JUSTICE FORUM (JEEMA) WEEKLY PRESS STATEMENT JEEMA Headquarters, Mengo, Kampala, Saturday June 15, 2013 Smart Politics. Smart Governance. 1.0 2013/14 Budget A Wake-Up Call To Rural Communities 1.1 In the 2013/14 Budget estimates announced on Thursday by Finance Minister Maria Kiwanuka, the NRM leadership suggested to compel Ugandans generate the required total revenue by 81%! This is something it’s determined to achieve tooth and nail. It’s a fiscal policy so hard-hitting, especially to the rural communities who are to incur increased costs of transport and fuel without witnessing any newly introduced incentive or innovation geared at enhancing their homestead incomes. Civil servants, whose salaries were not increased amid an avalanche of new taxes, are to experience a regime-induced high marginal consumption propensity, thereby affect saving mobilization efforts of commercial banks while traders’ returns are to dwindle in light of the new taxes. 1.2 Thus, though the minister pronounced the development with a smiling face, it wasn’t something for celebration. The circumstances leading to this position—i.e. the stolen funds in Amama Mbabazi, the NRM Secretary-General’s office were never sanctioned by Ugandans so that they could finance their national budget by nearly 100%. 1.3 The state of affairs as it is is regrettable and should be condemned by all right-thinking members of this nation. And no body should pretend contented by making Ugandans suffer a double jeopardy. Citizens in the Northern part of the nation and Karamoja sub-region to whom the stolen funds were intended as a post-conflict rehabilitation program, missed service deliveries in the first place. But in the second place are being made to pay for what development partners have withdrawn in budgetary support—while the minister calls it ‘historic’ because the already deprived Ugandans will be squeezed to finance the budget by 81%. Shame! Shame! This is not a position attained on account of a resilient economy, but immoral conduct. 1.4 On a positive side, however, the development serves as a timely wake-up call, to rural communities. On many occasions, when we would appeal for their attention against the many imprudent NRM-governance policies, they would assume a complacent attitude as though these policies only affect urban neighborhoods. This time round, rural people are directly targeted. 1.5 It’s an act of wickedness for Mr. Museveni to blame other ‘leaders’ for what he calls ‘disorientations.’ He should frankly own up the leadership mistakes committed in the last nearly 30 years of his NRM administration. 1.6 Ethiopia, which he now wants to associate with because of its economic successes, has pursued a consistent direction in regard to economic ideology. Ironically, the Ethiopian leadership of late Prime Minister Males Zenawi whose vision is credited for the social transformation there, came into government much later in 1991 after Museveni’s NRM in 1986. The contrast is that Ethiopia pursued a firm independent-minded state-run economy whereas Museveni drifted between ideologies in apparent efforts to impress foreign powers for egocentrism. Whereas Ethiopia, without oil and gas resources is already building six-lane road networks and electric railways, Uganda’s 2013/14 budgetary priority is in rehabilitating old ordinary railway systems and two-lane narrow-highways without pedestrian provisions! Ethiopia talks of attaining middle income position in 2025 and Uganda in 2017! 1.7 Thus if Uganda has suffered any ideological disorientations, it’s a direct responsibility of NRM leadership and the party’s chairman, Mr. Museveni. It’s a leadership that has veered from mixed-economy to full-blown market economy. From oil refinery to pipeline and yet ‘unequivocal’ promises of a refinery. From new district creation to no more new district—even after budgetary allocations, whose accountability is now uncertain. From new Land Amendment Act to several land committees to only ‘one’ land committee that shortly halts operations midway! And without any sense of shame, someone blames the Lukyamuzis of this world for leadership disorientation! 1.8 Thus JEEMA once again implores Ugandans to effectively utilize the renewed leverage accorded to them by the new fiscal policies. Ugandans, more than ever before in this regime’s time must this time aggressively assert their right to demand for adequate and timely service deliveries. Secondly they must ask the NRM party to return the donor funds misappropriated by its Secretary-General’s Office to the donors so that the suspended aid is restored until such a time when Ugandans would be in a proper systematic not sham position to finance their national budget to the tune of 80% and eventually 100%. And finally, all thieves in Mr. Mbabazi’s office must be prosecuted. 2.0 Nile Waters 2.1 JEEMA offers that our nation, as the source of the great River Nile should play a mediatory role to settle the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia. It was not appropriate for Mr. Museveni to use the country’s National Assembly as a platform to take sides in this conflict whereas our foreign policy is clear on the importance of diplomacy in conflict resolution. JEEMA believes that even without the indulgency of Uganda, countries with more pressing interests in both Egypt and Ethiopia, like the United States of America can prevail over the two to ensure they each achieve their sovereign objectives without resorting to conflict. But for Mr. Museveni to use the Parliament of Uganda, of all available forums to threaten the new Egyptian administration, reassured the popular belief that he has a sharper ear for areas of war than any other national pressing issue. Uganda, after wasting half a century pre-occupied with armed conflicts, today deserves a new president that will give concrete priority to social development sectors like health, education, agriculture and infrastructure building. Not one to seek procurement of more fighter jets to march those of Egypt. 3.0 Father’s Day: 3.1 In light of our emphasis on the concept of morality, represented as the FOURTH, pillar in our acronym, JEEMA, we take opportunity to congratulate the great father’s of this nation upon marking the International Father’s Day which falls on June 16. For our nation to fully recover from the moral decadency that has deeply eaten to its born marrow, fathers have to be more than that. They ought to be Dads. Dads find pleasure in assuming male-domestic responsibilities as co-home managers alongside mothers. They are sure that their proper ways of managing homes reflect in the nation’s future leadership and management. They treat mothers of their children well so that they are happy—to ultimately make the entire world happy. Women definitely shape the world’s mood. But Dads initiate the process in homes. 4.0 Uganda Cranes 4.1 Once more, JEEMA wishes the best of luck for our national football side, the Uganda Cranes in its encounter against the national team of Angola in Mandela National Stadium, Namboole tonight. We have faith in the squad’s capacity to make the nation proud qualifiers for Brazil 2014. Be assured of our full support. All the best. Swaib K. Nsereko SECRETARY FOR INFORMATION email: shuaibkagwa@gmail
Posted on: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 14:20:37 +0000
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