The Deputy Speaker of parliament and Omoro county Member of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah has blamed the biting poverty in Acholi on disunity among the political leaders in the region.
Oulanyah said the rivalry among Acholi leaders can be witnessed from the local council up to the parliamentary level.
“When someone wants to move ahead in this region, they are pulled down, when you want unity, they are against it, we shall be in poverty for long. We are not doing good at all…”Oulanyah said.
Mr Oulanyah compared the long time it is taking Acholi to develop to the Exodus of the Israelite from Egypt to Israel which took 40 years.
“For 40 years moving ahead has defeated the Acholi people, 40 years is a significant period of time for this region to have developed but because of the disunity, we are still not there. We are worst than the Israelite,” Mr Oulanyah said.
Mr Oulanyah was on Saturday addressing hundreds of people who turned up for the fourth annual memorial anniversary of Ms Ireene Gleeson, the founder of Irene Gleeson Foundation [IGF], a charity in in Kitgum district.
Oulanyah who was originally a member of the Opposition Uganda Peoples Congress which has since ”struck a deal” with the ruling NRM government was once a fierce critic of President Museveni’s NRM. But since joining the NRM himself, Oulanyah has been a lyrical supporter of Museveni at one point likening the president to Jesus.
At the Saturday event in Kitgum, the Deputy Speaker pointed out that for the Acholi region to move out of poverty, the leaders must unite, dialogue and seek guidance.
“Let us rise up as leaders in the region and bury this disunity tearing us apart. Without the rivalry we can achieve much in terms of development, education, poverty reduction among others.’’
In an interview on Monday, Agago South Member of Parliament Prof Ogenga Latigo who was not at the Kitgum event concurred with Mr Oulanyah saying that leaders in Acholi are not united on many matters.
“Most of our leaders spend their time doing things their own ways instead of having a collective idea that can support development. Too many times the leaders are busy involved in inciting people on land matters which has left the region in conflict,” Prof Latigo told Acholi Times.
When asked whether the poverty in Acholi is due to the two decades war the region suffered, Prof Latigo said: “It’s true our people were affected by the war, but its over now, we need to understand the reality and not keep basing our problems on the same matter. We need to move ahead if we are to develop,”
The Prime Minister of the Acholi cultural Institution Ambrose Ola who also wasn’t in Kitgum when Oulanyah made the statements said poverty in Acholi is ”multi-dimensional” noting, however, that the biggest challenge in the region is the high level of dependency syndrome.
“Our work culture has eroded over the years because of the extensive dependency syndrome, the education system in the region is no longer producing quality people. The quality of the work force is completely compromised,” Mr Ola said.
Acholi Sub region experienced two decades of insurgency involving the Ugandan government and the rebel Lords Resistance Army (LRA). The insurgency led to the displacement of close to 2 million people in the so- called internally displaced peoples camps (IDPs). Conflict between the LRA and the Ugandan government ended in northern Uganda in 2006.
According to a 2016 Poverty Assessment report, Uganda has reduced monetary poverty at a very rapid rate but the Progress in reducing poverty has been much slower in Northern and Eastern Uganda. According to the World Bank report concentration of poverty is higher in northern Uganda.
Rampant corruption, a regular occurance in the NRM government has also been blamed for the poverty in Uganda. The World Bank estimates that as much as 600 billion shilling is stolen yearly by government officials, money that could have been used to put in place much needed services like medicine in health facilities and safe drinking water, among others.
4 Comments
What are they doing about the so-called disunity? In the last election cycle Oulanyah and his group violently disrupted the rally of an opposition candidate. Does he call that an act to generate unity? Bullshit!
Oulanya’s unity is to cross over to Museveni, kneel / genuflect at every opportunity to pay homage the almighty Museveni. Left to his will, Acholi land would already be crawling with Bafurikis and their cattle and the indigenous beck in IDP.
We need military school discipline – forced cross country running twice a week. Health inspection every morning – washed feet, head-lice, brushed teeth, washed and ironed uniforms. Then we teach Reading and Arithmetic. Early farm / agriculture in school instills self reliance back in the villages. Clear Gulu of vagrants. Some of the IDPs in Gulu should go ( Goa quarters, Pece etc) – send the youth to the villages.
How about this, instead of giving away the unoccupied lands to foreigners, let us form resettlement families of ten each group. Move them to these areas (100 acres each), obtain support from NGOs re: farm implements (chickens, oats, seed, hoes, ploughs). It can work.
Pray for our brothers in Kenya during the coming elections. Trust me, peace and development in Acholiland that of South Sudan hinges on this election. Please subjects this election to critical analysis.
Understand that already, the Anyuak in Ethiopia are oppressed and losing their fertile land to red-skinned Ethiopian highlanders – just like in Acholiland ( remember certain so-called “friendships” or ” “new breed” of African leaders” rule these lands). War in South Sudan impacts Acholiland (our close kins are dying). My prayer is for “NERO Obama” / wod thuon, to win so as to balance out the East African Equation (Ruwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, and South Sudan).
Kwan lok me RYEKO below:
Remember in may 2009, the then First Vice President of the Republic of Sudan , President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) H. E. General Salva Kiir Mayardit went to Kisumu where he was crowned at Kiboko Bay Resort by LUO COUNCIL OF ELDERS at a dinner hosted by the then Prime Minister of Kenya Dr. Raila Amollo Odinga. Speaking through a translator during this traditional ceremony, the Luo elder said it was necessary to re-establish ties with their fellow Luos left many years ago in the Sudan during immigration period.
His Excellency Kiir was given a STOOL, a STICK, a HAT, AWULA, and a traditional bag as a significant indicator of the power of leadership.
NERO OBAMA is my hope to bring peace between the two “Luo” warring brothers ma tye i pa neyo Acoli ni, not ladit lobo megawani!! Me aryo Nero Obama obikelo woro icwiny lumeroko mogo ma tye hell bent on under-developing others through intrigue and instability.
I was most impressed by what is happening in Koch Goma – thanks to the efforts of lutino Koch especially George Okutho.
See Youtube “Koch Goma Coming of Age” and “Oj Murugut Kwan Ber Official HD VIDEO 2017 MP4” to UNDERSTAND What our so called LEADERS should be doing instead of making speeches or running to a Madhvani as if their fingers are cut off from Leprosy. Look in the mirror Deputy Speaker after watching the two youtube videos then talk!!
Google this ” president Salva kiir honoured in great lakes university” and then reflect on what might have been if NERO OBAMA had won while Obama was still in the white house. Stop looking South (down) when you should be looking UP (North) naturally – lonyo moo, etc and yes many many wat-luo dwong is SS according to president Salva Kiir.