Opinion: The Movement’s endless Money-Making Schemes

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) have endlessly created money-making schemes over the years. The Parish Development Model (PDM) is nothing new, but a configuration of previous efforts. This being the Emyooga, SACCOs, NAADs, Youth Livelihood Programme, Micro-Loan Programmes, Rural Micro Finance Project, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) or anything else you can spell out. Heck, we should not forget the Entandikwa either.

There been so many of these and ways of which the citizen should become prosperous, but that never happens and the results are there after. It is like recycling of a bad trickle-down economics and weak mechanisms, which isn’t the benefiting the citizens or participants. They are buying into a dream, but doesn’t have the resources or market to get the execution. It is always in the reports lack of implementation and education on the matter. However, that is the system, which was never prepared or had the framework to actually work. It is like it was more important of the government to spend the funds, but not actually see any real progress or development. Since, the donors and the providers of funds just needed them to spent on any given Sunday.

The NRM has promised a middle-income country, but never seems to get there. These sorts of monetary deals is a reflection of that. Since they are going back to basics and using the same means to lift people out of poverty. There is no game-changer or progression. It is easy transactional bids to small-investors to either borrow or get short-term relief, which will not be substantial or subpar. Which in the end has to be repaid and restructured, either as a group or a profession to cash-generating income to start.

That’s why these things doesn’t sufficiently work. As there are no steady income or ability to get revenue. It is a short-term patching up the damage and the possible costs of early operation of any sort of business, but nothing to actually run these businesses and cover the expenses of actually operating. The same lack of investment is in the projects and the ones who is supposed to have oversight. It is patchwork with ministries, office of the Prime Minister or Gen. Salim Selah. Who knows really, but it isn’t with proper protocol or direction. Neither a long-term game-plan.

That’s why the Operation Wealth Creation went to Emooyga and now the PDM is the new kid on the block. While NAADs and SACCOs are still vital enterprises and means of money lending practices to the public at large. As they have to comply with the regulations of these, but vehicles in addition is the OWC, Emyooga and the PDM. However, these are all launched without any sort of proper check of accountability or even results, which could give insights to what worked and what failed. That is only in small sentences in the Auditor General reports and partly investigations into a few districts. The whole operation and spending spree has never been assessed. Therefore, God knows how things went or if it was a wasteland of government expenses on a shallow project.

This is why I don’t have faith in the PDM. There has been no real proof that OWC was working and none has really looked into Emyooga. The SACCOs and NAADs haven’t improved the Republic substantially either. It is like the state is going in-circles and hopes that nobody notices. While the high ranking officials has means to an end. Where they can trick the accounts and transfers for own gains or for campaigns of any sorts. Since there will be no oversight or accountability on the matter. It will only be partial and not a whole picture. As the realities would be to dire to describe.

It must be a reason why the state doesn’t look into or even tries to study the previous programmes. As it is busy launching new programmes to succeed the next. The only difference is the name and who is in-charge. The rest is repeating the sins of the past and hoping someone will forgive them. Peace.

Opinion: The Trump Organization is in big trouble

The Trump Organization and the Trump family is in the middle of a huge quagmire. As the accounting firm Mazars have dropped some knowledge on the financial practices of the business in question. If you think this is bad, well… this is in the lane of Bernie Madoff and Arthur Anderson’s own practice, which also became a court case and several of felonies on both parties.

Mazars will not be able to run away from this legal case. The Attorney General of New York is still building their case and looking into the financial records of the Trump Organization. The Trump Organization can now be questioned for a decade of financial statements and usage of these in various of operations.

Because these documents can be inflated in one way to sell and get more revenue from creditors who the Trump Organization got loans from or scaled back when paying taxes to the State of New York. Therefore, there is possible wire-fraud, tax-fraud and other similar criminal conspiracies to pin on the company. Which at this point of time wouldn’t be shocking.

What should also happen now as the investigations are going on. The creditors and the ones covering the liquidity of the Trump Organization should be worried about the assets and the real value of the company. Since Mazars are saying the financial statements are unreliable. That means the Trump Organization could have lied about the profitability or the value of any enterprise, LLC or even properties of which in the hands of the company.

