Prime
Museveni lectures NUP councillors on Parish Development Model
Wakiso District councillors during a meeting with President Museveni at State House Entebbe on March 3, 2022. PHOTO/PPU
What you need to know:
- The PDM seeks to benefit those doing agriculture on small and big acres of land.
President Museveni has asked councillors from Wakiso District, most of who are from the Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party, to spearhead the Parish Development Model (PDM) in the communities they represent.
The President made the remarks while meeting 97 councillors from Wakiso District, who recently completed a leadership course at the Institute of Security and Intelligence Studies, on Thursday at State House Entebbe.
“The PDM will benefit those doing agriculture on small and big acres of land and I assure them presence of market for their goods. People with small pieces of land have to concentrate on planting coffee, oranges, and pineapples, which will earn them much money and those with big acres of land have to add growing maize, sugarcanes, cotton, rearing cattle, among others,” Mr Museveni said.
“I also urge councillors to guard against disunity through segregation, tribalism and greed, which hinder development,” he said. Mr Museveni expressed optimism that the PDM will succeed in alleviate poverty and spurring Uganda into a middle income status.
He said previous poverty alleviation programmes such as Bonna Baggagawale, failed because of political interference and mismanagement.
The Minister for the Presidency, Ms Milly Babirye Babalanda, said the objectives of the training were to explain to local leaders operations of government and the part they play in service delivery, change their attitudes and mind-sets to ensure patriotism, nationalism and efficient service delivery.
"The key output from this training, therefore, was to have a team of district leaders who are exposed to the workings of government and who are ready to undertake government work and service delivery with much passion, knowledge of the intentions of government in services delivery and work without any bias,” she said.
“Government has invested a great deal of resources aimed at transforming our people but due to lack of seriousness and patriotism of our leaders, not much has come out of all this because the leaders have failed to do their part,” she added.
The NUP councillors defied a party directive not to attend the two-week training called by President Museveni.
After the training ended, the NUP councillors demanded to meet President Museveni, a wish that he granted on Thursday.
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When contacted yesterday, Mr Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, the deputy spokesperson of NUP, claimed President Museveni had bribed the party councillors and confused them with his ideology.
“We are aware of those who decided to go elsewhere. As a party we have a constitution and code of conduct,” he said
He added: “We shall look into the matter and find a resolution regarding those that have decided to work under Gen Museveni.”
