“This session is devoted for the people of Northern Uganda and for us to discuss issues regarding the Greater North, let us have respect for the people of the Greater North. We should learn to have respect. Issues that don’t concern this region, shouldn’t be issues to be discussed. You have your Kampala House there, where you can do all the manyanga (Nonsense)” – Speaker Anita Among (28.08.2024).
“You should be commended, together with the leadership of Parliament, economically, is a big boost to the Gulu economy, to the Northern Uganda economy, because, over 10 Committees of Parliament in the last two weeks were deployed in west Nile, Acholi, Lango and Karamoja. All these members were sleeping in hotels within this region and for these days, we are sleeping in hotels in Gulu. We are eating from restaurants in Gulu, we are fueling cars from fuel stations in Gulu. Implying, a farmer growing cassava in Gulu benefits because we are eating food, locally grown” – Hamson Obua MP (28.08.2024).
The Greater North deserves better.
Say it after me, but the Northern Region deserves so much more than this. It is just a transactional affair and a short term feast for a handful of chosen few. They are masquerading it as a cause for the greater good. However, it is the MPs that gets the perks, the allowances and the lavish life-style. Nevertheless, the public won’t gain much or even do good for them for long.
This Gulu Siting is a publicity stunt. That’s what it is. The MPs from the Greater North is grateful for it, but they are just getting paid for working one day and letting everything else be. They haven’t been there working hard or been delivering government services. No, they have been a public wastage and misuse of office. These MPs has been busy causing more public expenditure. The state has money to spend on these MPs and for their travelling expenses. However, the same government cannot afford to pay medical interns. That’s saying something…
We knew the MPs likes leisure and like to be vastly paid. This whole enterprise is a mini-vacation on the clock. These MPs are getting paid and getting everything covered. It is just a fun week in the North. They won’t solve things or even handle things accordingly. They could have had the focus in the Parliament. These MPs could have had a Plenary Session on the Northern Region there. Which is possible with all the Northern MPs having a say and pushing the agenda of the region there. However, that wouldn’t be as “useful” or as “lavish” as travelling to the North doing so. Now they are paid and get to live life with all perks paid for. That’s a much better life and easier too.
It is just really showing what is important for the MPs. That they get to live lavish and get everything served for them. That’s what happened here.
The MPs are just eating. Their turn to eat. They found a way of massively doing so and taking the “parliament” to the people. However, these MPs can travers their constituencies and bring back the message from them in a plenary session, if they want too… but we rarely hear that or even concerns of that matter. No, they could go to the sub-county or their district, which elected them. Nevertheless, that isn’t as profitable as a Sitting like this. Gulu and the other districts won’t develop or get enriched by this. They will just get a small insignificant stimulus for a hot minute. Peace.
MinBane 