Moyo-Obongi County Member of Parliament and opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) stalwart Hassan Kaps Fungaroo, has hailed President Yoweri Museveni for ‘his good leadership and work that has greatly developed the country’.

“Although I belong to the opposition Forum for Democratic Change, I am impressed and always supportive of the President’s views on national development as well as his Pan-African agenda.” Fungaroo said.

Adding “It does not matter whether I am from FDC but your views on Pan-Africanism are unquestionable and I have liked them since my secondary days at St. Mary’s College Kisubi and I am also fully supportive of your government programmes because I never mix politics with development,” Fungaroo, who was speaking at a rally addressed by the President, said.

During his address, President Museveni emphasized the teaching of production skills, saying that would help fight poverty and unemployment in Uganda especially among the youth.

“Young people need skills to be able to be employed or to employ themselves, you need to acquire practical skills such as computer skills, carpentry, pottery, metal works, motor mechanics, weaving and farming skills and engage in production and employ yourselves and get rid of unemployment and poverty” he said.

The President, who is on a four-day wealth creation campaign in West Nile and Northern region, said his mobilization campaign aims at ensuring that each household has an income generation activity.

The President noted that government has endeavored to avail infrastructure like roads, electricity, ICT and services in education, and health, which Ugandans should utilize to raise income and better their living.

“The country will not realize meaningful development if people don’t exploit these development initiatives to improve their incomes. It is improved income at each individual household level that can quickly translate and lead to national growth and transformation,” he said.

He appealed to Ugandans to engage in modern agro production that is profit oriented and produce to guarantee food and income security noting that modern life demands go beyond food thus the need to produce for the market.

The President urged Ugandans to safeguard the prevailing peace and security in the country saying that was fundamental for development.

“I am happy that there is peace in the entire country which all of you contributed to, please safeguard it because with peace the rest of the work will be made easy” he noted.

The President also cautioned people about the deadly Hepatitis B, saying the disease is sexually transmitted and can be avoided if people exercised sexual discipline and avoided promiscuity. He encouraged people to go for medical tests, get vaccinated against the virus and revealed that the government had allocated Shs5billion towards the fight against Hepatitis B in the 11 districts of Uganda that have been hit hard by the disease including the West Nile districts of Yumbe, Adjumani, Moyo and Arua.

Earlier the President commissioned the newly built Riyadh Mosque of the Obongi Muslim community and pledged Shs50million shillings towards its completion.

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Kampala-The Democratic Alliance (TDA) may have to contend with the pressures of a troubled political terrain after opposition politician Norbert Mao warned members of the pressure group against hobnobbing with embattled politician, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.

According to Mao, who is the Democratic Party President, the TDA should not allow Lukwago, the leader of a DP splinter group into the alliance.

Mr Mao claimed the alliance risked collapse if Lukwago, whose intentions are allegedly to destroy the DP, was allowed to associate with the pressure group.

Under the guise of a ‘delegates conference’, yesterday Lukwago in the company of MPs Mathias Mpuuga (Masaka Municipality), Latif Ssebagala (Kawempe North) and Richard Ssebuliba Mutumba (Kawempe South) convened a meeting at Bativa Hotel, where they distanced themselves from all the activities of the Mao faction of DP, including the party Delegates Conference slated for Thursday, July 23.

“The agenda of this splinter group may be the deal breaker of the TDA; if the TDA allow the splinter DP into the alliance, DP will move out of it,” Mao told journalists at the party headquarters today.

Mr. Mao revealed that the reconciliation talks had failed to bear fruit because those against his leadership objected to his ideas.

“I’m tired of arguing with idiots, you cannot reason with unreasonable people,” Mao said adding: “He (Lukwago) does not know what he wants and from now on we are going to handle him with an iron fist.”

Unleashing a tinge of sarcasm, the DP leader said that the Lord Mayor did not have the knowledge and experience to rule the 30 million Ugandans because he was impeached by (only) thirty Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) councilors.

Mao also noted that for one to stand as a candidate in TDA, he or she has to be endorsed by his faction of the party.

