Well said Gilbert & Caleb. For several years, the educated class from West Nile region have chosen to stay away from politics. We elect candidates, they go to the parliament, do what they do for living. The next time we see these people again is in another five (5) years when they are hoping around in the villages for re-election. You may see these folks occasionally in their constituency only if a relative dies or some special occasion. Not having dialogue with their constituency after elections.
The truth of the matter is, if we elect people and do not hold them accountable for their election promises, how do we measure their performance? This is the fundamental reason the state of development in our region is/are not working as they should. I think we who were fortunate to go to school, can read and write should develop strong interest in shaping our development in partnership with our elected representatives. If no one questions why hospitals are not clean, why there are no drugs in health centers, road are not graded, electricity is powered in towns for only 2-4 hours, performance in schools is so bad, etc, etc. What is the chance that our brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers who did not go to school will hold our elected representatives accountable? I am hoping that we can set a different stage for the forth coming elections. a) organize forums where party flag bearers can debate issues and justify why their party is better than the other party. b) Party candidates should justify why they deserve to be elected c) Candidates seeking re-election should defend their performance record, achievements or failures d) Elect talented candidates of high caliber who can go to the parliament and articulate underdevelopment causes of our region rather than elect BACK BENZERS who go to the parliament, Do Nothing, Say Nothing, Yet expect to be re-elected. e) Elect leaders who can uphold development of the region rather than people who allow the region to sink like a boat driven by a captain who can steer it in the right direction. On Sun, Sep 26, 2010 at 2:00 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Send WestNileNet mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [email protected] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [email protected] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of WestNileNet digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. WestNile Net Digest, Vol 25, issue 66 (alaka caleb) > 2. Re: WestNile, What Questions are we asking? (alaka caleb) > 3. Successful West Nile Night (alaka caleb) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2010 22:19:33 +0300 > From: alaka caleb <[email protected]> > Subject: [WestNileNet] WestNile Net Digest, Vol 25, issue 66 > To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> > Message-ID: > <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Jackson, > > What you have opined about our members who are flag bearers is > absolutely correct. I know most of them do not have time probably to > read their mails but it is a good Idea for them to share with us on > this forum their unique qualities, capabilities and competences in > terms of the package they intend to offer to our region if elected. We > are not going to shy away from one of our major objectives to make our > leaders accountable. The process begins now. I remember we one time > blindly supported one of our own and when that fella climbed the > pedestal, he became a disaster. He abandoned us and became like the > proverbial stupid bird which climbed an anthill and thought it was not > on the earth. We need to know what these colleagues what to offer. We > know Parties have Manifesto's which candidates follow. Our situation > however is different. Can these members tell us how they can assist us > in our efforts of transforming lives of people of West Nile. > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2010 22:44:21 +0300 > From: alaka caleb <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] WestNile, What Questions are we asking? > To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> > Message-ID: > <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Dennis, Jackson and Gilbert, > > I am moved by this enthusiasm, can our aspiring parliamentarians get > back to us on these issues raised by Dennis Aliga and John A Jackson. > > I will in the mean time comment on the aspect of unity. Our Members of > Parliament have been responsible to a greater extent of letting down > our region. Whereas FDC members will be together with their NRM > counter parts in a fund-raising function in Rwampara, Mbarara, ours > will monitor who has reached first and avoid the function. By the way, > what is NRM and FDC to us. First their leaders are all from one part > of the Country, Most of the top guys in these parties were at one time > tight colleagues, they speak the same language. Yes we can by > conviction and in exercise of our fundamental rights and freedoms > choose to belong to any of these parties. But must it make us who all > hail from the same region to become sudden enemies just because we > have chosen this or that party. We forget that our first and foremost > allegiance should be towards our people and our region. We suffered a > lot first from injustices meted on us by history where we were a labor > reserve. then exile, then insurgencies. It is time who ever wants to > go to Parliament on any ticket should know that he or she should be > ready to work with any other person of a different ideological > inclination so long us the issue touches West Nile. Otherwise whether > one is in NRM, DP, FDC, CP, SDP, PPP we are all grasshoppers in a > bottle trying to tear at each others miserable small necks and > attempting to eat each other instead of looking for a common objective > of how to come out of the bottle. People of West Nile and their > leaders regardless of the political and ideological divide are all in > the bottle of underdevelopment and have to work together to come out > of it with unity being the common tool > > On 9/25/10, Gilbert Adibo <[email protected]> wrote: > > Dennis, > > > > Pertinent questions indeed! Development of West Nile region rallies all > > participants on this forum. > > > > One single truth stands clear, the development of West Nile requires all > of > > us working together *before, during and after *elections irrespective of > our > > poltical ideologies and party allegiance. > > > > My simple answer would be *Unity!* > > ** > > I rest my case. > > ** > > *Gilbert Adibo* > > > > The single ralling factorOne thing that comes clear in answering > > > > On 24 September 2010 22:56, <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> 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. > >> _______________________________________________ > >> WestNileNet mailing list > >> [email protected] > >> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > >> > >> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > >> > >> All Archives can be found at > >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > >> > >> 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. > >> _______________________________________________ > >> > >> > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2010 09:34:37 +0300 > From: alaka caleb <[email protected]> > Subject: [WestNileNet] Successful West Nile Night > To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> > Message-ID: > <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Members, the West Nile Night of 24th Sept. 2010 was extremely > successful. Members turned up in large numbers in remembrance of our > eight fallen brothers. Members also gave in their contributions for > the forth coming memorial service details of which are going to be > published by our treasurer Mr. Anguzu. We are soon going to inform you > about the date for the memorial service for all the 8 fallen brothers. > Any person who likes to contribute for the cause can get in touch with > Mr. Anguzu. > > Back to the night it went well with exhilarating and electric > performances from the artists we invited including our local artists > from Arua. Of recent we have received scathing attacks from some > members about this night. Some have indicated boldly that we are only > good at organizing social functions while others have insinuated by > way of innuendos that we caused the demise of our 8 fallen > brothers.Whereas we have gladly welcomed some of the genuine > criticisms intended to make the night safe and meaningful to all of > us, we feel we have to comment on the uncalled for scathing attacks, I > wish these members could come and witness one of these nights. They > will have no option but to withdraw those statements with apologies. > When it comes to death, it is universal in nature and its only wizards > and sorcerers who organize become jubilant upon the death of any body. > Don't make careless statements albeit under purported concerns which > may make other people draw inferences that you are actually a wizard. > Be constructive in your criticism. > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > [email protected] > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > > End of WestNileNet Digest, Vol 25, Issue 69 > ******************************************* >
_______________________________________________ WestNileNet mailing list [email protected] http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ All Archives can be found at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ 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. _______________________________________________
