President Museveni has reiterated the need for Ugandans to create wealth by engaging in money-making ventures with ekibaro (calculation), before assuring them that what eradicates poverty is wealth.
“Those coming to Kakumiro today for the celebrations, have seen how many tarmac roads we have done in Bunyoro and how much we have extended the electricity network. The NRM has, however, all this time, been telling you that you do not eat tarmac roads, but you eat the food that you have either grown or bought. The same applies to clothing, housing, mode of locomotion, etc. The latter are all part of wealth (obugaiga) and the former (roads, electricity, etc.), are part of development,” Gen Museveni remarked.
President Museveni made the remarks Thursday during the celebrations to mark the 37th NRM Victory Anniversary held at Kakumiro District.
“Therefore, for wealth, we are telling you that every adult must engage in wealth for money with ekibaro, either as an entrepreneur or as an employee in the four sectors of: Commercial agriculture, Industry, Services, and ICT. No excuses for the bakongozi. You may have developed, but if People are asleep, you can continue with poverty. Why? It is because what eradicates poverty (obwooro, obwavu, obunaku, can, etc.), is wealth, development is a mere enabler of wealth creation.”
He also emphasized the need to ensure mass education so that the whole society embraces a Science-led Society and gets out of ignorance and superstition where people believe that etalo is caused by edogo (witchcraft) and not by a bacteria known as straphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria that cause the cellulitis.
“Therefore, all emiziziko (obstacles) that interfere with education, such as school charges, must be removed. Since many families cannot yet afford the paying money for education, the Government must provide free education in Government Primary, Secondary and Tertiary institutions. The present drop-out rate at the Secondary Schools level of 64%, is not acceptable. Stay tuned. You will hear what we shall tell you in a few weeks.”
On the issue of corruption, the President congratulated some Government agencies for trying to ensure that the vice is stamped out.
He stated that he has seen people that had stolen Parish Development Model (PDM) and emyooga money, being arrested or being forced to refund the money.
“That is good. However, it is not enough. I have heard the Bazukulu crying about the District Service Commissions selling Local Government jobs. I have heard of girls being exploited sexually as bribes for jobs. Get evidence, please, devoted members of the Public and we expunge and roast those pigs. The DISOs and the CIDs, should also be on notice. How does such corruption go on in your AOR (Area of Responsibility) and you do not know or, if you know, you do not report?” President Museveni wondered.
“You still hear some elements pushing sectarianism of tribe and religion. We long ago banished sectarianism. I believe it is both a criminal and electoral offence. Somebody can lose his or her seat in elected office if it is proved that he used sectarianism, even if he is already elected. Why, then, preserve such parasites? Get the evidence and we get rid of them. They can also be persecuted criminally.”
On the other hand, the President urged Ugandans to conserve the environment (forests, wetlands, the river-banks, Lake shores, the hill-tops, etc) since it’s very crucial for their survival.
“We need water and clean air. Both of them come from wetlands and forests. You cannot say that you are a patriot of Uganda, but you damage our wetlands, our forests, our riverbanks, our Lake shores, and our steep gradients, on which our livelihoods depend. Even food is possible because of air, water, etc.
You become a munyanzigwa (enemy) when you damage these. 40% of our rain, comes from these forests and wetlands. It is the 60% that comes from the Oceans. How can we destroy ourselves in this way on account of some greedy People? Therefore, be alerted. In a few weeks, I will launch a mega effort, to get rid of this parasitism,” he concluded.
