Michael Ezra is no philanthropist!
SIR— I am appalled, angry and ashamed! I am left wondering if tycoon Michael Ezra ever even glances at any of our Ugandan newspapers, the TV or listens to the radio.
SIR— I am appalled, angry and ashamed! I am left wondering if tycoon Michael Ezra ever even glances at any of our Ugandan newspapers, the TV or listens to the radio. Well, I hope that he doesn’t. If he did, he would appear to be utterly without any vestige of pity, compassion and humanity. In many articles about him, he is often referred to as an outstanding, exceptional philanthropist. What a total misconception!
In the past few months, there has been more than enough attention focused in all the media on the-hell-on-earth in which over one million of our suffering brothers and sisters merely subsist in our many so-called protected camps in the north, most on the verge of starvation, all in great fear for their lives, receiving no education and many having to travel long distances at night at great risk to find a safe place to sleep. Now the WFP, rapidly running out of money to buy food for these unfortunate people, has been begging in vain all over the world for emergency assistance. Then there is the suffering of many thousands of Uganda’s miserable street kids and the victims of AIDS and those who are HIV positive.
In the meantime, Government and hundreds of thousands of our people have been trying valiantly to send international donors on a horrendous guilt trip for not doing enough to bring relief to our people, our own suffering brothers and sisters. They are being very unjustly accused of lacking compassion and having hearts of stone.
And then to have ‘philanthropist’ Michael Ezra, give an unbelievably fabulous gift of sh1b to a sports club is mind-boggling. And, this is not the first time. Sometime ago, he gave a blank cheque to the same club! What a shameful image it gives our country. It makes us look very much like the alcoholic who spends all his money on booze and then complains loudly far and wide to any one willing to listen that no one is helping his family. Can a scandal like this not give international donors a good excuse for refusing to extend a helping hand if we ourselves seem to be so totally unconcerned? I am seriously concerned about our ‘philanthropist’s priorities.
Name withheld
on request
In the past few months, there has been more than enough attention focused in all the media on the-hell-on-earth in which over one million of our suffering brothers and sisters merely subsist in our many so-called protected camps in the north, most on the verge of starvation, all in great fear for their lives, receiving no education and many having to travel long distances at night at great risk to find a safe place to sleep. Now the WFP, rapidly running out of money to buy food for these unfortunate people, has been begging in vain all over the world for emergency assistance. Then there is the suffering of many thousands of Uganda’s miserable street kids and the victims of AIDS and those who are HIV positive.
In the meantime, Government and hundreds of thousands of our people have been trying valiantly to send international donors on a horrendous guilt trip for not doing enough to bring relief to our people, our own suffering brothers and sisters. They are being very unjustly accused of lacking compassion and having hearts of stone.
And then to have ‘philanthropist’ Michael Ezra, give an unbelievably fabulous gift of sh1b to a sports club is mind-boggling. And, this is not the first time. Sometime ago, he gave a blank cheque to the same club! What a shameful image it gives our country. It makes us look very much like the alcoholic who spends all his money on booze and then complains loudly far and wide to any one willing to listen that no one is helping his family. Can a scandal like this not give international donors a good excuse for refusing to extend a helping hand if we ourselves seem to be so totally unconcerned? I am seriously concerned about our ‘philanthropist’s priorities.
Name withheld
on request