The habit of taking ill against government programs is overgrowing in Uganda and these days it’s part of playing politics. So many people in Uganda have wrong and misleading information about different government programs and so many people don’t get involved in those programs because of the misleading information they get from the media about government programs. It has now become normal that if the government rolls out any problem people must go on radios and to the public to defend it or make people love it instead of the people themselves yearning for information about those programs meant to help them get out of poverty. Every government in the world helps it’s citizens through these programs and therefore it would be the people themselves to defend those programs and also search for the correct information on those programs so that they may benefit from them. Some people opposed to the government have made it a responsibility to always create and spread wrong information about government programs. To them, when government rolls out any program and it helps the people the opposition think it’s a loss to them politically because those people will appreciate the government. They however forget that the government uses the revenue from those same people to fund those programs and when someone shuns them he’s simply making a loss.
Before the parish development model was rolled out some people were already assuring the public that it’s not going to work. I personally interfaced with some people who without shame told me that the PDM will not work. None of them could however give justifiable reasons as to why this good program is going fail. Being negative about something at it’s inception means that you will have created a permanent bias about it, that could stop you from seeking for any important information about that same program. When government brings a program and an individual doesn’t participate in or either gain from it, it is not the problem of the government and it is not the government to blame. It’s like serving food and a person refuses to eat either because they’re moody or anything. It would only be wrong when that food isn’t brought but for as long it is brought and you refuse to eat, then its your problem. The responsibility of government is to serve that food.
Each program that the government brings helps a number of people and there’s enough evidence of that. It is however impossible that a government program can be hundred percent successful because of a number of challenges those programs face ill talking them being one of those challenges. However, if we’ve a number of people who confesses that they’ve gained from a particular government program then that program is considered successful. President Museveni during 2020 campaigns used to show people the videos of people who have benefitted from programs like Operation wealth creation. Those people were showcasing what they’ve done and most of them proved that they’re already successful even if any calamity happened. Those videos were not captured from one region, at least each region in every part of the country had something to show. If those people had also become biased and shunned those programs they wouldn’t be successful and they would not have something to show to the public.
A program like Universal Primary Education has helped so many people. But up to today so many people talk ill against it, they say it’s meant for the poor and they also say nobody studies from UPE Schools and passes exams. However am sure we have a number of professors and a number of other successful people who have studied from UPE schools. Some parents who have been lied to by those who talk ill against the Universal Primary Education program have ended up taking children to private owned schools and by the time a child finishes primary seven they no longer have money to pay for them in secondary schools hence stopping at primary level. Those who become wise and continue studies in government Schools always end up continuing to the University level and become successful. Government through the ministry of education provides all the necessary needs for the government Schools and students there in to make sure they get Quality education. In the private owned primary schools sometimes it is even difficult to procure text books enough to help students in learning process.
It should be the citizens themselves to keep watch of the government programs and report all the irregularities so that the offenders can be brought to book. It is the responsibility of the citizens to also participate in supervising government programs so that there’s value for money and also to make sure that those implementing those programs do what they’re supposed to do. When citizens are recruited to talk ill against government programs it means that they’re betraying themselves and cutting the fingers that feed them. The politicians who involve politics in the government programs by openly opposing them and making sure the public gets biased against the government programs are not only envious of the people they serve but they also don’t know what they’re supposed to do. It is also a proof that the people who voted for them simply wasted their votes because it is part of the roles of a leader to search for the opportunities to the people he represents either in the parliament of council. The mandate of every leader should be to see Uganda taking a Step in terms of development and not pulling it backwards.
The parish development model just like other government programs, will surely work and it will achieve the goals it is targeting, however it will not help those who are already biased about it because after they will not be involved and if they get involved they will still be negative about it. Those who have given attention to the negative stories about it should wait for the success stories in future from those who will have participated and gained from it. Those who are biased already will be the ones to blame government if they keep in poverty because the government has done everything possible to try and get Ugandans out of poverty. There’s no single day the president gets time to speak and he doesn’t mention something to do with poverty eradication. Even to the international audiences I have seen him doing do, he tries everything humanly possible to get the market for what Ugandans produce and that’s why East Africa integration, peace and stability is the priority because when there’s peace and stability people can work and produce alot and when there’s market then they can make some money and even produce more.
The writer is a deputy RDC Kyenjojo District.
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