The former minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Daniel Omara Atubo has said that President Yoweri Museveni is now Uganda’s major problem and a master in supporting human right abuse in the country.
The former Otuke County lawmaker surprised people this week when he said that he is ready to die fighting Gen Museveni because he disappointed him by refusing to leave power after 2016.
According to Daily Monitor, Mr Atubo made these comments while at a regional agency civic learning fellowship at Margaritha Palace Hotel, Lira City, on Thursday.
“Museveni has turned out to be the greatest enemy and abuser of human rights. Even the Opposition is saying remove Museveni first and after that things may improve.”
He noted that all Uganda’s problems will be settled once President Museveni is out of power.
Mr Atubo regretted supporting Museveni in 2011 elections because he thought that it was his last term however, he did not know that his former boss was lying to Ugandans including all members of his cabinet at that time.
“I said let us give Museveni the last vote because in 2016 he will not contest because he will be over 75 years. Let us vote for him, let us thank him. As soon as Museveni won that election if he won, what did he do within one year? Removed the age limit! This is why I will not support him and I will oppose him until I die,” he said.
Mr. Atubo added that the framers of the 1995 Constitution made a good constitution because they knew that one of the problems Uganda has faced since independence was peaceful power transition.
“Our 1995 constitution was a wonderful one because we knew that if the President cannot transit through free and fair elections at least he/she will have two breaks – a two-term limit and an age limit. Somebody will be caught there so that you hand over power. What did Museveni do? Removed the age limit by bribing and intimidating Members of Parliament, and they removed the term limit,” he said.
“The greatest enemy in this country to democracy and human rights are the presidents and the government in power. So, until we can control our presidents and the government in power by whatever means possible, we are not going to have democracy because of human greed.”
Who is Daniel Omara Atubo
Daniel Omara Atubo is a lawyer, educator and politician. He was born in Otuke District, which at the time was part of Lira District, on 14 August 1947.
He holds the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Makerere University where he was Editor-In-Chief of the Makerere Law Journal in 1971. He also holds a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Center in Kampala.
He served as a Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development from May 2006 until May 2011. He represented “Otuke County”, in present-day Otuke District as a Member of Parliament, between 1987 and 2011. Unfortunately, in 2011, he lost his re-election bid.
He started practising law in 1974 and continues to practice today. He worked as a Senior State Attorney from 1972 until 1976. Between 1977 and 1979, he was a Senior Lecturer in Law in Moshi, Tanzania. Between 1985 and 1987, he served as Secretary, the Bank of Uganda. During the late 1980s Omara.
Atubo also served as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, from 1987 until 1991.
On 15 April 1991 members of the National Resistance Council, the then Parliament, met to discuss a rebel screening programme set up in districts of Northern Uganda, which was causing divisions within the Ugandan Army. Following that meeting three men, including Omara Atubo, then a member of the Ugandan Cabinet, were arrested and charged, along with thirteen others, with treason. The case was later dismissed. Omara Atubo was dropped from the cabinet on account of those allegations.
Just prior to the 2006 presidential and parliamentary elections, Omara Atubo, then a member of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) disagreed with Miria Obote, the party’s president. Eventually, Atubo left UPC and contested those elections as an Independent. He won and was offered a cabinet position in the ruling National Resistance Movement government, which he accepted.
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