Hussein Akbar Godi
29 October 2008
opinion
On October 9 this year, a humble group of Ugandans matched to Kololo to celebrate 46th independence anniversary from Britain. Our Growth Domestic Product (GDP) is only $10.8b and real growth domestic product is estimated to have grown by 6.5 per cent.
This is what NRM revolutionaries have offered for the last 22 years. If I were to talk about 46 years, the political history of Uganda is long and complex stretching back to 1884 when the British officially took over.
Yes, one will say we have achieved the self rule and consequently we can now mismanage ourselves. Let me not go into the Temangalo saga. The 1900 Buganda agreement that the Baganda cherish so much left Buganda with unfinished issues. Up to now they are claiming regions that were annexed to them by the British like Buruuli.
Forty-six years ago the British colonialists were the architects of Uganda's economy. To date we are still selling coffee, cotton and tea; nothing has changed. Where is the vision of the revolutionaries? The great Pan Africanists like Kwame Nkrumah, Milton Obote, Kamuzu Banda, Julius Nyerere and others were African patriots and nationalists who engaged colonialism head on. What happened to the new breed of leaders? The secretariat of Pan African Movement in Uganda is now a theatre of businessmen and women of capitalist mind and I am sure they did not even think of independence day. What a shame?
While addressing the nation at Kololo President Museveni assured Ugandans that he would improve infrastructure, health sector and others. But it's almost becoming a song, How will you improve infrastructure with the same characters that have failed the same sectors of the economy?
Our peasants continue to use traditional hoes and pangas in order to produce and export to the world market dictated by subsides in other developed world. The economy has stabilised but are the workers sure of their money? Uganda continues to lag behind in development despite the fact that there is exaggeration of growth, GDP, GNP etc. All the economic jargons have been applied by my colleague Dr Ezra Suruma, the Finance Minister. Independence values were self reliance, freedom, liberty and respect for human rights. All these were denied to us by colonialists.
I participated in the 'independence' celebrations in my constituency. A certain army officer Capt. Kamara attached to 409 Brigade of 4th Division, being unaware of protocol issues in Uganda, attempted to interrupt my speech claiming I was inciting people when I elaborated on true values of independence.
I told my constituents that government should take measures to see that open sale of firearms in South Sudan does not cause insecurity in Uganda. I think this was a call for safety, it didn't have anything political. It was a safety call. Instead afande Kamara resorted to cheap intimidation yet for some of us who have offered our lives for the country know that patriotism is not the fear of something. It's the love of something!
I realised that Capt Kamara was part of Ugandans who have one enemy; democracy, and have one common goal; destruction of democracy. That was the independence we had in Arua Municipality.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of Uganda and to the republic for which it stands; one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
Mr Godi is MP for Arua municipality
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