That Mazars stops vouching for the company and the former first family. Really signals that things are dire and not in good place. That the accounting practices and the state of the business isn’t in a great place. The Trump Organization has to get a new accounting firm and prove their numbers there. While Mazars has to answer for the ten-years it says is unreliable and not trustworthy. That says something they we’re accepting for years, but now says is wrong.

They are all in dire distress here. The same way things went wrong for the pyramid-scheme of Bernie Madoff and accounting firm Arthur Anderson. Who had to answer for these practices and lack of proper accounting from them. While they where grifting from all of their clients.

Now in 2022 we can now see the Mazars and Trump Organization have to answer for this. The Attorney General have to continue the investigation and discovery of documents into the companies. As the truth has to come out and we will know. However, the Trump Organization is in trouble.

As they have to carry huge debts, which is of unknown amounts of million dollars and that has to restructured. While he has secure his assets and possible salvage of the company, which can destroy the reputation of the company further. Now, we just have to see if the banks or the creditors accepts the financial statements. That we will see in the close future and how things are going.

Because, money talks and bullshit runs a marathon. Peace.

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Opinion: Will Snoop Dogg be able to revive the Death Row?

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. aka Snoop Dogg aka Uncle Snoop has acquired the legendary Hip Hop record label Death Row for an undisclosed amount. For a hot minute the Toy Company Hasbro owned it before selling to the Blackstone Group, which today is revealed has sold to the Hip Hop Legend, entrepreneur and actor Snoop Dogg, which is a unique day for anyone who follows or has interests in this.

Snoop has bought the label, which made him prominent and gave him a career in the first. The record label where he dropped albums, features and part-took in the G-Funk and Gangsta Rap era of the 1990s, which was dominated by Death Row. That’s because of its rooster of skilled MCs, Producers and genius marketing, which made the LPs, Singles and everything was selling.

The whole Death Row was smoking fire. All artists at some point became wealthy and could get good royalties. It was the place to be and to prosper. However, the whole premise of the gangster and thug life was also it’s downfall. As the co-founders split, court-cases, shady-business practices and the early demise and unresolved killing of Tupac Shakur has always followed the label. Therefore, it is special that Snoop buys it and possibly revives it.

As Daz Dillinger sued the label to get his ends. Dr. Dre left the label and started Aftermath. Crooked I was left behind and Kurupt had to return. There been so many stories and backstabbing, as the label lost relevance and others took it’s place in hip hop. However, the era and the classic albums lives on. The discography and the catalogue of the Record Label must be one of the unique assets and recordings, which will stand the test of time.

However, Snoop has big shoes to fill and have to market the label in new era. Which the labels and the record companies are fighting for revenue in new aspects, as the streaming and short-sighted fandoms quickly moves. The quickly produced and released tracks to stay relevant, as well as the social media push is more vital than ever. It is like another world since the first inception of Death Row.

Snoop has connections and is a beloved character now. Who can sell and be used in any sort of product. That’s why he has voiced over GPS Systems to be recently selling BIC Lighters. Therefore, you know his good at branding and selling his character at this point.

However, the Death Row to be revived… it need both the spirit of the past and also new breed of acts to be viable. That will be a refreshing thing. As the West-Coast needs a star on the horizon. Yes, Kendrick Lamar is the biggest name, but his not in the realm of Death Row. K.Dot is more in is his own lane and closer to J. Cole’s of the world. Nothing wrong with that, but that is the reality here. The Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) brought similarities to it, but not as successful as Death Row. However, who could think of getting into those levels of success and respectability…

Death Row doesn’t have to be big, but the ones remembering it. It was everywhere and the artists was everything. They were inspirational and was it. Not just some random blokes, but the rappers and MCs who inspired you to write and imagine their world.

Let’s hope Snoop Dogg will bring some of it back with the purchase of Death Row. He is seemingly the one and his team can bring the best out of it. There is a need for it.

Now am just waiting for THA ROW to return and hear new tales of that THUG LIFE. Peace.

