A well written piece attributed to former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Professor Maurice Ogenga – Latigo is circulating widely across platforms and attracting serious debate against the NRM’s much hyped Parish Development Model.
Latigo who is a senior legislator and decorated scientist says the Parish Development Model is the last nail in the operationalization of the Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA) launched in Tororo in 1996 by then Vice President Specioza Wandera Naigaga Kazibwe that was designed to systematically grow people’s and government’s effective roles in developing agriculture and production.
Latigo asks in his opening statements “Why must a sane government do crazy things to keep people in financial ignorance, darkness and isolation and for them to remain dependent on the state and those in power”
The statement is becoming popular with mixed reactions across social media platforms.
“The collective success of the two sides (the people and government would have been a progressive, rapidly modernizing and transforming Ugandan agriculture, export boom, an increasingly integrated and self-sustaining economy and rapidly growing household incomes with capacities to meet basic needs, educate, build skills and transform productivity, accumulate capital and invest in other productive activities; and o further educate and inspire off springs and achieve family transformation.” Latigo wrote.
He then goes bare knuckles “The parish development model thing will not work. You long ago killed the patience, institutional framework, competencies, trust, honesty, patriotism, national pride and purposeless that are basic preconditions for national success”
Reacting to Ogenga’s missile against the NRM government’s latest sloganeering activity now taking the country by storm, a one JB Menya said “Those who have been here long enough know that making the PDM work is as good as trying to drown a fish.”
Zahid Sheikh weighing in on Latigo’s piece says “ENSLAVEMENT. Slavery just changes model but never ends. The White Western Colonial Master has planted seeds of destruction throughout Africa. In the Wes he has perfected HISR – Historic – Institutional – systematic – Racism, we are equals in a unequal system. Masses throughout Africa are not educated. The privileged class are the producers while masses remain consumers. Unless we economically empower the masses, we will not see change in our journey called life. Life is a tragedy, we get old too soon and wise too late, let’s be the change we want to see in this world”
Government intends to provide at least Ugx100 million this financial year to each parish to help locals engage in productive ventures initiated, managed and controlled by them.
Economic and financial policy experts have been debating the effectiveness of the parish development model with a lot of reservations. Others have discouraged it saying locals will not pay back once productivity starts while others have praised the model’s ability to spark production of agricultural produce.
Mr. Museveni, his finance minister Matia Kasaija and Permanent Secretary Ramathan Ggoobi are the leading proponents of the parish model.
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