Todwong noted that discussions on pertinent issues affecting the Acholi people must be a collective effort of all leaders and stakeholders but not a handful of legislators who think they care more about the Acholi community.
The Secretary General of the
National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has called on a group of opposition
legislators from the Acholi sub-region to coordinate through their umbrella
body, the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG) to realise tangible success
in their cooperation deal with the government.
Todwong’s call comes at the backdrop
of a recent cooperation agreement struck between ten opposition legislators
from the Acholi sub-region and the NRM led government aiming to work together for
socio-economic transformation of the Acholi sub region.
Speaking to Uganda Radio Network
in an interview, Todwong lauded the move taken by the legislators to work with the government but noted that the group isn’t coordinating their concerns with all other legislators which
is causing friction in APG.
APG, formed in 1989 brings
together 30 legislators from the Acholi sub-region but recent leadership
wrangle in the group has tarnished its credibility with members divided into
factions.
Todwong noted that discussions on
pertinent issues affecting the Acholi people must be a collective effort of all
leaders and stakeholders, but not a handful of legislators who think they care more
about the Acholi community.
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Todwong however, noted that as a
party in government, they have already reached out to the legislators, encouraging them to move and work as a team so that they develop harmony about what
they want the government to fulfil.
He also noted that the
legislators must set up a timeline for their proposals to the government and put
more emphasis on ways and means the government must initiate in fighting
poverty in the sub region.
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In a dossier code named operation
harmony the legislators have authored that is expected to be handed over to President
Museveni this month, they highlighted critical considerations on the need for
the government to address. They included the political, socio-economic, human
capital development, and political appointment considerations in key government
positions.
The legislators who announced
their cooperation agreement publicly in February this year, before meeting with
President Museveni on March 13, faced backlash from a section of political,
cultural and opinion leaders for their failure to consult the Acholi people on
their proposals.
However, during consultations
with various stakeholders last month in Gulu city, Martin Okjara Mapenduzi, the
Bardege-Layibi Legislator explained that they wanted to first present their
proposal to te President before they could ask the views of stakeholders in
Acholi.
“The first idea was to call cultural,
religious, opinion leaders and elites from Acholi who are experts in the
government and private sector, and civil society to be a part of the proves. But
we consulted and found that if you bring people in the middle, it will bring a
lot of conflicts,” said Mapenduzi.
Adding that “It’s better that the
small team that sat in the meeting first meet with President Museveni, see if
he is interested, then we come back, enrich the report and then we have a final
position,”
Betty Aol Ocan, the Gulu City
Woman Legislator however noted that they have involved all members of
parliament from the sub-region in their proposal unlike who its being alleged
that they are working alone.
One of the opposition legislators
who didn’t want to be named told Uganda Radio Network that while he had proposed
at the inception of the cooperation idea to have all legislators from the Sub-region
involved, Todwong insisted that only the opposition spearhead it.
During my first meeting on this
idea, Richard Todwong was present in the meeting. I insisted that we cannot
continue having only opposition. He was, however, the one who said we first keep
it only for opposition. It’s surprising now that he is saying we are not
united,” she said.
Okin PP Ojara, the Chua West
Legislator who also doubles as the head of the delegation for the opposition
legislators, noted that the idea of the cooperation was initially started by the
opposition MPS aimed at advancing development. Okin noted that they initially didn’t
involve other players in the early stages because it was an opposition agenda
arguing that now that the idea has been welcomed by the Acholi people, everyone
will be brought on board.
“We want to allay the fear of
Honourable Todwong that now that the Acholi have been brought in, we don’t see the need to keep it within the opposition only, but encompass all the
political players, not only the other MPS, even political parties that are there
in Parliament like ANC, NUP. We want their representatives to be there,” Okin
told Uganda Radio Network over the weekend.
The ten legislators are expected
to meet President Museveni sometimes this month as they present and defend
their operation harmony document that provides context to both the development
and political priorities that requires government’s strategic actions.