A longtime DP activist, Lukwago is not new to controversy, something that has occasionally put him on a collision course with the mainstream DP. In 2010, Lukwago broke ranks with the mainstream DP and joined a pressure group called Suubi, which he used as a vehicle to be elected the Lord Mayor in 2011.

But likening Lukwago’s current position to that of the former DP presidential aspirant Al Hajji Nasser Ntege Ssebagala, Mao noted it was under Lukwago’s counsel as the party lawyer that the former city mayor was kicked out of the party.

Mao said that Lukwago had advised that since Sebaggala had contested as an Independent in the 2010 elections, he was no longer a party member.

“That advice has caught up with him,” Mao stressed and warned Lukwago’s sympathizers to desist from supporting him since it would only give President Yoweri Museveni an edge in the 2016 elections.

And, speaking about the elections and formation of the ‘new party’, Mr. Mao pointed out that the Bativa meeting was not a Delegates Conference (DC), and that the recommendations made there were not binding. “The delegates have the intelligence to choose who their leaders should be, the DP Constitution is non-negotiable,” Mao said and refuted claims that the DC had been cancelled.

“There’s no compromise on the Delegates Conference, it will be held on the set date,” he said and added that this year’s DC will host 1723 delegates, 1240 men and 483 women.

“All these are genuine members of DP, not boda bodariders picked from Arua Park,” he charged.

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Adjumani-President Yoweri Museveni has said Government is fully committed to pay the Veterans pensions in installments, having allocated a total of Shs70billion this fiscal year.

He said the NRM Government inherited problems settling the pensions for veterans and that government had a total debt of Shs1.5trillion.

He revealed however, that it has already paid Shs171 billion and noted that the Central Government was expected to generate Shs12 trillion this financial year.

“Through our policy of prioritization, we have managed to service the Veterans’ debt and render essentials services to the people.

The President was yesterday speaking at a rally at the Adjumani District Booma Grounds to promote the Operation Wealth Creation Campaign aimed at fighting poverty at the household level. The President’s four day working tour will see him making on spot visits to projects in West Nile and Northern Uganda regions.

The President urged the people of Adjumani to maintain peace and security, which is a prerequisite to development. Without peace you cannot do anything. The communication service is efficient and one can be linked to the diaspora from Adjumani, a situation that was not possible in the past,” he said.

President Museveni observed that the Government has provided development in the Northern region by ensuring that there is electricity supply and succeeded in securing funds for the construction of the Atiak- Moyo road.

President Museveni was pleased to note that the people of West Nile and Northern region have recorded progress by growing commercial fruits such as pineapples, mangoes, oranges and practicing fish farming.

He said in practicing commercial Agriculture, there are opportunities creating wealth. He observed that through the development of skills the people can work in various sectors such as being electricians, metal workmanship and carpentry.

President Museveni made donations of Shs10million to the Nurses’ SACCO, Shs10million for the women’s SACCO and Shs10million for the Boda Boda SACCO. Earlier, President Museveni toured Nile Crocodile Park in Laropi, Adjumani District on the shores of River Nile. He was received at the farm by the proprietor, Mr. Waigo Michael Otika.

The proprietor revealed that the park rears Tilapia and Cat fish. He revealed that plans were in the pipeline to rear crocodiles. He informed the President that he uses the water of River Nile by pumping it in the ponds.

The Nile Crocodile Park operates 18 fishponds and has the capacity to generate Shs630 million per annum.

The Second Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Moses Ali said that Adjumani is the NRM bridgehead of West Nile region. He assured him that the people of the area fully support him.

The Adjumani district Member of Parliament Jessica Ababiku said that the people of the area have pledged their full support to President Museveni.

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The Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura has this evening appointed Assistant Commissioner of Police, Joel Aguma as the new head of Crime Intelligence Directorate.

Aguma takes over the directorate after it was split from Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate (CIID) under Grace Akullo.

According to the statement from Fred Enanga, the police publicist, the appointment takes immediate effect.

