. Through this article, i'm seeking to highlight the key issues that our region needs addressed for the benefit of her people and vote seekers. With 2011 elections drawing nearer day by day, pessimists and optimists of the various political parties are trying to do SWOT analysis of their parties in Northern Uganda with a number of analysts predicting a win for party in a region twice vehemently opposed to NRM in previous elections. My brothers: Todong and Moses Byaruhanga both presidential advisors and Pakasi, the former MP of Obongi have provided blanket assumption that with return of peace to northern Uganda, NRM will win with overwhelming majority without providing answers to key questions that rationally linger in the minds of northern people in elections. They seemed to have seriously ignored the virtues of honesty, truthfulness, and accountability that cannot be replaced nor whitewashed in the minds of people in a short spell of time in north let alone poor service delivery. In this hurtful truth which may differ from the usual comforting advises, I’ll seek to explain why NRM can’t win in West Nile which is part Northern Uganda—a truth that may hurt many now; unlike lies that eventually make their way out and end up hurting much more than truth could actually have done. First and foremost for a region faced with an urgent need of infrastructural development to meet business opportunities presented by her strategic location, West Nile was in the year 2009/10 budget excluded from 1500km optical national fiber backbone-- a major communications infrastructure the region urgently needed to accelerate her development and to reduce the digital gap that has littered her history for last 24 years. The implication is that the divide between West Nile and other regions will continue to widen, cost of doing business will also go up; businesses and students will have to part with a lot of money to access information needed for their daily decisions and research through a low bandwidth--a frustration bound to translate into 'No Vote' for NRM regime policy makers responsible for the layout of the infrastructure in 2011. The NRM has also been blamed for 24 years of darkness (unreliable and unaffordable) electricity in the region. Though government reached an agreement with WENIRECO for provision of electricity and construction of Nyagak, the West Nile people as stakeholders feel left out in this project riddled by counter-accusations between government and WENIRECO. Many in the region have queried why power wasn’t tapped from Gulu-via Anaka yet the regime can export power to other regions. This was viewed as a deliberate attempt to slowdown pace of development in the region and insensitivity to the long held aspiration. In absence of reliable power, costs of doing business increases, which if passed onto the poor perpetuates the level of poverty. This is how the people think the government has kept them in first class poverty –a situation where people consume all they have and nothing gets saved for the next day. Unchecked exploitation of tobacco farmers has become an issue which will contribute to outcome of 2011’s election. The region has lost lives, money and environment through tobacco related dealings. Many have queried the role of government in supporting farmers if inputs such as fertilizers from companies can be sold at undisclosed and exorbitantly high prices than market prices on the watch of government. Though tobacco companies and farmers contribute estimated 400 billions shs annually to the GDP of the Uganda, farmers feel their efforts are not rewarded. Delayed payments have occurred on the watch of NRM government with the most devastating one being last season’s where many families didn’t send their children to school because their tobacco isn't paid for and all these happened on the watch of a legitimate government. Blaming their plight on the inaction and insensitivity of NRM government, they don’t feel obliged to reward it with votes. The people of West Nile are also frustrated by delayed operationalisation of the proposed Public University President Museveni consequently directed Ministry of Education to look into last year in May after he was approached by a delegation of leaders from West Nile. Because of the high poverty levels in the region, people had hoped the University would provide an affordable higher education and console them for missing out on statehouse scholarship in the last 24 years but almost a year since the directive, nothing has changed considerably. Given the experience of such projects stalling under the regime, the people are beginning to think it’s perhaps the usual political gimmick aimed at collecting votes and ready to be bitten twice by the same snake. Old perhaps most annoying issue is the non-payment of the ex-service men. To West Nile people, serving in the army was vocation and the patriots that served Uganda just like patriots of today expected payment for their courageous services to the nation. President Museveni while on a tour of West Nile (2005) in Yumbe promised to pay these ex-servicemen in recognition of their invaluable contribution but to their surprise, the same government launched an appeal to challenge