The former Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah has left a legacy that Members of Parliament ought to follow if they are to become good legislators, Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa has said.
Tayebwa was speaking during the special pre-funeral service for Oulanyah at his home in Muyenga on Thursday, 31 March 2022. The service was organised by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Parliamentary Caucus.
“Rt Hon. Jacob Oulanyah gave me a blueprint to follow; he told me to always keep time and maintain order in the House. He told me that we cannot continue debating issues of procedural matters, point of order and so on. So the same blueprint he left for the presiding officers is the same he has left for you [MPs],” Tayebwa said.
He assured the MPs that if they follow Oulanyah’s footprints then Parliament will get more “Jacobs”.
According to the funeral programme issued by the Minister for Presidency, Hon. Milly Babalanda, Oulanyah’s body is expected to arrive from the U.S on Friday, 01 April 2022. On Tuesday, Oulanyah’s body will lie in state where MPs will pay their last respects. The body will spend Tuesday night at Parliament.
Tayebwa also urged MPs to show solidarity on Tuesday when the body will spend a night at parliament.
“I request the regional whips to mobilize MPs on Tuesday when Jacob’s body will lie in state; we want to sleep in Parliament, colleagues come when you are ready there is no excuse of going back home. We shall have hymns in your local languages until morning,” Tayebwa said.
The NRM caucus led by the party Secretary General, Hon. Richard Todwong eulogized Oulanyah as a distinguished leader who worked closely with the NRM Party and Government.
The MPs also recognized his ability to counsel and mentor MPs to become good debaters.
“He was an outstanding man and mentorship was his game. His humility of acknowledging leadership as servantship was remarkable,” Phiona Nyamutoro, the NRM regional whip for special interest groups said.
Hon. Paul Musamali, the whip for East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) recognized Oulanyah’s desire to achieve East African integration, a dream that he will not live to see.
“When he had just been elected speaker, Oulanyah invited EALA members and he was very much eager to share how we are going to bring the EAC together. He has passed on before we achieve the integration of the Community as he had envisioned,” Musamali said.
Dr Tanga Odoi, the NRM Electoral Commission chairperson, recounted his days with Oulanyah who was then a student leader in Makerere University at a time when he was a tutorial assistant.
He said Oulanyah’s sense of humility and respect for office bearers even at the lowest levels was outstanding and should be emulated by those in leadership.
“Jacob would come to express interest [at NRM office] and go too low that when our staff at the commission would tell him ‘don’t pass here’ he would comply. That kind of respect and humility for office bearers is what should be emulated,” he said.
The Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Hon. Chris Baryomunsi warned against abuse of social media and called upon Ugandans to unite and celebrate the life of the former speaker for his remarkable contribution to the country.
“There is a tendency of abuse of social media and communication platforms. Let us unite as a country and celebrate the life of Jacob irrespective of what makes us different; be it political party affiliations, faith, ethnic and tribal backgrounds,” he said.
He asserted that there is no intention whatsoever for anybody in government to take advantage of Oulanyah’s death to misuse public money, but added that government is committed to give the former speaker a befitting send-off as stipulated in the law.
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