President Museveni who Tuesday kick-started his tour of the West Nile sub-region, has praised Mr Aliamoi Swaib and his family for religiously following his advice of adopting modern commercial and calculated farming that has propelled him into the money economy.
The President described the progressive farmer as his co-teacher who listens and does what he is taught.
“I am very happy to be here with the Vice President and the Prime Minister to see the coming true of our Gospel because this is what I have been telling Ugandans. I want to thank the family of Aliamoi. They are the Simons and Peters who followed the Gospel. Jesus said, you follow me, and we create a new world. Some believed while others did not believe,” he observed.
Mr Aliamoi Swaib is one of the model farmers who has invested in growing cassava, and oranges and rearing goats on a 53-acre piece of land in Abario Cell – Rhino Camp Town Council.
According to the Woman Member of Parliament, Madi Okollo District; Hon. Joan Aniku, the story of the rise of Mzee Swaib into the money economy commenced in 2015 following his bumper harvest of the cassava crop.
The farmer, having followed President Museveni’s advice of growing citrus fruits ventured into orange farming and he has planted over 400 trees that earn him over Uganda Shillings 20 million per acre.
Mzee Swaib has additionally planted mango trees and anticipates earning over Shillings 40 million.
Mr Swaib is educating his children from the proceeds of the farm.
He has also constructed a permanent house, acquired a solar system for lighting and is the only family in the area that has connected piped water to his house.
President Museveni once again thanked the family of Mr Swaib for proving the correctness of the wealth creation gospel.
“I thank Mzee Swaib and family for proving correct our preaching. Mzee Swaib has become my co-teacher. I talk and he does what I say. For that I will give him a tractor and a pickup,” the President said.
On some of the concerns raised by the Woman MP Madi Okollo district Hon. Joan Aniku, the President concurred with the Member of Parliament to improve the status of the roads to first-class murram and directed the Prime Minister to ensure that most of the roads in the area are being worked on.
“We have the plan to do the road from Pakwach along the river Nile to Rifule. It might take time, but we shall start with the Murram roads. The Prime Minister will oversee that,” he said.
At the farm of Mr Moses Obeta who was offered 400 acres of land by Mr Agandru Alex; President Museveni expressed his gratitude to the family for showing Ugandans that wealth can be created through commercial farming.
Mr Obetia, a model farmer in Oyuu village, Anibi Parish in Rhino Camp sub-county rears goats, cows and sheep.
“Some people have been saying Museveni is Enzo (liar). I am an enemy of poverty in homes. This is a struggle I started in the 1960s. The cattle corridor now extends from the Tanzanian border to here. Milk is now exported to Algeria,” he said.
President Museveni pledged to support Mr Obetia with barbed wire, and concrete poles that are not eaten by ants or rot because of the soil.
Another success story seen by the President is Mr Bayo Richard and his wife Alisaba Eunice who live at Eyama Cell in Ewadri Ward, Ayivu East Division- Arua City.
The couple has an integrated farm of mango trees, a variety of fruit seedlings, piggery and poultry. They are now deeply involved in the money economy.
The couple disclosed that they started their farm in 2011 while still at the University using savings from their allowances of 600,000/=.
President Museveni promised to support them with a solar irrigation system.
“I am very happy to see Mr Bayo and his wife Eunice because people have been saying that NRM is Enzo (lying). This proves that we can all become rich,” he noted.
