Minister Ecweru to lead Business delegation to Kenya

State Minister for Disaster, Preparedness and refugees, Musa Ecweru is expected to lead a delegation of business people of Teso to Lodwar town in Turkana County, Kenya to assess the market for their crops.

The delegation will be heading to Lodwar town this New Year 2019 on the invitation of Turkana County Governor, Josphat Koli Nanok.

Ecweru said the business people will go and see the possibility of the market for their products especially sorghum, Potatoes and cassava which is lacking in their area.

The delegation is also expected to open warehouses for their products, according to the minister.

In 2016, the then deputy governor of Turkana County, Peter Ekai welcomed the move by Iteso who are their relatives according to history to trade with them. 

Ecweru asked the people at their different levels to reflect in how the person intends to be this New Year and they should put in plan whatever they want to do.

He said a prophesy which has also been confirmed by planners show that prosperity will be realized in this country this year 2019.

According to Ecweru, any cleric who preaches prosperity without telling people to sweat in order to get what they want is a fake prophet.

Ecweru said all the the plans are in line to make the prophesy a reality in Uganda in 2019.

This was during the New Year's and celebrations for the successful completion of his masters in International Relations and diplomacy.

The function that attracted a majority of leaders across Teso was held at his home village in Wera Sub County, Amuria District on Tuesday.

Ecweru supported St John Church of Uganda, Angole Church of Uganda and Angole Catholic church in Wera sub-county each with Sh2m.

Rev. Canon Samuel Odeke Archdeacon Amuria Archdeaconry who led the prayers encouraged the locals to unite so that they plan and budget for this year while dodging the challenges experienced last year.

Odeke encouraged elites in Teso to construct better permanent houses at their villages and plant trees in their homes.

According to him, Iteso should leave laziness and become hard-working this New Year so that they remain respected.

Lt Gen. Charles Angina, the deputy Chief Coordinator OWC disclosed that Government has planned to change the strategy of how farmers are going to benefit from Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) program.

Since President Yoweri Museveni launched OWC around 2014, the inputs used to be pushed to farmers targeting individual households.

However, the new strategy this year is going to be based in group dynamics where the selection of enterprises is aligned on ecological zone of the region or an area.

Farmers will also be required to grow or cultivate crops based on the soils according to Lt. Gen. Angina.

 Angina

He said the overall objective is to align the productive chain into public investiments management for agro-industrialisation.
Angina was represented by Lt. Col. Abel Ekelot, the Coordinator OWC Teso.

A section of farmers in Amuria District have welcomed the Government move with mixed reactions with most of them saying benefiting in a group is better.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Maxwell Ogwal, the Regional Police Commander East Kyoga warned that Teso is likely to face more problems if elders don't wake up to advice youth to change their attitude.

Ogwal noted that a majority of youth in Teso drink excessively hence increasing thefts cases.

According to the RPC, land disputes and the youth are causing problems and this is as a result of uneducated children.

He said elders should ensure that they show their youth the right direction so that they don't steal and join bad peer groups.

Vance Omome the deputy Prime Minister Iteso Cultural Union (ICU) said the youth are getting spoilt because clans have failed to form strong committees to carry among other roles advising the youth.

William Musana, Esther Aguti and Tadeo Obukui all elders of different sub counties in Amuria said they have tried advising the youth to follow the right but they are stubborn.

Gerald Odeng the Chairperson of ICU Council wants the Government to formulate a strong law restricting youth from  smoking human products like grey hair including paspalam because their union is disturbed with the increasing consumption of newly discovered narcotic drugs like those named.

Charles Elasu, the Chairperson National Resistance Movement (NRMo) in Soroti District asked youth to be focused by utilizing their strength, knowledge and time for achieving what they want instead of wasting time in betting, drinking sachet waragi, playing Ludo and smoking narcotic drugs.