award of about 4.5 trillion shs to the ex-servicemen. This became clear double standard on the side of NRM government. Whereas there are rumors of a few top guys being paid, majority of the voiceless are languishing in abject poverty. Many of such families have ended up selling their cows, goats, and chicken in endless paper processions required to access this money, others have died of poverty and frustration before receiving fruits of their labour thus causing wide spread distrust in the government of NRM in the region. The poor health service delivery and collapse of health infrastructure: Whereas mothers and babies are dying each day for lack of basic medical drugs and equipment, alongside, NRM the ruling government is busy distributing T-shirts as if lack of clothes is peoples’ problem. Many have viewed this as broad daylight mismanagement of resources that would have gone to the health sector to save lives. Arua hospital now uses charcoal to incubate babies in place of incubators, midwives i told use candles to lit, and this referral hospital supposed to meet complicated health needs of over 10 Million people in the impoverished West Nile didn’t get priority over T-shirts to supporters. Coupled to the above, a number of people in rural areas still share drinking water sources (unprotected springs) with other animals thus making them question their governments’ commitment to provision of clean water infrastructure to her people. Unless otherwise addressed, this is a clear no vote statement. Failure of government programmes to change lives. Whereas the Prosperity For All song is being sung aloud, many have not heard and danced it. A number of innovations supposedly aimed at improved livihoods have not translated into improved standard of living. Majority of people still languish in absolute poverty insisting programmes such as NAADs, SACCOs, and NUSAF have never reached them or are not helping them, intended beneficiaries. Today virtually all NUSAF phase I project sign posts point to nothing except miserable state of life in the areas they point to. Many SACCOs formed in West Nile have never received funds from government because of incapacitation that is neither built. With some SACCO charging interest as high as 4.2% per month, farmers feel poorer and more exploited than before. Such failures being blamed on corruption in the ruling ranks, the appointing authority which in public eyes is NRM regime is bound to be punished. Unfortunately, the built up frustration will unveil in 2011 during voting. Many farmers have been frustrated with lack of market for agricultural produce promoted by NRM government through Prosperity For All programme. Whereas farmers expected their government to act like other regional governments in guaranteeing market by buying at a price which guarantees farmers a break-even (enables them meet production costs), NRM government has never allocated stabilization funds in the budget for agricultural sector that employs over 90% of West Nile population. This has caused production to oscillate between surplus and scarcity something food security analysts say is a major cause of food insecurity and skyrocketing prices in the region. This continued policy gap has made farmers in the area very susceptible to food insecurity and low incomes from produce—something being seen as a deliberate attempt to keep people in vicious circle of poverty for easy ruling. To add salt on to a cronic wound, the alarming corruption levels in the ruling ranks as reported by World Bank and other organizations is what angers most a region whose people are built on the virtues of honest and integrity. The people wished the 500 billion lost each year through corruption was invested in quality education, clean water, anti-poverty agenda, health service delivery to mention a few. Because corruption naturally clashes with cultural believes and identities on West Nile people, any party perceived to be corrupt will not be on peoples’ voting list in 2011. With this vice being blamed for lack of drugs in health centres, poor roads, poor quality education, and increased poverty levels in northern Uganda which currently stand at 74% among women, with West Nile contribution to national coffers being abused and those in the ruling ranks blamed for squandering these resources, no expression other 'No Vote, we want change' will suffice the people’s expression of heartfelt feeling of poor stewardship in NRM. However, all this will depend on whether the adage and beacon of north: an average northerner is not interested in money but the truth will hold up to 2011. Money which many view as lubricant of situations may never turn votes in favor of NRM to qualify the party for votes as insinuated. The history of north can not be bet on when it comes to voting for principle, whether they vote alone, they always cherish the sweetest reflection that their votes are not lost but symbolise truth. Whatever the come, the day after 2011 elections presumably 13th February will prove me and my brothers right or wrong but the truth:' a northerner will never take a decision of self-destruction' will hold even after 2011 for centuries!
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