UPDATES
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NRM lazy leadership?! It is more than that
Mr. President
- In your article Movt’s problem is laziness of its leaders
By Yoweri Museveni Jan 1, 2004 in the monitor you seem to have re-identified “what is Africa’s problem” nostalgically – yours is an interesting viewpoint.
- And it is true as far as NRM intentional and held belief informs itself in public and not privately!
- To the rest of us we’ll let you know that NRM problem is a peculiar and a rare malignant.
- August 1987, a close colleague and I started doing some project work; we wanted simple information like; maps, social and economic data.
- One interesting moment to remember in particular for me, is when I wanted a map of Uganda.
- I was taken in for a thorough investigation and scrutiny, what the map was to be used for and not to give the map to any body but for the purpose I explained was to be used for.
- This map, the Uganda map just by close inspection of the eye, is faulty! It is a map though.
- I am a physical geography – but sociology is more interesting to me.
- I do not need a paper map since by a click of a computer mouse, a few shillings I can get any information about any physical location in the world and in a far better graphic or digitised format at one metre by one meter - enabling me to I see a chicken on ground.
- Nevertheless I did as instructed by the NRM agent and I still even have other funny information I was given, in my bookshelves by your lazy NRM type.
- 1988 I wanted social and economic data from what I remember to be a heavily militarily guarded department of statistics, ministry of finance manned by examined Makerere and Kyankwanzi graduates chum presumed ISO operatives at Uganda houses;
- Notice unless one had gone through Kyankwanzi there was no Ugandans could be employed into such high level institutions!
- Out of fun, I knew there was no such data. But I asked for statistics on BEANS PRODUCTION in Uganda anyway; in exactly the same way as in case of the map above.
- A young man commissioned for helping me, who I was informed was a Makerere graduate and NRM cadre interrogated me as to why I wanted Uganda statistic on beans production.
- He promised the data was there. I also agreed and waited as he browsed into computer printed figures not related to bean production to reflect NRM social and economic development prowess.
- For a week I walked to the same ministry DAILY- and because of my calmness, on several occasions I won an offer milked tea, bread, butter and sodas – which items seem to have been abundant here.
- I could not find out as to how these were financed and how ordered what for me!
- Besides, I never got the information though it was still being processed daily by NRM cadre!
- However though, I was informed that such information was a government “vital non-distributeable material”, which by luck I could or could not get. I never got it.
- By then my colleague and me have learnt a few things- as NRM world opened its doors.
- Our acts though originally innocent had become a serious investigation, a source of interesting debate and rare phenomenon into NRM institutions and mind framework.
- Me in particular as a sociologist, gave me an extraordinary opportunity to look directly into the eyes of NRM mind set and destiny of our country. (Then I had read Weber Max’s; State and Society)
- So I promised myself to get to a depth level with investigating NRM phenomena.
- 1987 my colleague and me took yet another step into the murky world of Uganda’s department of information former ministry of Information.
- This was a first occasioned by genuine efforts, to help in digitisation of data and films in the ministry - an interesting misadventure.
- There I could vividly see NRM iconic and symbolic “laziness” as you so well put it , Mr President.
- Me in particular asked question after question; in end I struck a gold mine.
- I was informed how the two ministry video cameras disappeared or were misplaced, may be the only property the ministry had for official public work!
- My discovery journey had only started and become very exciting indeed.
- Around the same period in a year or so, I went to Uganda Investment Authority;
- In fact on your concurrent speeches on foreign investment and industrialisation of Uganda.
- But let me ask you first – did you really believe in and study what you presented to Ugandans as a political scientist and political leader?
- On that basis, I personally had three targets; URA, UIA and Bank of Uganda. UIA and BoU were most inviting; even tea and sodas were served.
- That was to corroborate your rosy data about Uganda social and economic transformation, you zealously recited whenever occasion allowed.
- I got “some “ data from all the above named sources but more from the UIA. Notice I reality informs taxes from UIA investment should be reflected in URA database and BoU macro structural transformation.
- Unfortunately the data was nowhere in tandem or synchronically like anything you said.
- I was devastated for once as I was actually getting to grips with “what is Africa’s problem”! But I needed patience.
- So for a about a year data gathering, I imagined – 500 million dollar “economic” investment on a yearly basis will be visible “sociologically” i.e. the employment structures, business entrepreneurs here and there, and general welfare.
- I realistically calculated and the more than one billion investments annually in Uganda were not reflected in either tax collections or macro structures derivations. What was the problem?
- I was later discover – some so-called investor had actually left Uganda. I had never put my finger on the reasons but they obvious, as you will read below.
- As if there was a spell cast on me – my colleague once thought we could help URC, so we decide I go and investigate.
- The URC facts I wrote about them so extensively so that there is no need to repeat myself.
- 2001 as I usually do has a 100-mega byte disk in my bag, with my economic and social designs- I printed them and took them with me to a certain government office.
- Exactly in the same way I was offered audience with the people I wanted to meet and presented my proposal.
- I had informed my colleague about these efforts to keep truck of what was going in case I did not finalise it in my limited time space here. He did trust him.
- I was promised action and a quick one as my proposals were quickly recognised to be “ in-line “ with this very institutional programme previously mapped.
- I was over-joyed and who wont?!
- I left everything to my colleague for a follow up since I had to attend to other matters else in the world.
- Year 2002 – that is two years later, and nothing had been done on my proposal;
- YET my colleague has hard about a “true rumour” of something like my programme present in 2000 in the same institution were five entities were involved.
- Luckily I was on ground to follow up the small project- so it was suggested I follow up our programme with Jesus energy and commitment - so I did.
- I was launched into a spacious paper filled office, of an elder gentleman how got extremely glad to see me as I was presented to him.
- Almost exclaiming and in deep laughter, he says, “ aah you’re Bwanika have a seat “,
- and in instant he had recollected my concept work of two years ago as he stammers in yet deeper and deeper louder laughter yet assuring me, “… we discussed your project, it was very interesting and so on so forth…..”
- Seated in silence, stonily looking him into the eyes as the gentleman talks to himself, apologies and explains a bombshell comes out last.
- “….you see Bwanika, Uganda (I had got the gist from past experience now) and the people here, …. He continues people were asking how that could be done since we did not have this and that …” as his temperament changes from humour, seriousness and helpless laughter.
- ”. ……someone here has that project and I in fact I must be responsible (he stops) but someone with a certain muzungu in this building are running the… (laughter) so and so forth….”
- Later after about 15 minutes the meeting is over.
- I rushed like mad to my colleague to confide in him what I have heard. The person doing the rounds with the concept project of two years is NRM cadre flirting with an “expert muzungu”
- work Ugandans are capable of doing at no or low cost, with enthusiasm, vitality and commitment.
- Defeated, my colleague lays back in his chair for a short while – the day was over for him.
- it was coming to 5 .00 a. m. East African time.
- Without saying a single word to me he picks his car keys and leaves his office, so we part and go own ways.
- Mr. President we have a lot to say- but may be YOU can explain why the UNEP financed FOREST PROJECT in Mbarara IS COLLAPSING or abandoned by the financiers – laziness?!
- NRM will never ever develop Uganda – that is the bitter truth you should live with.
- NRM Lazy?! NO. NRM is backward, ignorant and in other special cases, bounds to primitivity.
Your humble citizen
Bwanika, Luwero.
__________
bwanika
url: www.idr.co.ug
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