Museveni Orders Massive Anti-Poverty Campaign

from All Africa

New Vision (Kampala)

By Frank Mugabi and Cyprian Musoke
Kampala

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has ordered officials of the National Agricultural and Advisory Services (NAADS) and Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) to use local radio stations to create awareness about the availability of funds to fight poverty.

Addressing a well-attended Prosperity-For- All rally at Arua Primary School, Oli Division in Arua district on Saturday, Museveni advised the managers of the two organisations to mobilise the masses to access the funds.

"The most effective method of communicating is the radio. The Movement government liberalised the airwaves. Why don't you use them?" he asked.

According to the Uganda Communications Commission, there are over 50 operational FM radio stations in the country.

Museveni, who addressed rallies that were punctuated by entertainment for the ecstatic crowds, pointed out that although the resources could not reach everybody at the same time, those who will be initially selected would set up model projects and keep others informed of the availability of the funds.

Jubilant crowds, several ministers, MPs and district leaders flashed a four-finger signal, showing their support for a fourth term for Museveni, as he in turn flashed a thumbs-up signal.

As they welcomed him with their traditional dance called mutre, the President joined them, eliciting wild ululations from the people, who were enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and dance with a president.

Museveni said sh440m was sent to Oli Division under NUSAF to fight poverty but very few people benefited from it due to lack of information.

This, he added, had created doubt among the population of NRM's ability to help them fight poverty.

"This spoils our politics because you, the people, think NRM does not send money. You think that I am ignoring you," Museveni pointed out.

He assured the people of Arua district that "more (money) will come". He pledged to continue working tirelessly to eradicate poverty at household level and advised the people to carefully pick income-generating activities, basing on the size of their land.

He advised them to start growing fruits, keeping bees for honey, dairy farming and poultry because they do not require big pieces of land.

Former vice-president, Gen. Mustafa Adrisi, who attended the rally that attracted district, local and traditional leaders from Nebbi district, donated a guinea foul, a walking stick and ekuta (a handicraft for covering food) to the president.

Museveni told urban dwellers to prepare for special programmes such as metal works and carpentry to fight poverty.

On the people's concern over massive corruption in Arua, Museveni advised them to use the law to apprehend culprits.

He promised to tarmac Arua airfield for economic and security reasons.

He commended the people of West Nile for moving back to the Movement, which he described as a home for them.

"When we came here in 1986, the whole land was empty. Over 500,000 Ugandans, all from West Nile, were in Sudan and Congo. We told them to come back because the problem had been solved.

"I would, therefore, be surprised to hear that anybody from the region would go against the Movement. There is no reason why anybody from West Nile should not work with the Movement," he noted.

He said when the Tanzanian forces returned to their country after the 1979 war, Milton Obote's UPC regime launched targeted killings against the people in West Nile, which forced almost everyone to flee.

As vice-chairman of the then Military Commission, Museveni added, he tried to stop the killings but his superiors instead transferred him away from the defence ministry.

The president amused the crowd when he likened Kizza Besigye's breakaway from the Movement to a piece of millet that drops aside during threshing.