My people of West Nile,
Politics is in the air but what questions should we be asking ourselves and our
leaders to be? I would like to share my mind with the Forum members.
Policy: I have read a lot about the possible 35 presidential candidates who
have expressed interest in contesting for the Big Office. I have read about
cries of uneven playing field but what I haven't read about are a coherent set
of policy issues which define or characterise each political party. Manifestos
are ideological and worked well under communism.
1. Do NRM, DP, UPC, FDC have clear sets of policy outlines with respect to, for
instance (i) Healthcare; (ii) Education; (iii) Foreign Affairs; (iv)
Information Technology (v) Agriculture & Tourism; (vi) Energy Sector; and
(vii) Public Expenditure, and are these policies clearly differentiated in
terms of their intent and how they will be achieved?
2. If there are no clear differences are our people deciding between ideologies
and personalities and therefore do not care to find out about the important
policy questions? If the policy is to increase healthcare spending, what
percentage of the GDP is expected to go to healthcare, where is that money
going to come from given that the sources of government revenue are known? What
will be the impact on the other sectors? What will be the key priorities? What
is the proposed implementation mechanism?
3. What can our members of parliament realistically deliver bearing in mind
that parliamentarians are law makers (i.e Legislative arm of the government,
the other two being Judiciary and Executive) and do not have a development
budget of their own to effect their policy objectives? Parliamentarians lobby.
Is it time for us to look at the National Development Plan as members of this
Forum to examine to what extent they impact and deliver our aspirations and if
not, what is the strategic vision for West Nile? If Aliga, Andama, Dramadri,
Ocan, Yakani, Ogena, Vuko ...all close their eyes and open them in the year
2015, what do we want to see?
4. How can we start holding our members of parliament to account by evaluating
their performance based on which we can know whether they are a force for
transformation or not?
5. The world has become a small place and we are able to learn and transfer
knowledge swiftly. What developmental or transformational lessons will our
aspiring parlimentarians share with us to positively influence our thinking
that they have learnt from anywhere that is different to the parliamentarians
before them?
6. Some of our issues require a united voice. Have our aspiring
parliamentarians reached a level of political maturity where they can put their
party ideological differences (ideological because I haven't seen any tangible
policy differences) and come together as one voice to deliver what is in the
greater good of West Nile?
7. As the people of West Nile, is it not time for us to articulate exactly what
we would like to see in West Nile in clear terms and let our leaders tell us
how they can deliver to our expectation or beyond? Enterprise Development given
our geographically advantageous position for trading opportunities; light
industry development, agriculture and agro-allied industry development; etc?
What are the plans to attract investment to West Nile?
8. Have our aspiring parliamentarians acquired accurate statistics on issues
with key implications on development for their respective constituencies e.g.
Number of primary schools; secondary schools; healthcare centers; unemployment
figures; sector performances, and what the implications are to their proposed
deliverables during the next five years?
9. How much development actually goes to West Nile and what proportion is that
in comparison to other regions in the country? Do our people who will be
championing our cause have figures across different sectors and different
sources?
10. Private Public Partnerships have been known to drive development
particularly for long-term projects in utilities and other sectors. What have
our leaders identified in West Nile to be effected through potential Private
Public Partnerships that they hope to champion and how do they propose to rally
our people in the private sector to support them? Are we working together
enough?
11. Have we been reading or listening to leaders talk about what has not
happened and who did the wrong thing or did not do at all rather than what
really needs to be done and how?
12. How will the electorate make sure our parliamentarians are accountable to
the people in Arua and not to someone in Kampala?
13. Do our potential leaders bear the credentials of leadership and demonstrate
enough conviction, courage, moral character and selfless to deliver?
The Ibo of Nigeria say uneasy lies the head that wears the crown and I am sure
our leaders and leaders to be are thinking the right thoughts. In any case to
whom much is given, much is expected...votes mean your representative signifies
you in that parliament so who are you?
We are at a threshold in history - the last scramble for African resources and
West Nile is not insulated. The East African common market also means that very
soon we need to compete effectively for hotel business in Koboko with some very
experienced Kenyans. Are developing enough capability and joining hands for
bringing together our ideas to build big enterprising businesses that will
transform West Nile or we have individual stars? Do we remember that the 4
legged granary is stronger and bigger than the taller but aloof cucua? Our
leaders are our gate keepers and champions of our cause, no wonder my head is
spinning with questions and yours must be too.
Aliga Asega
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.
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