Dear Drani, You are sport on in your posting. I frequently travel to Arua from my work station in Kasese and have noted what you have pointed out. Let me hope people will come back to their senses and understand that we do not need this kind of disunity.
Robert Ocatre ________________________________ From: Andua Drani <anduadr...@yahoo.co.uk> To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <westnilenet@kym.net> Sent: Thu, 5 August, 2010 18:11:27 Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] "Districtimania" Dear all, I have followed the debate on the District status of Maracha and the Presidents visit keenly The comments particularly by Vasco Oguzua and Patrick Aviku were to the point. For those who dont know me, I work in the District Local Government of Arua where I have served for the last 15 years. The experiences of division, sectarianism and hatred through which we are going now as a result of what I call districtmania is very disheartening and quite often frightening to me. It is in stark contrast with my experiencesof the years before we went into the frenzy of creating the Districts. Unity is breaking down like a pack of cards. Hatred has taken up the place of love and cooperation among, hitherto friends, schoolmates and classmates- all in the name of protecting interests of one's District/'people'. The situation is painful to some of us who chersihed the ideals of unity and friendship. The situation makes me feel ashaamed of what is goin on. Besides, what Patrick has stated ( two friends been separated), some of the worst scenarios have been played out in our local environment. Today, even among us who are the staff serving in these Districts, friendships have broken over creation of Districts. I can comfirm that I have personally lost some of my very good friends with whom I have worked closely over this matter of District creation who have are so excited over this issue. I am sure Ezaga was innocently lured into being an MC for the occasion. There are many things, I am sure if he knew them, he would have thought twice before accepting the 'offer of appoinment of MC'.However, as way of bringing us together, he was right to be there The situation is only fair for many of you members of the westnilenet who are not working in these Districts. Many cricicisms were levelled against Yumbe and Koboko due the practice of sectarianism when they were created. You all remember, for example, the recruitment debacle in Koboko. But I confirm wtih a greater amount of certainity that what I have witnessed in the last two years happening is no match to the case studies of Yumbe and Koboko. I recommend to you to just check the staff list of our last District created ( Maracha )and you will come to terms with challenge of our efforts at unity. I am quite sure if one of the counties got elevated to District status, the situation would only worsen.As many of you are talking about unity of the west nile region, we at the District levels are in love with division. It is now almost impossible for an "outsider" to work in such Districts. Very sadly, these differences have even penetrated some of our churches. As a way of trying to adress these growing divisions, Fr. Ceasar Dralega of Arua Diocese, upon his return from US after 12 years got so concerned and is making some efforts with the Lugbara Agofe to design some programme like Lugbara week- to cultivate a sense of oneness among the Lugbara and Kakwa. The exprerience is that the most affected people in this division has been the former Arua- exclude Moyo, Adjumani and Nebbi. As soon as Maracha- Terego was created, there emerged strong sentiments that those hailing from there should be denied opportunites in the mother District. There were some secret meetings some leaders and our fellow civil servants were organising, sometimes under cover of darkness to discuss how to position themselves more strategically against those from Maracha- Terego. This led to a grouping known as VAM ( Vurra, Ayivu, Madi) so as to defend their 'interests'. Very highly placed leaders are involved in these machinations. All in all, my view is that we face a real problem of unity through the creation of Districts in many parts of West Nile. I have heard some people argue that the creation of Districts help to bring services closer to the people- but how come our grades in PLE, UCE, UACE are going down, low health care etc are going down. I also see that the leaders of alsmost all our Districts have their children studying in Kampala and Wakiso. So for who are the services brought nearer if as soon as a District is created, the leaders take their children and family to access education and health care services very far way. Over to you Andua Martin Drani >I greet you all my fellow West Nilers, > >I would like to thank my brother Oguzu Vasco for his comment on the Presidents >offer to Maracha. One thing I would like us to know as people from West Nile >is >that the president is very happy for finally dividing the two brothers who >were >giving him hard time. He is jubilating for having separated two brothers who >looked inseparable. I wish we West Nilers only understood that simple fact, >then >we would not be excited of hat has taken place. > >My plea to all of us is that we should never hate each other for what has >happened, but instead show to the whole of Uganda that we can never be divided >over stupid and cheap favors to separate us. Let us speak in one voice as we >used to do before if we want to achieve great things in West Nile. > >Good luck as we struggle to develop our place even without much support from >the >Government. > >--- On Fri, 7/30/10, Vasco Oguzua <vogu...