GOOD LEADERSHIP IS A PREREQUISITE FOR PROGRESS AND ADVANCEMENT
The axis lies on the shoulders of the three arms of government to determine the destiny of a country
What kind of leaders does Uganda have? A question in many people’s minds for long! The question follows an observation of what the top leaders in the country do which, in several circumstances, are contrary to the expectations from normal and sane leadership. Many are still struggling to get an answer but coming across Umberto’s writing in which he outlines the kind of people that live on this earth, it is possible that the answer is in there.
According to Umberto Eco, in his publication Foucault’s Pendulum, there are four kinds of people in this world; cretins, fools, morons and lunatics. He says Cretins hardly talk but they sort of slobber and stumble, fools standout on social occasions and are good at embarrassing everyone but provide material for conversation. He also says that fools offend all the rules of a conversation and are known to be magnificent offenders. Morons, Umberto says, get their reasoning wrong and that they will occasionally say something that is right, but they say it for the wrong reason. Morons are also said to be stupid. Lunatics, he says, are easily recognized and they are said to be mentally ill.
In view of the above, the question is, in which category do some of our leaders in Uganda fall? A quick and random consultation from a few Ugandans reveals that the majority feel that all categories may apply to the leaders but that some are more of morons. This is a reminder of several publications in America referring to some former presidents of America as morons. Prior to this, someone had predicted that at one time there will be countries ruled by morons, the USA being one of them. Infact according to some publications, some former presidents of the USA were referred to as morons and idiots.
Several political analysts, scholars and social scientist have come to a conclusion that several people act like morons when it comes to political opinions and also like idiots as well. It is said that Russia is currently being ruled by leaders who are morons. The Africa continent is synonymous with leaders that may be referred to as morons. Unfortunately, some key leaders in Uganda cannot be exonerated.
The current leadership crisis in Uganda is a clear indicator that the country is being run by persons whose leadership skills are questionable. The leadership of a country is hinged or driven by the three arms of government that is, the Executive, Judiciary and Parliament. Who of the three heads gives hope for progressive leadership in Uganda? For 37 years of leadership by a single individual, the progress in terms of physical or infrastructural development does not match the length of time in leadership while in terms of human rights, good governance and service delivery the country is retrogressing. The head of parliament and the head of the judiciary could have been doing better if they were not bound by the interests and directives of head of the executive arm.
President Museveni made a statement during his first years of governance that ” Africa’s problem are its leaders who over stay in power”
It is now an irony of this century that the president went ahead to tinker with the country’s constitution that he had helped to promulgate just after only 10 years and later after 22 years to remove the term and age cap limits that barred him to contest in each next charade elections.
The country’s leaders are said to be uncoordinated, selfish, greedy, sadists, power hungry, manipulators and above all liabilities to the country. This description fits very well into the actions and decisions they make regarding people’s rights, governance and development concerns. So much is said about their pre-occupation with scheming how to dry up the national treasury and elongate their stay in power, abusing and violating people’s rights, weakening state institutions and consolidating graft practices and land grabbing instead of laying strategies for progressive advancement. The NSSF saga, the trillions which the auditor general reported got lost in graft, the endless supplementary budgets and the torture plus killing of persons who are innocent or who have divergent political views and many others are a few examples of the disgraceful leadership that the country has now.
It is consequently not surprising that parliament is currently on fire and headed for disaster. It has been observed that matters of concern of national importance are not given the deserved attention but trivial issues take the day. The quality of chairing sessions is not only wanting but sometimes repulsive with statements like “I am the country’s number three.” Other times the language used during the parliamentary sessions is not far from a village chief demanding for recognition.
What is Up The Sleeves Of The Judiciary?
The judiciary is another story. One wonders what the Chief Justice is up to. People are arrested on trumped up charges and they continue to be kept in prison even after being released? Should it be assumed that the institution of the Judiciary is powerless and has been reduced to nothing but mere buildings, papers and the human resource with no substantial and meaningful outcomes of justice? Are you also and should you be lamenting? Why are you so afraid of dispensing justice? Are you also compromised? Are you allowing yourselves with such a noble profession to be used like any substance to fulfill personal political agendas? That is not your level and don’t forget that your institution is so powerful that it can turn around the bad governance scams in the country and bring order.
The bad performance by the three arms has attracted demeaning references made about the leaders. They are called all sorts of disgraceful names, an abuse and a stab to the integrity of Ugandans. Regrettably, continued actions and activities done by the leaders attract more of these references. Ugandans are respectful and calm people who should be dignified. If Uganda’s leaders behave more responsibly, Umberto’s analogy will not apply to them. The contrary is true. It is not too late for them to change. Therefore, it is time for you to start making reflections on all the things, you think, say or do and ensure it is the truth, fair and beneficial to all citizens.
John Mary Odoy,
Senior Citizen
+256 782 457 990