Agago, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The first Leader of the opposition under the restored multi-party system in Uganda, Professor Morris Ogenga Latigo has lashed the current leadership at Parliament.
Latigo, the former Agago MP told Uganda Radio Network that Annet Anita Among and her Deputy, Thomas Tayebwa do not deserve to serve in the positions they are currently holding.
Ogenga Latigo, who also represented Uganda at the Pan-African Parliament, says under Anita Among and Tayebwa, the Parliament of Uganda operates like a district of lower council.
“Our Parliament is like a district council. People who should not be parliamentarians are there. I have no fear in saying the current speaker does not deserve to be the speaker of Parliament. Neither does the deputy. What qualifications do they have? What experience in terms of stature? And worst I was told MPS get money even to pass laws. Which is worse than even eating money for projects” he said “ For some of us who were at Parliament at the time when going to Parliament was a national service, the pain of seeing or even reading about is too much”
The former legislator says he is angered by the alleged cases of corruption, abuse of office, and lately extortion.
Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among, and her deputy, Thomas Tayebwa have reportedly personally been beneficiaries of the allocation of public funds to their private residences.
Parliament under Anita Among and Thomas Tayebwa has since early this year been under the spotlight following scandals exposed under the “Parliament Exhibition” campaign.
Anita Among roundly dismissed the exposé under the social media campaign describing it as rumors. She also said she was targeted because she supported the Anti-Homosexuality Act.
This week, reports on social and mainstream media revealed how hundreds of millions of shillings were released from Parliament to procure generators for the private residences of the speaker and her deputy. The Solicitor General cleared the said contracts.
Some MPS recently tried to collect signatures for the censure of back-bench Members of Parliament who double as Parliament Commissioners.
The MPs led by Theodore Sekikubo accused the legislators of having awarded themselves the controversial services awards.
Among the beneficiaries was the former Leader of Opposition, Matthias Mpuuga who reportedly got 500 million shillings. The concerned MPS said reports about corruption at Parliament have put the country’s legislature in disrepute.
Professor Latigo Ogenga says that the current rate, the big size of the current parliament together with the lavish expenses call for a reduction of the size of the Parliament
Professor Ogenga also blamed the electorates for voting money instead of competent people who can represent them.
He however, applauded President Museveni for cracking whip on the recent corruption tendencies in the country by actions taken by the president regarding corruption allegations at the ministries, and in parliament.
Relating this to Iddi Amin’s regime, professor Latigo believes that corruption tendencies can come to an end if the President remains consistent in the fight.
“For those MPs who have been got, they laid their bed so let them lay on it.” He said. Adding that “to the president, either you let systems work or it is your legacy at stack. You are already on the wrong side of 50 like me and in terms of your duration as a president you are on the wrong side so use this last moment to clean the systems in this country, to let it start working again and you will retire a very peaceful man.”
Recently, the President confirmed to having received reports and evidence of corruption in parliament and at ministries, promising to deal with those implicated.
“I have been hearing stories that there is a racket from the Ministry of Finance to parliament. I didn’t believe this but now I have proof so I don’t know how we can arrange (what do we call it) amnesty.” He said.
Adding that “This corruption which is happening is not happening in the moon but is happening here. Of course, now I have opened a war with them so be sure that you are not in my gun side because we cannot let our people down.”
Daniel Omara Atubo, the former Lands minister took to social media wondering why and who caused corruption saying not everyone is prone to the vice.
“In Uganda today, corruption is so deep that anybody can be bought including cultural and religious leaders. No Integrity. No Shame. No Conscience. Money is everything. WHY? Who caused the corruption?” He wondered
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