I am ready to live by sacrifice - Museveni
Feb 25, 2009
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has scoffed at critics who accuse him of clinging to power, saying his long stay was in fulfilment of national demands.
By Daniel Edyegu
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has scoffed at critics who accuse him of clinging to power, saying his long stay was in fulfilment of national demands.
“Some people say Museveni has overstayed in power. I have been here for long to solve your problems not to cultivate in my garden.
“The problems are so many that I have to keep around,†said Museveni who captured power in January 1986.
He was on Tuesday closing a three-day workshop at Mbale School for the Blind in Busoba sub-county.
Museveni explained that he had been able to steer the country for long despite the high criticism from the opposition because he had learnt lessons from the mistakes of past leaders.
“Poor leadership is partly due to ignorance. At 65 years, I have now spent 39 years of my life fighting bad regimes and rebellions like Joseph Kony, Idi Amin and Milton Obote. I am ready to live by sacrifice. We have managed to sustain the struggle due to conviction,†Museveni said.
He said the National Resistance Movement delivered the country from ruins and ignoring the people who sacrificed their lives would not be just.
“It is not a good idea to just push us aside because we are determined,†Museveni added.
He said plans were underway to add patriotism as an independent subject in the secondary school curriculum to step up awareness about the country’s heritage and national values.
“We have to first awaken the interests of the teachers at the grassroots. We shall not allow anybody to disrupt our patriotism programmes in the schools,†Museveni warned.
Asked why the Government had not considered including agriculture among the compulsory subjects in O’level, the President said he would consult with the education ministry.
“In colonial times, we chose eight out of ten subjects. Now there are 42. What are all these subjects for? Are you sure these subjects are not tiring the learners?†Museveni asked.
The teachers appealed to Museveni to increase their salaries and improve their welfare.
They promised to form patriotism groups among students and teachers. The teachers also pledged to support Museveni in his fourth term campaign.
Responding to a question from the Mbale district chairman, Bernard Mujasi, Museveni said the uranium to be mined from Uganda would be used domestically as an energy resource to supplement on hydroelectricity.
He said Uganda had no intention of using the mineral to manufacture nuclear weapons.
“We can export any mineral but not uranium. Our uranium is basically for electricity. We are not looking for nuclear energy to kill other people,†Museveni stated.
Uranium deposits were recently discovered in Buganda, Ankole, Toro and Bunyoro regions.
Museveni said a Canadian firm had applied to mine the uranium but pulled out when told that they could only sell the mineral to Uganda.
He added that he had issued a directive to the energy and minerals ministry to sponsor some Ugandans for doctorate courses in nuclear science in preparation for the mining process of the uranium.
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has scoffed at critics who accuse him of clinging to power, saying his long stay was in fulfilment of national demands.
“Some people say Museveni has overstayed in power. I have been here for long to solve your problems not to cultivate in my garden.
“The problems are so many that I have to keep around,†said Museveni who captured power in January 1986.
He was on Tuesday closing a three-day workshop at Mbale School for the Blind in Busoba sub-county.
Museveni explained that he had been able to steer the country for long despite the high criticism from the opposition because he had learnt lessons from the mistakes of past leaders.
“Poor leadership is partly due to ignorance. At 65 years, I have now spent 39 years of my life fighting bad regimes and rebellions like Joseph Kony, Idi Amin and Milton Obote. I am ready to live by sacrifice. We have managed to sustain the struggle due to conviction,†Museveni said.
He said the National Resistance Movement delivered the country from ruins and ignoring the people who sacrificed their lives would not be just.
“It is not a good idea to just push us aside because we are determined,†Museveni added.
He said plans were underway to add patriotism as an independent subject in the secondary school curriculum to step up awareness about the country’s heritage and national values.
“We have to first awaken the interests of the teachers at the grassroots. We shall not allow anybody to disrupt our patriotism programmes in the schools,†Museveni warned.
Asked why the Government had not considered including agriculture among the compulsory subjects in O’level, the President said he would consult with the education ministry.
“In colonial times, we chose eight out of ten subjects. Now there are 42. What are all these subjects for? Are you sure these subjects are not tiring the learners?†Museveni asked.
The teachers appealed to Museveni to increase their salaries and improve their welfare.
They promised to form patriotism groups among students and teachers. The teachers also pledged to support Museveni in his fourth term campaign.
Responding to a question from the Mbale district chairman, Bernard Mujasi, Museveni said the uranium to be mined from Uganda would be used domestically as an energy resource to supplement on hydroelectricity.
He said Uganda had no intention of using the mineral to manufacture nuclear weapons.
“We can export any mineral but not uranium. Our uranium is basically for electricity. We are not looking for nuclear energy to kill other people,†Museveni stated.
Uranium deposits were recently discovered in Buganda, Ankole, Toro and Bunyoro regions.
Museveni said a Canadian firm had applied to mine the uranium but pulled out when told that they could only sell the mineral to Uganda.
He added that he had issued a directive to the energy and minerals ministry to sponsor some Ugandans for doctorate courses in nuclear science in preparation for the mining process of the uranium.