MPs from Acholi were wrong to protest over COVID-19 cases

OPINION

On June 1, President Yoweri Museveni delivered to the nation his 15th address on the country's efforts to fight and contain the spread of COVID-19 and how the Government intends to cushion the economy against the impact of the pandemic. 

During the address, the President made a statement that depicted his revolutionary ideology. He said; "In war, you do not panic" in reference to demands by a section of Ugandans that the trans-border truck drivers be stopped from entering the country.

I would like to urge people from northern Uganda and to the people in both formal and non-formal sector that as citizens we must note that the cargo drivers facilitate both export and export trade. Imagine if the President acted in panic and yielded to the demands of the politicians to stop the cargo drivers from accessing the inland, what would be the repercussion?

Recently, two MPs from Acholi were arrested by Police in Gulu town when they staged a demonstration over what they termed as, "overwhelming number of the COVID-19 cases," brought from Elegu in Amuru district to the Isolation/ Treatment Center in Gulu Hospital. They demanded that the Government closes the Elegu border. What the two MPs from Acholi did was nothing, but mere politicking.

In attempting to demonstrate, they attracted a sizeable number of people. They abused the safety measure that limits people from congregating. 

Also while protesting, the MPs never observed the four-metre social distance rule.

Unfortunately, the actions of those leaders were part of the risk factors that have been proved to be highly responsible for the fast spread of the coronavirus. 

Unlike the truck drivers, if there was only one infected person amidst the protesters, they could have infected all the other protesters who would in turn infect their friends and families. In a matter of days, the whole district of over 300,000 people would be struggling to contain the virus.

The Government has resolved to allow only truck drivers who test negative for the coronavirus. This strategy saves both the health and the economy of the country compared to the reckless behaviour of some leaders who chose to seek cheap popularity by protesting.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected the flow of trading in only the northern region neither Uganda, but the World over, for that matter, leaders must provide guidance, protection, and stewardship like what President Museveni is doing instead of instilling fear into the population.

It is a public secret that the coronavirus pandemic has slowed down the world economies and national governments are devising means of reviving their economies.

During the State of the Nation Address, the President announced 11 ways of restarting the economy and supporting local business people cope with the aftermath of the pandemic.

It should be noted that three of the 10-point programme of the NRM are based on the economy. It is, therefore, not surprising that after 34 years in power, the NRM has restored the economy and superintended over a 3.5% annual growth rate of the economy. 

The President also announced measures to cushion traders from the impact of the pandemic. These are absolutely spot-on measures that businessmen and women should benefit from without panicking.

We should thank the President for this strategic and wise leadership in keeping the economy afloat in this lockdown more especially as the businessmen and women from the northern part of the country.

I wish all the businesspeople in northern Uganda and the nation at large to stay calm as we pray to get back to our normal lives again. 

l continue to ask political leaders to play their role of providing leadership regardless of their political affiliation.

The writer is from northern Uganda