By Ismael Kasooha
Kyankwanzi
The state minister for finance in charge of Micro Finance Haji Haruna Kasolo has challenged leaders in the country to make use of the available government interventions to create wealth for themselves and the people they lead.
“Stop complaining that the government is giving you little money when you conduct government business. For example, the district council conducts business once every two months. What do you do for the other 58 days? Use the available credit facilities put in place by the government to create your own wealth,” said Kasolo.
He said that a person cannot get rich from allowances only that come after two or three months.
He said that leaders should not solely depend on the little allowances from the government.
He said that the government has put in place an agricultural credit facility to help all Ugandans enhance commercial agriculture but people are still complaining of little pay from the government yet they can supplement their earnings.
Kasolo made the call on Wednesday while addressing leaders undergoing a two-week leadership transformation training from 10 districts.
The training is taking place at the National leadership training Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi district and Oliver Reginald Tambo school of leadership and Pan African center of excellence Kaweweta in Nakaseke district.
Kasolo said that leaders at all levels should create time to engage in wealth creation ventures because the government has availed funds at various levels to help them achieve their goal.
“What happens when a district LC V chairperson engages in poultry farming? You will have money at your disposal to do meaningful politics and stop being beggars,” said Kasolo.
Kasolo said that leaders should not only be in political leadership but leaders in all aspects of life.
“Why should you be a leader when you are poor? What type of leader will you make? Leadership should be at all fronts so that the people can emulate you,” said Kasolo.
Kasolo said that it is a duty of all Ugandans to create wealth because the government has played its role by availing an enabling environment.
Maj. Gen. Henry Masiko said that leadership is about identifying and solving problems affecting the people.
“You should not be a leader who instead of solving people’s problems creates more problems. You make your people poorer than you found them, then you shouldn’t be a leader,” noted Masiko.
Gen. Masiko said that the NRM government operates on ideology and is premised on helping all the people to prosper and be happy.
Andrew Lukyamuzi Batemyetto, the Masaka LC V chairperson who belongs to NUP said that he has learnt that Uganda’s problem is not opposition but poverty.
The leaders camped at NALI have been drawn from the districts of Kiboga, Masaka, Yumbe, Kibuku and Kibaale while those at Kaweweta for the same course are from the districts of Nakasongola, Gomba, Mbarara, Kalungu and Mbarara City.
The two-week course that is expected to end on Sunday 8th September 2024 is organized by the Office of the Prime Minister in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government and the Patriotism Secretariat.
The course has attracted over 1000 leaders from ten districts camped at the National Leadership Training Institute and Oliver Reginald Tambo school of leadership and Pan African center of excellence Kaweweta in Nakaseke district.
President Yoweri Museveni is expected to preside over the closure at NALI where all the trainees will converge.
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