After the death of the late Speaker Jacob Oulanyah on March 20, 2022 in Seattle US, President Museveni offered to support the completion the deceased’s village mansion in Omoro District, tasking to the UPDF engineering team to do so before the late’s body arrives on Friday April 1, 2022.
In addition, the newly elected Speaker of Parliament Hon. Anita Among also adopted Oulanyah’s daughter, offering to foot her basic and education needs of going to Canada for further studies, one of her father’s wishes.
Commenting on the pledges today on The Fatboy Show, Presenters James Onen aka Fatboy and Olive Najjuma recognized the acts of kindness towards the late Speaker’s family, but also pinned the public officials for poor planning that later seem to transcends into a tax payer’s burden.
“If you are someone who has ascended to the position of Speaker of Parliament, you’d think that at least he had his family in order, that your children’s needs; education and other basic needs are catered to. And then when it comes to the construction of his house, you'd think that his estate ought to have the means to carry out its completion,” Fatboy complained.
Olive additionally said that the pledges would be okay if they were to be done on goodwill but not because the deceased failed to make the necessary preparations before his death.
Also giving reference to the former Governor of the Bank of Uganda, Fatboy said that with the exorbitant salaries the positions earn and their benefits, it is baffling that their families start to request for support immediately after their deaths.
“It doesn't make sense,” Olive complained. “Because MPs in Uganda earn way more than MPs in Europe. So they are here making all this money, note that there’s also corruption and benefits that come with these jobs. So you die leaving three kids behind and there’s nothing to take care of them?! That is poor planning,” she added.
Further commenting on the deployment of the UPDF engineering brigade to complete the late Speaker’s house, the Presenters expressed concern saying that that was taxpayer’s money being used on the orders of the President.
Olive said, “The President is giving these orders using his office but in my opinion, he’s making the offers as an individual not as a President because he seemed to have a good relationship with the deceased whilst using a national institution. But who is paying for all this?”
“Look at it this way,'' she continued; “Let's say a former President of the US dies, are they going to use public resources to cater to his family? They may do it if it is in the constitution but if not, they won't. If you want to do something to help, you would do it personally and from your pockets.”
President Museveni made the pledges to finish the construction of the late Oulanyah’s home last Thursday while meeting with the Greater North Parliamentary Forum representatives in Nakasero. Additionally, he pledged to pay school dues for the deceased’s children.
The Fatboy show is hosted by James Onen aka Fatboy, Olive and Sarah every weekday from 6am to 10am on RX Radio.