Museveni seizes oil letter to UK Parliament

 By John Odyek and Henry Sekanjako

President Yoweri Museveni has intercepted a poorly written letter to the British Parliament asking it to investigate the oil agreements signed between a UK based oil company Tullow Oil and Uganda government.

The letter contests the oil agreements despite a Parliamentary resolution which put a moratorium on the signing of oil agreements until relevant laws were put in place.

Daudi Migereko, acting government chief whip while addressing journalists Tuesday said Museveni was concerned about the letter because it could derail the oil production process in Uganda.

Migereko was briefing journalists at Parliament about the outcomes of NRM caucus meeting that took place at State House Entebbe on Monday evening.

"Museveni informed the caucus that there was a Ugandan who wrote to the House of Commons with a view to blacklist Tullow oil having signed an oil agreement with government. Museveni said he will carry out investigations on the petition and would provide a report on the author," Migereko said.

"The President will find out the players in the document and action will be taken against the people who wrote it", he added.
Migereko said that any negative report on Tullow Oil would affect its performance on the stock exchange where it is listed in London. "That can only have dire consequences for our economy," he remarked.

David Bahati, vice chairperson NRM caucus said the President was concerned about the intentions of Ugandans appealing to a foreign nation about the issues of a sovereign country.

"We are a sovereign State which can handle its issues," he noted. He said the crimes committed by the author could amount to economic sabotage or conspiracy to sabotage.

"Once investigations are concluded the Director of Public Prosecution will advise on the crimes committed. Anybody delaying the process will be delaying the benefits of oil for the country," he observed.

Evelyn Anite, spokesperson for the NRM caucus said Museveni had directed the Police to carry out investigations about the author before he can reveal his or her name.

Anite said the letter had many spelling errors such as mixing the article 'the' and the possessive pronoun 'their', which was not proper Queen's English.

Sources who attended the caucus meeting said the president was very bitter about the letter and read out excerpts of it without disclosing the name of the writer.