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >>From: Vasco Oguzua <vogu...@gmail.com> >>Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] President's Visit to West Nile >>To: "A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile" <westnilenet@kym.net> >>Date: Friday, July 30, 2010, 4:16 PM >> >> >>Erima Robert, >>I am not sure what you mean by contribution to a remarkable success of >>Maracha >>district. I wonder if there were really any contributions of awarding a >>district >>to Maracha other than the usual empty politics and divide and rule philosophy >>of >>the president. There is nothing to be proud about Maracha district and I do >>not >>think there is anything Maracha district will do better than Terego County >>even >>if Terego was not awrded district status. If Luwero region which helped the >>president achieve his current status has never benefitted from the suffering >>and >>inconveiences they experienced during all the dark days of the liberation, >>why >>do you think Maracha is a success story compared to all these other counties >>to >>which a district has been given. The best examples are not far from Maracha >>county. Look at Koboko and Yumbe, how have they become better than Maracha >>county when they were awarded district status some years ago. How have the >>people in these districts become better than Terego or Ayivu or Vurra >>counties >>who have not been awarded districts. >> >>I think there is nothing other than the president and the unprincipalled >>politicians who are not addressing the real problems of people, but rather >>manipulate the people for votes, especially at this time of elections >>approcahing at the pretext of awarding Districts. I do not think Terego has >>anything to loose by not being made a district and I applaud the politicians >>in >>Terego for standing firm. There were more developments in West Nile district >>when it consisted of 10 counties than West Nile now with all its numerous >>districts. >>No need to play in the hands of political manipulation of thge president by >>dividing and causing antagonism with our brothers and sisters in Terego. I >>think >>you are educated enough to know that there is nothing Maracha will gain by >>being >>a district. The president in coming there to confuse the people for his >>campaign >>nothing to gain other than intimidating people with his security people. >> >>Vasco Oguzua >> >>On Fri, Jul 30, 2010 at 8:41 AM, ERIMA ROBERT <erimarob...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>Members >>>Thanks to all those who contributed to this remarkable success.We welcome >>>the >>>President to our new district.What about our brothers and sisters in >>>Terego.What >>>can we do for them in order to make them happy also.Politicians,civil >>>society >>>and all those stake holders lets also join hands and make our neighbours >>>happy >>>so that development comes to our region. >>>Erima Robert >>> >>> >>>On 7/29/10, oguzu lee <oguzu...@yahoo.com> wrote: >>>Dear Members, >>>>President Museveni will be visiting West Nile this saturday to lauch >>>>Maracha >>>>District. Don't we have salient issues as a region to bring to his >>>>attention? I >>>>see this would be such a unique opporunity to petition him for a number of >>>>issues we've complained about instead of only celebrating a district >>>>status. >>>> >>>> >>>>Looking forward to hearing from you. >>>> >>>>Denis Lee Oguzu >>>> >>>>_______________________________________________ >>>>WestNileNet mailing list >>>>WestNileNet@kym.net >>>>http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >>>> >>>>WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >>>> >>>>All Archives can be found at http://www.mail-archive.com/westnilenet@kym.net/ >>>> >>>>The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >>>>attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. >>>>_______________________________________________ >>>> >>>> >>> >>>_______________________________________________ >>>WestNileNet mailing list >>>WestNileNet@kym.net >>>http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >>> >>>WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >>> >>>All Archives can be found at http://www.mail-archive.com/westnilenet@kym.net/ >>> >>>The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >>>attachments if any). 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