Nodding Disease: What is the motive of Government of Uganda?

NODDING DISEASE

The increasing incidence of Nodding disease that is mowing children from their prime in the Acholi region is soon exceeding epidemic proportions. The lacklustre response by the Government of Uganda towards this rather mysterious disease is one that is alarming. Today, over 3000 children have been reported affected. Two hundred (200) deaths associated with this disease have been reported.  The delay by the Government to respond to this problem is an eye opener and speaks loud of the genocidal motives that the regime has against the Acholi people.

The nodding disease is a very frustrating, elusive and yet very progressive in its debilitation. Its impact on the victims is heartbreaking given the inadequacy of facilities, professional support and lack of political will to curtail it. Efforts are in place by various authorities, notably among them is the Center for Disease Control and World Health Organization. The CDC has been studying the natural history of nodding disease but they have not been able to identify the causes of this disease.

On the part of the Government of Uganda, nothing fundamental has been done to arrest the spread of the disease and to provide substantive support to the families that is losing their children to this dreadful disease. Clearly, the government cannot excuse itself for being broke. The kinds of money being doled out in frivolous compensations to the likes of Bassajjabalaba and the oil companies, surely could do a great job in extending some basic facilities and human services to the victims of nodding disease.

By now, a responsible government would have provided pediatric units in the three districts of Agago, Pader and Kitgum that are most affected specifically dedicated to monitoring this disease. These children need to have consistent care and clean environment to be nursed in. They need to be fed decently at least and treated humanely.

Most of Northern Uganda is experiencing lots of crises. There are many people living with disability as a consequence of the two decades of war. A lot are still infected and are getting infected with HIV. The overall picture is that most children live in grandma headed or child headed poor households. Given the terrifying demands of this nodding disease and the associated high cost of accessing healthcare, the impoverished elderly guardians are easily stressed and become sickly too.

Somehow, when you see the pictures of the children sprawled in hospital corridors in Youtube, you shudder inside and wonder whether these are Ugandan citizens. Is this a Uganda where its leaders fly in personalized jets; dole out millions for new cars for elected officials and pay out callous compensations to crooked businesses and yet it takes them years to rescue children in dire need?

The socio-economic inequity in Uganda is one that is glaring. But when it comes to the collapse of the infrastructure, people in Northern Uganda are still living marginally. In Western Uganda, when drought hits that part of the Country, the government declares a State of Emergency. This is because Western Uganda is home to the rulers and famed as cattle corridor. Cattle in western Uganda are more important than Ugandans in the North.

When Ebola came to ravage Acholiland, the government refused to declare state of emergency; when the war was intense and Northern Uganda was unliveable, the regime refused to declare state of emergency. In fact, when the Bududda landslide happened, it covered three villages and killed nearly 350 people. The government refused to declare state of emergency. But when drought hit Western Uganda, the government was quick to declare state of emergency.

The implication is dire; that cattle in Uganda are more important than human beings. Moreso, those in Northern Uganda are least valuable as we can see from this disinterest in responding to the plight of the children wilting away to the dreadful Nodding disease.

To let Children die in such humiliation is inhuman and should be treated as a form of genocide because children are the foliage of our societies. When these children die systematically or become permanently disabled due to state neglect, their entire generation will be at limbo and the generational gap in Acholi will increase. These children are the foundation of a new Acholi that has struggled to emerge from the debris of two decades of conflict.

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Amuru Land grabs maybe a recipe for Revolt

Usurpation of Land

The news that Madhvani group of companies have secured Court victory over Amuru residents to acquire 40,000 acres of land is one that is lamentable. By this action, Madhvani is stating unequivocally that their investment interests supersede the fundamental rights of the Amuru residents. In supporting and advancing Madhvani’s interests the NRM regime is explicit in forceful usurpation of customary land, whose bona fide owners must now leave without any compensation. These massive and rampant land grabs will in the near future become a recipe for revolt against the regime.
For many years, the Acholi community has been aware that Amuru land is a prime target by elements within the government. It all started in the 90s with a ploy from Salim Saleh’s company, Danze. Their efforts were effectively thwarted by strong leadership of Hon Norbert Mao and Hon. Livingstone Okello Okello in cahoots with other Acholi MPs and local leaders then.
Luckily, Acholi region had always elected strong representatives to Parliament who fought for their rights and plights. Going into the 2011 elections, a false change of heart had impressed upon the people that the NRM regime was no longer interested in slighting them. There were many programs that enforced the resettlement of IDPs. These programs also incentivized the locals through handing out of improved seeds, farm implements and some seed money in the form of Saccos. For the people who had endured two decades of genocide, any such opportunities that would help them emerge out of their precarious condition were acceptable.
One thing that the Amuru people forgot is that NRM is an ideology set out on a long course of action targeting the restructuring of Acholi society into slave laborers. It is justifiable to treat NRM with contempt and suspicion of sinister motives. Indeed, the political implication of the resettlement, and the subsequent inundation with material goods, played well with the minds of the locals. For them the NRM had brought the war to an end and was willing to resettle them back to their homes. But they also hoped that through the ballot, they would extend an olive branch to the regime to cement a new relationship. Clearly, while the Acholi people are forgiving, the NRM under President Museveni is not.
I am pained to see thousands of people being horded away viciously from their land and their makeshift hurts being broken down. Uganda Wild life Authority has started a process of evicting 6,000 families from Amuru claiming that they are settled on National Game Reserve. Again, sugar canes and wild life have become more important than hapless human beings. The situation is truly disheartening.
I do take fault at the opportunistic elements within Amuru communities who sold their souls for few pieces of gold to the NRM. No matter how some people may view 2011 election as rigged, Amuru had traditionally voted against NRM with ease. The idea that vote rigging accounts for success of NRM MPs is stale because of precedent. Previous elections saw opposition groups emerge victorious. This last voting was indeed regrettable and pitiful.
Imagine since the Madhvani Court ruling and UWA evictions, nowhere in the media, or in the House (Parliament), the conspicuous absence of the representatives of Amuru people from action is shocking. Both Hon Jacob Oulanya and Hon Richard Todwong have derelected their duties of representation, leaving the masses on their own. This is outright irresponsible conduct and both these MPs must be held accountable for utter betrayal.
People from Acholi and especially from Amuru are not stupid. They may be forgiving, but certainly time will come when they will contract with zeal in search of new and more attached representatives. It is a big lesson to skeptics who think the NRM intends any good for the wretched masses in Acholiland.
Definitely, both MPs are in bed with the regime’s attitude that places Sugarcane Plantation before the people. Acholi people are not plantation growers, as such Madhvani was long told that he is not welcome to Amuru and he should rethink his forceful entrance into the heart and soul of our people in Amuru. We anticipate a rocky relationship between Amuru residents and these unscrupulous agents of land grabs.

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