Resource sharing not well managed, says Besigye

By ROBERT ATUHAIRWE

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president, Dr. Kizza Besigye has called for an amendment in the constitution to provide for how communities should share resources in their areas.

He said sharing of such resources like oil is at the moment complicated and not managed well.

He said the recent move by the Bunyoro king Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru to storm Parliament over what his kingdom would benefit from the oil in the Albertine Grabben, indicated that sharing from the resource was not being handled well.

Besigye was speaking to journalists at the burial of Kwezi Ramuje Bantu, 82, in Katasiiha, Bujumbura division, Hoima municipality on Saturday. Bantu a veteran teacher who succumbed to diabetes on Thursday, was the father of FDC vice chairperson for western region, Patrick Jolly Baguma.

 He stressed that Iguru expressing the concerns of his kingdom regarding oil exploitation is commendable but that his lone voice in Parliament will be ignored if people do not join to add to his voice.

"It will be better for the king to rally his people to stand up to speak and demand for their share through a peacefully manner from Government," Besigye noted.

He said Iguru could have even come later but his people should get organized taking advantage of their large numbers and demand for their share.

"Actually the king did great though there was no need of him going to Kampala, he must only continue to rally his people and make sure he is recognized. Not just one person making one statement here and there, it requires majority of the people," Besigye said.

Besigye explained that forging transparency in the sector also goes back to the route of the discussion that has been going on about the federal system of governance to reflect what powers are there in the region to manage their own affairs and decide the destiny of their people.

He hailed the late Bantu for being straight forward as reflected in eulogies by the people he lived with.

He said Bunyoro region has great challenges being one of the largest regions in Uganda but one of the most backward ones inspite of the huge resources it is endowed with.

He attributed it to largely lack of having leaders who are assertive to demand for the rights of the people to get a share of national development.

Besigye observed that roads in the region are in terrible condition, some areas are completely inaccessible and there is too much poverty in the area.

"Now there is oil and gas confirmed in Bunyoro, which has attracted vast attention from the people within, media and international community, it should be used to develop the region," he said.

He said people being evicted from the land where there is oil when they are unfairly compensated, is an indication that they will not benefit from that resource.

 "Most likely if things go as they are, the resource will just pass by and leave the region even more in a disaster with environmental degradation, so I challenge people to wake up and assert their rights over the resources," he said.

The Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public service who is also the area MP, Henry Muganwa Kajura, hailed the deceased for his contribution to the development of the region. "It is a big loss, the country has been robbed of this big pillar," Kajura said.