Corridors of power
May 05, 2008
<b>Scared officers</b><br>WHEREAS their appointment letters stipulate that they must appear before parliament to account for the funds utilised by their ministries, many accounting officers dread the day of accountability.
Scared officers
WHEREAS their appointment letters stipulate that they must appear before parliament to account for the funds utilised by their ministries, many accounting officers dread the day of accountability. Many quake before MPs! “Please can you give me more time? I am going to be grilled tomorrow in parliament,†a permanent secretary told journalists. On Wednesday last week some officials of the finance ministry were heard congratulating their minister Dr Ezra Suruma: “congratulations. It is tough but you have done well.â€
Liberal Museveni
Unlike other people who do not even want to talk about what they don’t eat or drink, President Yoweri Museveni encourages people to eat and enjoy what they want. He does not eat fish, chicken or pork, but that does not stop him from promoting their consumption. Opening the fifth convention of District 411 Lions Club at Munyonyo, he amused the guests when he said he is the greatest promoter of fish, chicken and pig rearing: “I don’t eat fish, chicken or pork but I am the biggest promoter because other people eat them. So I let them eat and enjoy so that we meet at the common interest. Let us concentrate on the common interest and then ignore our points of divergences.â€
Kassami speaks
Finance permanent secretary Chris Kassami knows the power of money. Appearing before the budget committee with the ministries’ accounting officers on Wednesday, he sat quietly and listened to every permanent secretary ‘cry’ over budget cuts. “Budget allocations depend on the resource envelope and these permanent secretaries know that. We can never satisfy them,†he said as they all kept quiet. But MP Nathan Byanyima responded: “No these people are quiet because they fear you. You can relocate and adjust where need be. Don’t say you can satisfy them.â€
Generous MP Okecho
MP William Okecho is a generous man. When other committee chairpersons were busy demanding more funds to their sector ministries, Okecho’s heart was with the poor. “More money this time should be allocated for rural transformation. These poor people never got anything from CHOGM funds. This should also be their time,†he said. At least some one thinks about sharing!
WHEREAS their appointment letters stipulate that they must appear before parliament to account for the funds utilised by their ministries, many accounting officers dread the day of accountability. Many quake before MPs! “Please can you give me more time? I am going to be grilled tomorrow in parliament,†a permanent secretary told journalists. On Wednesday last week some officials of the finance ministry were heard congratulating their minister Dr Ezra Suruma: “congratulations. It is tough but you have done well.â€
Liberal Museveni
Unlike other people who do not even want to talk about what they don’t eat or drink, President Yoweri Museveni encourages people to eat and enjoy what they want. He does not eat fish, chicken or pork, but that does not stop him from promoting their consumption. Opening the fifth convention of District 411 Lions Club at Munyonyo, he amused the guests when he said he is the greatest promoter of fish, chicken and pig rearing: “I don’t eat fish, chicken or pork but I am the biggest promoter because other people eat them. So I let them eat and enjoy so that we meet at the common interest. Let us concentrate on the common interest and then ignore our points of divergences.â€
Kassami speaks
Finance permanent secretary Chris Kassami knows the power of money. Appearing before the budget committee with the ministries’ accounting officers on Wednesday, he sat quietly and listened to every permanent secretary ‘cry’ over budget cuts. “Budget allocations depend on the resource envelope and these permanent secretaries know that. We can never satisfy them,†he said as they all kept quiet. But MP Nathan Byanyima responded: “No these people are quiet because they fear you. You can relocate and adjust where need be. Don’t say you can satisfy them.â€
Generous MP Okecho
MP William Okecho is a generous man. When other committee chairpersons were busy demanding more funds to their sector ministries, Okecho’s heart was with the poor. “More money this time should be allocated for rural transformation. These poor people never got anything from CHOGM funds. This should also be their time,†he said. At least some one thinks about sharing!