President Yoweri Museveni has called on the people of West Nile Region in particular and Uganda at large to work hard towards the unity of the African continent.
“West Nile region has got a rich culture, rich languages and a rich technology. What happened in Uganda also happened in other parts of Africa. There are 30 million black people in the Americas who were ferried there as slaves. The ferrying of slaves was due to political units of chiefs that were not strong enough to defend us. If the tribes had worked together, they would not have been conquered”, he said.
The President was yesterday addressing the people of West Nile Region who turned up Arua Municipality to participate in celebrations marking a century of the region’s incorporation into Uganda by former colonial power Britain. He thanked the people for turning up in large numbers to mark the event.
He observed that Europeans could not conquer China because the Chinese were united adding that the Japanese and Ethiopians survived European colonial conquest because they were also united.
President Museveni criticized personalities involved in promoting tribalism and said that people should value other tribes so that together we form a critical bulk to ensure a large market for our products. He stressed the essence of big markets as engines of generation of good income for their families. He urged the people of West Nile Region to use their natural resources, such as fertile soil to export their produce to the rest of Uganda and the East African region as a whole.
He revealed that the NRM Government was committed to ensure that there is political integration of the East African region adding that it was better for East Africa to have a political federation with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan instead of promoting tribal groups.
“We should unite the African continent starting with East Africa”, he observed.
He told the people of West Nile that their area was linked to the rest of Uganda through infrastructure and the economy adding that “we are going to unite more through oil exploitation”.
He congratulated the people of West Nile for living in peace for several years and advised them to devote their energies towards income generation for the benefit of their families.
Third Deputy Prime Minister, Moses Ali, thanked the President for blessing the West Nile centenary celebrations. He reported that West Nile region was today an island of peace in spite of being close to areas suffering from conflicts.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanya, said that they were celebrating a unique history of Uganda that aroused a sense of unity as a country. Commended the the NRM Government for extending the hydro power project to the region. He noted that the service had transformed the area through industrialization.
The Chairman of the West Nile LC 5 Chairpersons, YasinTaban saluted the President for constructing roads in the region adding that more roads were in the process of being built.
Earlier, President Museveni unveiled the West Nile Cultural and Tourism Initiative Center in Giligili, near Arua Municipality. It is to house a museum for the West Nile region.
The President also toured a solar power project owned by Arua Catholic Diocese. It currently produces 55 Kilowatts of electricity that is fed to the national grid during the day. According to the proprietors, preparations are in pipeline to expand power generation to 100 kilowatts in December this year.
Mr. Museveni encouraged Arua Diocesan Bishop Rt. Rev. Sabino Ochan Odoki and the Church leaders to continue with the project. He expressed optimism that it would enhance the income of the Church.
The President said sugar factories in the country were providing the national grid with electricity generated from residues. He also said iron ore steel mills were generating power from the steam produced in the plants.
Bishop Sabino Ochan Odoki saluted the President for his efforts to develop Uganda. He revealed that they were providing power to Radio Pacis station and linking the surplus electricity to the national grid.
The President also commissioned Urban TV station and Radio One FM, both belonging to Vision Group of Companies.
ENDS
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