Pike has become a Snowball!
Nov 02, 2006
SIR — The press has become a scapegoat for politicians’ messes and William Pike in particular has become a Snowball. Twice, James nsaba buturo has been caught on the wrong side of public funds.
SIR — The press has become a scapegoat for politicians’ messes and William Pike in particular has become a Snowball. Twice, James nsaba buturo has been caught on the wrong side of public funds. The first time, as state minister for sports, he gave himself an allowance of more than sh3m for a trip he never took. He later angrily explained that he would refund the money! He has not refunded it, to my knowledge. Now as ethics minister, of all ministries, he has entangled himself in a sh20m scandal with Mega FM. I realise that with the very demanding workload at the ethics ministry there is a very strong possibility he doesn’t know where commercial banks are. the nearest to Parliament is Stanbic, IPS Building, Parliament Avenue. You can’t miss it and an important person like him can’t be denied a loan! His explanations not withstanding, it is fair comment to observe that public funds should be kept a respectable distance from the minster. Now the amusing part about the whole saga is that Nsaba Buturo has found someone to blame for his behaviour — William Pike! “I am happy that William Pike has left...I am happy with what happened in the New Vision.....,†Buturo is quoted to have said. I wonder whether it is Pike or any other journalist who advises Nsaba Buturo to behave the way he does. by his own admission, he never went through the right channels. In future I suggest Buturo should make an effort to follow the right channels especially where public funds are concerned. It is precisely because of people like him and Frank Mwine that the public is sad Pike has had to leave the New Vision. But don’t rejoice yet. If it is not Pike, somebody else will report what goes on in public offices. While we are still on the subject, I would like to advise the good ethics minister that being decent is greater than being “importantâ€. By the way, importance is not synonymous with impunity. I think it is about time politicians of Nsaba Buturo’s ilk gave us a break.
J. Mbaroraburora
Hoima
SIR — I was amazed and extremely embarrassed to read the comments of Nsaba Buturo in the new Vision of Wednesday. The minister accepts that he took the money from Mega FM “through wrong channels†but did not embezzle it because he intended to refund it. I am sure if you asked anybody charged with fraud why he took the money they would answer that they intended to pay it back. Nsaba Buturo is the very same man who tried to interfere with a court ruling against a fellow minister! Does he have any respect for or knowledge of the law? But what really galled me was his gloating that he was happy William Pike had left the New Vision. “If you write about an important person....†Who told Buturo he was an important person? i thought he was the people’s servant, elected to do a job on their behalf! And i thought the minister was a born-again Christian who should know that vanity could lead him into trouble. I think a bit of humility will take the minister a long way.
Kiwanuka Mukasa
Kampala
SIR — It has been reported in the press that ethics minister James Nsaba Buturo is running around in Mukono condemning Kristian Hornselth for trying to solve the problems of poverty-stricken people in the area by giving a piglet or goat to whoever adopts his name. The same Buturo has been involved in using public money inappropriately! Early this year he was supposed to travel to Malaysia. Although he didn’t go he still drew an allowance of more than sh3m! Now he has been ordered to refund sh20m he got from Mega FM! If the NRM government is willing and ready to fight corruption, President Museveni should think twice about people like Nsaba Buturo.
Hilda Katusiime
Kampala
J. Mbaroraburora
Hoima
SIR — I was amazed and extremely embarrassed to read the comments of Nsaba Buturo in the new Vision of Wednesday. The minister accepts that he took the money from Mega FM “through wrong channels†but did not embezzle it because he intended to refund it. I am sure if you asked anybody charged with fraud why he took the money they would answer that they intended to pay it back. Nsaba Buturo is the very same man who tried to interfere with a court ruling against a fellow minister! Does he have any respect for or knowledge of the law? But what really galled me was his gloating that he was happy William Pike had left the New Vision. “If you write about an important person....†Who told Buturo he was an important person? i thought he was the people’s servant, elected to do a job on their behalf! And i thought the minister was a born-again Christian who should know that vanity could lead him into trouble. I think a bit of humility will take the minister a long way.
Kiwanuka Mukasa
Kampala
SIR — It has been reported in the press that ethics minister James Nsaba Buturo is running around in Mukono condemning Kristian Hornselth for trying to solve the problems of poverty-stricken people in the area by giving a piglet or goat to whoever adopts his name. The same Buturo has been involved in using public money inappropriately! Early this year he was supposed to travel to Malaysia. Although he didn’t go he still drew an allowance of more than sh3m! Now he has been ordered to refund sh20m he got from Mega FM! If the NRM government is willing and ready to fight corruption, President Museveni should think twice about people like Nsaba Buturo.
Hilda Katusiime
Kampala