KILLING ACHOLI
Few days ago, I
posted a request on my Facebook wall to Acholi MPs, asking them to update us on
the state of the nodding disease in the region. Not one MP responded, except
for their rather pesky apologists.
Our politicians
are delicate, they tend to evade accountability and paradoxically object to
critics vehemently over under performance. However, the law of evolution is
clear – when the birds learn to fly without stopping, the hunter must also
learn to shoot without missing. We have to develop resilience to pursue them
relentlessly, respectfully.
The progression
of the nodding disease, its dehumanizing impact on communities, families, and
victims, and government's strategic neglect of the sufferings is disturbing and
inhuman. Allowing this disease to feed unfettered on our children, is really
felling the Acholi trees by drying out its foliage first.
This is an
extended war of attrition against the Acholi people.
Last week, Mr. Sudhir
Byaruhanga of NTV's Panorama program unveiled the extent of the nodding disease
in Acholi region. This situation brought a chilling sense of national shame to Parliament
and Ministry of health. This week, a reactionary Acholi Parliamentary Group
woke up and decided to visit these children.
The NTV documentary
exposed a lot of neglect and mobilized national support for these children.
Towards the end of the documentary, one sees a dramatic Deputy Speaker, Rt.
Hon. Jacob Oulanya, demonstrating a show of empathy. He even tried to squeeze a
tear from one eye, which refused to come!
Parliament,
which Hon. Oulanyah presides over, is the venue where national and supplemental
budgets, and major policies are processed - debated, and passed. How often do
these majority NRM MPs vote overwhelmingly for supplemental budgets, some
purely for the conveniences of the ruling Party, or its leaders, while others
for ameliorating drought situation in the cattle corridor?
That very NRM
government Oulanyah serves has abdicated from its moral imperative of
committing funds for nodding disease children of northern Uganda – an act which
is unconstitutional, and in direct violation of the universal principle of
health as a basic human right. The situation is dire, unjust, and morally
inexcusable.
This is nothing
personal to the Deputy Speaker, but, it is a shameful counterpoise to lies that
voting for NRM has certain rewards. In sincerity, if such incentives existed,
Hon. Oulanyah’s Omoro County could have been lavished with funding for these
humiliating nodding disease victims with their struggling families.
The cost of
caring for these children could never be too high for a national priority given
the rampant corruption and extravagance on sectarian politics and public
administration.
It is only clear that afflictions of northern Uganda are employed against
the region, to punish it, and never placed as a national priority. Northern
Uganda is the nagging and unwanted child of NRM's Uganda!
In Mr. Byaruhanga's
documentary, you could see that nearly all the children lived in squalid
conditions of abject poverty. The poor housing, lack of food, poor hygiene,
untamed environment, coupled with a demanding parental care or adult supervision
needed for the safety of these children all determined mortality. Once these
conditions were reversed, such that the children were provided with optimal
care - medicine, food, adequate sleep, and clean environment, the children
demonstrated tenacity and resilience towards recovery.
I doubt that
the most the Deputy Speaker of Parliament can do to bring a spotlight on the
nodding disease just wailing, or blaming doctors. The MPs could do better
advocacy, lobbying, and pressuring the government and international development
partners to lend a hand against a human catastrophe. This disease is a matter of
global health. Without funds for medicine, care facility, and qualified staff,
doctors are of little use.
Unfortunately,
even UNICEF, World Vision, Plan, Caritas and all the big name children humanitarian
organizations have looked the other way.
End.
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