Opinion: Pinetti who cannot finish the “Lubowa Project” is now building a Coffee Processing Plant

Finance Minister Matia Kasaija today on behalf of Government of Uganda signed a project implementation agreement with the Board Chairman of Uganda Vinci Coffee Company Limited Ms Enrica Pinetti to establish a Coffee processing plant at Kampala Industrial and Business Park,Namanve” (10.02.2022).

There must be a secret connection between Italian investor Enrica Pinetti and the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Since this isn’t the first time any ministry or government entity has an agreement to build a structure and invest into the Republic.

Pinetti and Finasi Roko Construction made first agreements to build “Lubowa Project” or the International Specialized Hospital of Uganda (ISHU) back in 2015 with Project Works Investment Agreement, by 2018 a Direct Agreement and a Note Purchase Agreement in 2019.

We know that the “Lubowa Project” haven’t been successful or fulfilled it promises of a working hospital on time. Neither Finasi Roko SPV Limited, which engaged Power China Guizhou Engineering Co. Limited as the sub-contractor to do the work.

The state had agreements and paid out advances for the building of the hospital, which is still to be achieved. As the advances and the budget posts over the years has gone to the project, but the hospital isn’t built or become a unit, which is working within the Ministry of Health. Instead it has been a money-pit and a legal battleground between the company and various of ministries.

By April 2021 URN Alex Otto could report this about “Project Lubowa”:

In 2019, Parliament guaranteed a 1.4 trillion Shillings loan to Finasi/ROKO led by Italian investor Enrica Pinetti for the construction of the 264-bed Specialized health care project. However soon after the approval, news emerged that the joint venture between Finasi and Roko had collapsed amidst reports that up to 240 billion Shillings had gone missing before the project kicked off. While the Ministry of Health handed over the site on June 10, 2019, it hoped that the construction would be completed by June 2021. However, the project remains at the foundation level and, according to Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, it has been extended for now 15 more months” (Alex Otto – ‘Two years later, Lubowa Hospital Remains at Foundation Level’ 28.04.2021, Uganda Radio Network).

So, we have to wait even longer time for ISHU or finishing “Project Lubowa” because they have spent funds and it just becoming more expensive. A project that been a fault-line from the on-set and it has not created anything substantial … and its been a waste and continues to be a wreck of this regime.

With that knowledge the Pinetti project of Uganda Vinci Coffee Company Limited have been registered since January 2014 and a delegation from it held a meeting with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at the State House in July 2014. So, the company has been alive since then and now finalizing agreements with the Ministry of Finance in 2022.

What is striking is that the same government made agreement with the same business person back in 2015 and continued that project and even last year it was postponed until supposed completion. Therefore, the government should have more foresight than putting their money and hopes on the same people. As they haven’t done their proper due diligence… because these sorts of things shouldn’t have happened, but clearly its happening right in-front of our eyes.

The field investigation of the site that was planned for the Coffee Processing Plant was done in March 2020 by Alpha Geo – Engineering Limited. It has taken close two years to get an agreement with the Ministry of Finance. Therefore, we are seeing how slow and how the state doesn’t fact-check or questions the investor. As they have already a questionable reputation by what it has done with the funds for the “Project Lubowa”.

Now, the same business person who did that is now building a Coffee Processing Plant. I have a hard time believing the success of it. We should expect years of process, several more agreements and legal arguments, as well as postponed target deadlines. Since, the company and involved parties will make it long affair. We can expect court cases, ministries writing letters and directions of fresh funds, as it suddenly runs out of funds to contractors. That wouldn’t be shocking in the case of the Coffee Processing Plant, as the “Project Lubowa” should be a lesson for the government. However, they clearly have faith in the same persons to suddenly make things swiftly.

It is hard to believe that they would this but clearly they know they will get away with it. The state funds can be used for projects like these without any promise of fulfilment. The state shouldn’t go into agreement like these, but we know they work closely with Dott Services. Therefore, we know their friends and allies. It isn’t the supposed delivery or value of money that matters. It is the connection to the State House, which the Italian investor has had since 2014.

Nevertheless, the loser in this case is the taxpayer and citizens of the Republic. As the state throws money away on businesses like these without proper work ahead of it or concern of the possible spending on it. Peace.

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