Former VP Bukenya signs oil petition
Sep 21, 2011
FORMER Vice President, Prof Gilbert Bukenya was the 163rd MP who signed the petition to call a special session of Parliament to discuss the oil agreements Government signed with exploration companies.
By Henry Mukasa
FORMER Vice President, Prof Gilbert Bukenya was the 163rd MP who signed the petition to call a special session of Parliament to discuss the oil agreements Government signed with exploration companies.
As the chief petitioners MPs Abdu Katuntu, Theodore Ssekikubo and shadow minister of Energy, Beatrice Anywar addressed the press in the members lounge at Parliament, Bukenya was ushered in by Dokolo MP Okot Ogong to the excitement of other MPs.
“Omukama ajja kutuyamba (God will save us),†Bukenya said softly as other MPs stood to attention to greet him.
He declined a request to join the group addressing the media and left shortly.
“It just shows you how important and critical this issue is,†Katuntu, the Shadow Attorney General said of Bukenya signature.
Katuntu said that the reluctance of Attorney General to bring documents about oil for scrutiny showed there were many questions to be answered about the energy sector.
The committee was last week discussing the validity of payment of sh11b in allowances to lawyers who will represent government in a tax arbitration Parliament.
Since parliament was in recess, Katuntu explained, they decided to invoke article 95 (5) of the Constitution calling for a special session.
The provision states that petitioners need one third of MPs to append their signatures to such a petition which they did.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga received the petition late yesterday and she is bound to call the special sitting within 21-days.
Katuntu (FDC) said he was happy the petition had surmounted the political divide for MPs from both the opposition and ruling NRM to sign.
He claimed that many MPs had asked them to hold submission of the petition until they return from upcountry and sign but had to submit because, “time of essence.â€
“We are talking about accountability and transparency in the energy sector. From exploration to near production now, there has been secrecy. We need to break that now,†Katuntu, the Bugweri MP commented.
He pointed out that government should not confuse confidentially with secrecy.
“Confidentiality is legal but secrecy is not. No agreement can be kept away from Parliament. It’s unconstitutional. You don’t contract outside the law and say it’s legal,†he said.
On remarks attributed to the Attorney General vowing not to disclose contents of the oil agreements, Katuntu said the minister was sounding “contemptuous of Parliament he belongs to.†“We have recourse if we feel he has not performed well as minister,†Katuntu stated.
Ssekikubo who is the chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum for Oil and Gas said of all causes Parliament has pushed, this was the most noble.
He said the way oil wells are given out and the secrecy surrounding the Production Sharing Agreements (PSA) ponders a question, ‘where is Uganda’s share.’
“Heritage Oil sold its interest in two wells to Tullow Oil at $1.5b and Tullow in turn sold its share to Total and CNOOC at $2.93b. “Those companies have got their loot (share), what have Ugandans got? We have set an alarm. It’s time to save the country and if we fail we keep our silence forever. Ugandans should join this struggle,†Ssekikubo stated.
He said there was a clash of interests where MPs are calling for transparency but Government led by Nyombi shrouding the energy sector in secrecy.
Ironically, he said, the oil companies exercise openness in their countries.
He said in countries like Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Ghana and Tanzania which followed an open-path in oil exploration, they have prospered while in counties like Nigeria and Sudan where there has been secrecy it has been disastrous with civil wars.
Anywar remarked with poverty biting citizens hard and many dying for lack of facilities in hospitals, the revenue from the “God given oil†was looked at as the last hope. “We represent poor people.
The institution of Parliament is on test. However, with God’s grace I hope we shall make a landmark,†Anywar commented.
FORMER Vice President, Prof Gilbert Bukenya was the 163rd MP who signed the petition to call a special session of Parliament to discuss the oil agreements Government signed with exploration companies.
As the chief petitioners MPs Abdu Katuntu, Theodore Ssekikubo and shadow minister of Energy, Beatrice Anywar addressed the press in the members lounge at Parliament, Bukenya was ushered in by Dokolo MP Okot Ogong to the excitement of other MPs.
“Omukama ajja kutuyamba (God will save us),†Bukenya said softly as other MPs stood to attention to greet him.
He declined a request to join the group addressing the media and left shortly.
“It just shows you how important and critical this issue is,†Katuntu, the Shadow Attorney General said of Bukenya signature.
Katuntu said that the reluctance of Attorney General to bring documents about oil for scrutiny showed there were many questions to be answered about the energy sector.
The committee was last week discussing the validity of payment of sh11b in allowances to lawyers who will represent government in a tax arbitration Parliament.
Since parliament was in recess, Katuntu explained, they decided to invoke article 95 (5) of the Constitution calling for a special session.
The provision states that petitioners need one third of MPs to append their signatures to such a petition which they did.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga received the petition late yesterday and she is bound to call the special sitting within 21-days.
Katuntu (FDC) said he was happy the petition had surmounted the political divide for MPs from both the opposition and ruling NRM to sign.
He claimed that many MPs had asked them to hold submission of the petition until they return from upcountry and sign but had to submit because, “time of essence.â€
“We are talking about accountability and transparency in the energy sector. From exploration to near production now, there has been secrecy. We need to break that now,†Katuntu, the Bugweri MP commented.
He pointed out that government should not confuse confidentially with secrecy.
“Confidentiality is legal but secrecy is not. No agreement can be kept away from Parliament. It’s unconstitutional. You don’t contract outside the law and say it’s legal,†he said.
On remarks attributed to the Attorney General vowing not to disclose contents of the oil agreements, Katuntu said the minister was sounding “contemptuous of Parliament he belongs to.†“We have recourse if we feel he has not performed well as minister,†Katuntu stated.
Ssekikubo who is the chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum for Oil and Gas said of all causes Parliament has pushed, this was the most noble.
He said the way oil wells are given out and the secrecy surrounding the Production Sharing Agreements (PSA) ponders a question, ‘where is Uganda’s share.’
“Heritage Oil sold its interest in two wells to Tullow Oil at $1.5b and Tullow in turn sold its share to Total and CNOOC at $2.93b. “Those companies have got their loot (share), what have Ugandans got? We have set an alarm. It’s time to save the country and if we fail we keep our silence forever. Ugandans should join this struggle,†Ssekikubo stated.
He said there was a clash of interests where MPs are calling for transparency but Government led by Nyombi shrouding the energy sector in secrecy.
Ironically, he said, the oil companies exercise openness in their countries.
He said in countries like Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Ghana and Tanzania which followed an open-path in oil exploration, they have prospered while in counties like Nigeria and Sudan where there has been secrecy it has been disastrous with civil wars.
Anywar remarked with poverty biting citizens hard and many dying for lack of facilities in hospitals, the revenue from the “God given oil†was looked at as the last hope. “We represent poor people.
The institution of Parliament is on test. However, with God’s grace I hope we shall make a landmark,†Anywar commented.