President to lecturers, “No salary increment, stop the games.” August 15, 2013 President Yoweri Museveni has said that lecturers who do not want to go back to work can go and rear goats because there is no money to increase their salaries. “We have now shut the university. If lecturers don’t want to go back to work, let them go and rear goats. I’m tired of these games, they should stop. The budget is read during the day and everybody knows when it is read, highlighting how different issues are to be addressed throughout the financial year. They would discuss and say, remove this road or that project and put that money on our salaries,” the President said. The President said salaries are recurrent expenditures that need to be dealt with every month unlike infrastructure development such as roads and electricity which you invest in after ten years and which the lecturers also use. The President’s warning comes a day after the University Council announced the closure of the university until further notice following demands by lecturers for a 100% salary increment. The President was today addressing civilian veterans and the public at Katende-Kiwamirembe zone, Kavule parish, Kiringente, Mawokota North constituency in Mpigi district during a tour to reinforce the poverty fight and improve incomes among veterans in former war zones. He appointed Lt. Martin Balagadde to oversee Kiringente zone. The overall programme will be implemented by General Salim Saleh who will be deputized by Brig. Proscovia Nalweyiso. The President wants veterans in former war zones to be models of transformation in the fight against poverty. The President gave an in-depth history about Uganda’s economic situation saying in 1986, the country collected only Shs 5bn. With good policies on investments, the tax collections have grown to Sh 9000bn. However, government has also prioritized infrastructure development and rehabilitation which he said will spur development and lower the cost of doing business there by providing employment, increase tax collections and spur development. The President who hailed the people of Mawokota for voting progressive members of parliament said implementation of some government programmes has been slow because of sabotage and frustration by some members of parliament. “I can’t work alone. I need people who support our programmes to go through. But if you send me those who oppose everything, they disturb me and work can’t move. This year alone, we budgeted for Sh 2300bn for roads because we need to prioritize. The good thing with roads is that once you invest, you can wait for another ten years before you work on them again. But some people have been advocating for salaries which you have to pay every month,” he said. Using the example of the MP for Butambala County, Muwanga Kivumbi who has been de campaigning the budget yet his people are demanding for roads. “Butambala elected Kivumbi. What is he there for? His people want a good road and their MP is in parliament frustrating it,” he said and advised the people of Butambala to remove him since he is just a saboteur and doing nothing useful. The President said corruption and thieving officials have also affected service delivery since the money meant for projects is inflated and stolen. “That war is still there but we are arresting them slowly. They frustrated a program for electricity. I had to interfere in Karuma now it is done. I gave them three years but they were busy fighting for enjawulo (a difference). They were agents of foreign companies fighting for the deal instead of being agents of government. We have now decided to give it to the Chinese because they have the capacity. Corruption and saboteurs only frustrate development,” he said. The President said under the new poverty fight approach, every home must have at least an acre of coffee, fruits, elephant grass for a zero grazing dairy cow alongside other cost effective projects like poultry for eggs, piggery for non Muslims, goats and pond fishing. He pledged to provide tractors for community farming provided the users procure the fuel depending on the acreage, a brick making machine for cheap bricks and machines for value addition. The President directed the State Minister for Lands Aidah Nantaba to investigate the controversy surrounding the land of the late Sebugulu in Mpigi district and that of the grabbing of Church land by a businessman in Kamengo. ENDS.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 16:26:46 +0000
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