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What should FDC do about 'rebel' MP Alex
Onzima?
Just ignore him.
Kamulegeya Bonny, Ntuusi.
It’s not easy to chase Hon. Onzima because
FDC is like any other club or group that people call
parties. It lacks a mechanism to punish members equally,
open forum for evaluation, lacks internal democracy
and, like most others, have only well wishers. That’s
why Hon. Onzima is not bothered; after all he can
form his own party like Hon. Mabikke did.
Asiimwe Stephen, Pan-Africanist.
Absolutely nothing. Onzima is not alone; there are
more Onzimas in FDC, depending on the degree of rebellion
and political madness.
Nanyiri Karim, Bukonde-Mbale.
Onzima is not a rebel. FDC members should know that
freedom of choice is a universal principle to which
there should be no exception!
Nabasa Susen Batman.
He joined FDC willingly, so if he feels like quitting,
why not? The verdict will come from the electorate.
That’s politics mwattu.
Kasule, Kampala.
Declare the seat vacant, since he lied and was elected
on an FDC ticket. We shan’t be happy seeing
him promote his selfish interests at our expense.
Let him go and try his luck as a Movement candidate.
Mabele.
Onzima is just an opportunist and strategist. He
sailed to parliament on the back of FDC and now wants
to eat from NRM hands. Onzima is tormenting FDC and
the party should take the hard decision of expelling
him.
Hood Yusuf, Kasese.
Let the party authorities find out the root cause
of Hon. Onzima’s grievances. Otherwise today
it is Onzima the other day it might be another MP,
and finally it might even be the party boss himself.
Kirwiisa Lusaalu, Nakuwadde.
If he declares leaving FDC, he automatically loses
his seat. But before that, the party has to try to
understand him and if his stand contradicts the party
position, then the wish of the people in the 2011
elections would do the needful.
Kanaama Kibindi, Mbarara.
Indeed Onzima has turned into a “Rebel”.
However the party should know that there is freedom
of association. Therefore if he has willingly deserted
the party let him first surrender the parliamentary
seat and let it be declared vacant. Let him publicly
declare that he has defected to the ruling party and
finally let him face the FDC disciplinary council
for showing interest in allying with a rival.
Bugembe Noah, Kiboga.
Do we know what the phone Onzima gave Museveni contains?
His own people survive on less than a dollar a day,
yet Onzima buys Museveni a phone!
0782610456.
FDC, like Kony, is doing Museveni a favour by tearing
itself apart.
Spencer, Busia.
The FDC party is like a grass house; if one section
collapses, the whole structure will come tumbling
down.
Tumwine Jean
Claude. |
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Probe pastors who mislead their flock
This is the time for the government to get tough on the
so-called pastors who claim their prayers can cure HIV/AIDS.
Grace Kashemeire’s shocking testimony that she had
been lying all along about Pastor Namutebi’s powers
curing her of HIV should be an eye opener to the government
(The Weekly Observer, May 8-14, 2008). There are so many
gullible Christians in the Born-Again churches who actually
believe that only prayers can cure them of AIDS. Many of
them have ended up giving up medication, thanks to these
unscrupulous pastors.
There is no way we are going to get rid of HIV when we
still have these mean people amongst us.
“God helps those who help themselves,” the saying
goes. We believe that prayers work, but let them be accompanied
with medication.
It is now incumbent on the government to investigate these
unscrupulous pastors.
The sooner the better.
Edward Bindhe,
Masaka.
.......................
We are safer with media than Police
The more the Police force becomes partisan, militarised
and superintended by an army General, the more Ugandans
prefer reporting their cases and grievances to the media.
The media is being perceived as more effective in investigating
and exposing human rights abuses, corruption and other crimes
than the Police. It has become a source of consolation.
And even though some of the criminals remain scot-free,
at least through the media the untouchables and highly placed
violators are being named and shamed.
Whenever and wherever there are major corruption scandals
and human rights abuse cases, it is the media that blows
the whistle, and not the Police. No wonder the journalists
have to suffer the wrath of the different security operatives
and constantly face sedition charges.
The media has become the only hope for many helpless Ugandans.
Whenever they are faced with a medical problem beyond their
personal means, desperate Ugandans run to the media through
which they solicit for help from the public. No one bothers
to go to the Minister of Health because the situation is
so hopeless.