“The IGP has today, Monday, July 20, 2015, with immediate effect appointed ACP Aguma Joel as the Deputy Director, Crime Intelligence Directorate. He will report to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, John Martins Okoth Ochola, who is overseeing the activities under the Directorate.” Enanga wrote.
It continues “We would like to wish him well in his new appointment as he strives to represent the highest standards of excellence in service to our institution and country”.

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President Yoweri Museveni has appealed to the people of West Nile to maintain peace and unity in the region, saying their support has led to a growing healthy population and enabled government to implement development programmes.

“I am glad that NRM is able to maintain peace supported by you people. The population of Uganda has gone up. I urge you to support and maintain this peace,” he said.

Museveni who is on a four-day working visit to promote the wealth creation campaign in the West Nile region and Northern Uganda was today addressing a mammoth rally at Celecele West Village Grounds in Moyo town council.

He while government has ensured that there is development including developed road infrastructure, electricity, piped water, schools and health centrrs, development does not belong to an individual.

“If there is a tarmac road, you can’t take a mattress at night and sleep on the road and say there is development, let me enjoy it. In order for us to benefit, we must add wealth. Wealth is in your homes. If you have got cows, chicken, fruit garden, and plantation of trees that is wealth. If you have a house for renting, a shop or boda boda to get money, that is wealth,” he said.

The President told the people of Moyo that when government works on development and people don’t work on wealth ‘you all are limping’.

“You can’t walk properly. There is a tarmac road but people are poor in the houses next to tarmac and electricity that you can’t put in the house because there is no money to pay for it. Wealth Creation is very crucial for food security and incomes. I want projects in each home dedicated to cash. Each home must have a cash project,” he said

He called on the people of West Nile to exploit fish farming along the river valley, diary cows, poultry and fruit farming to boost their incomes.

On the issue of services, President Museveni called for an audit of sectors such as health, education, transport, banking etc to ensure proper service delivery.

He called on parents to ensure that their children attain proper skills for job creation.

“Children are studying English, French, literature! Which of those courses will enable them to get jobs once they finish? If you study Latin and you pass very highly, the question is who wants to use Latin? Even in Church these days they no longer use Latin. That used to be in 1960s but now they are using local languages,” he

On Hepatitis B, President Museveni cautioned the people of Moyo against irresponsible behavior that can help fuel the epidemic and also called for massive adult vaccination and sensitization.

The President later contributed Shs10million to the SACCO of civil servants and another Shs10million to the SACCO of Boda bodas.

The LCV chairperson Jimmy Vukoni Okudi in their memorandum called for the remarking of the border with South Sudan, saying it has become a source of conflict. He also called on government to ensure that benefits of veterans are paid expeditiously.

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Kampala-Former Vice President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya has scoffed at a team of the Central Executive Committee that summoned him together with former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi that he is above summons.

Speaking to Eagle online on phone from his Kakiri home this evening July 20, 2015,Prof. Bukenya said it was unwise for the CEC team to summon him and yet it is the very team that wants to meet him.

“I am not going there and I have same story like Mbabazi. Why waste my time because I don’t know that committee” Bukenya said.

Adding “If they want me, they can come and meet me here at my residence rather than them summoning me, I am above that kind of intimidation.”

CEC named sub-cub-committee led by Prime Minister Dr. Rukhana Rugunda and consisting of regional Vice Chairmen of Western Region, Maj. Gen. Matayo Kyaligoza, Abdul Nadduli of Buganda, and Mike Mukula of Eastern to invite Mbabazi and Bukenya for talks last Friday. However, up to date, both haven’t appeared before the committee.

Mbabazi is reported to have been engaged as the reason to why he didn’t attend but sources within his political indicate he is unwilling to engage in such a meeting because it would undermine him as unprincipled politician.

Bukenya and Mbabazi were at one time members of CEC and have both indicated they want to contest against their former master. Whereas Mbabazi is bent on contesting against Museveni within National Resistance Movement (NRM) party first as chairman of the party, Bukenya recently launched his party, Party of National Unity (PNU) which he plans to ride on to join the recently formed Democratic Alliance.

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