Police stations are most times intimidating places, sometimes
crawling with armed soldiers. One would rather go to a media
house where the only ‘arms’ are pencils and
notepads. And here at least the public will get to know
your story.
Raymond Otika,
rokisao@yahoo.com
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Uganda lawmakers should copy British
British-bashing has long been a favourite pastime of African
despots hell-bent on overstaying their welcome. But at least
you can’t fault UK parliamentarians for not doing
the job taxpayers elect them for - and expect them to do
on their behalf; being uncompromising when it comes to holding
their government to account.
Only the other day, they forced the Ministry of Defence
to disclose the amount of taxpayers’ money (£162,000
or UShs 535 million) spent on training the second-in-line
to the UK throne, Prince William, for four-months with the
Royal Air Force.
One wonders when our parliamentarians will borrow a leaf
from their UK counterparts and demand the NRM government
to disclose how much taxpayers’ money was spent on
training President Museveni’s son, Major Muhoozi Kainerugaba,
at the prestigious Sandhurst (England) and Fort Leavenworth
(US) military academies.
Obalell Omoding,
London-UK.
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Amin deserves more credit than Gaddafi
Those who wish Uganda well cannot ignore former president
Idi Amin Dada.
Amin put Uganda on the world map, if for some wrong reasons,
but no one, not even Herodotus the great Greek historian,
would have revised the historical facts of the good things
Amin did for Uganda, especially for the Muslim community.
Even the NRM revisionists who demonise Amin as an “idiot”
will never change that history.
Although Amin officially allocated the land where the ‘Gaddafi
Mosque’ stands, no mention or credit was given to
him during the inauguration of the historical mosque in
March 2008.
Col. Gaddafi, who was a cheerleader during Amin’s
era of terror and murder, and an accomplice in crimes against
humanity, instead took all the credit. The mosque was named
after him plus a bonus; the Makerere Hill Road is now renamed
Gaddafi Road! Yet the historical background of the mosque
shows that it was Amin’s vision and brainchild.
Amin made sure Uganda became a member of (OIC) in 1974,
even when in reality Uganda was not an Islamic country,
like the majority member states.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind if the mosque was named
after Amin. I just hope the Ugandan Muslim community has
not forgotten Amin altogether.
Raymond Otika,
rokisao@yahoo.com
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Nsibambi inaccurate on land evictions
I refer to The New Vision of January 25, 2008 (Nsibambi
address to clergy on land).
In this story, Uganda’s Prime Minister tried to justify
the Land Amendment Bill, 2007 by citing several eviction
cases in different parts of the country, Doho in Butaleja
District inclusive.
He claimed that more than 200 families were evicted from
Doho. I hail from Doho Muhuyu village, Mazimasa Sub-county,
Butaleja District. But with due respect to the Prime Minister,
I don’t know of any such evictions alleged in the
story. As far as I know, no single person or family in Doho
has been evicted as alleged by the Prime Minister. He should
be put to task to name the persons who were evicted and
by whom.
If that is not done, the justification for the bill will
have been cast in doubt because it is based on wrong information.
Nakwali Edinan,
Sec. LC1 – Doho Muhuyu Village
.......................
Parents needed in school funds
I attended the President’s rally in Keri, Koboko,
during his tour of West Nile.
He strongly condemned and threatened to imprison head teachers
of schools which are charging parents what he called ‘Development
Fund’, and yet the Ministry of Education allocates
funds for development.
I very much agree with this opinion, but perhaps what we
need to do is come up with a method which ensures accountability
for each and every shilling the parents are charged. The
ministry could make sure that parents are involved in the
planning of such funds so that people who want to embezzle
it are easily detected.
Desmond Kenyi,
Koboko.
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Mango flat rate is simply great
I wish to congratulate Uganda Telecom for the Flat rate
innovation introduced recently. I must say that this is
the sweetest thing to have happened to my handset. Under
this arrangement, Utl deducts Shs 2,000 from my account
at midnight and then I have 50 minutes and 25 SMSs free
to Mango and Utl landlines.
I notice that with this system, I can call my family and
friends on utl for barely Shs 40 a minute! That is incredibly
affordable. It is a sign that call rates can actually come
down. My wife often travels in East Africa and I am glad
to say I can call her on her Mango line for minutes and
minutes, compared to a few minutes in the past.
Keep it up Mango!
Ideal R. Mulanda,
Kampala.
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