By Paul Edotu
(The writer is Cadre and Public Administrator as well as Public Policy Analyst)
Many nations in Africa today still grapple with efforts to develop a national culture, but Uganda for the last 30 years is more than blessed to have President Museveni and the NRM party in that journey.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has successfully managed to come up with 4 easily memorable principles of the party namely; Democracy, Social Economic Transformation, Prosperity and Nationalism/Pan Africanism.
In his classical speeches to the Nation, the President has never missed to remind Ugandans about his vision for Uganda and Africa as a whole: a democratic country and Africa, social economically transformed Uganda and Africa, and Nationalism/pan Africanism. Once Ugandans and Africans internalise and accept these principles as a way of life, 90% of Mankind challenges will be eradicated in Uganda and Africa as a whole.
I have taken keen interest to study deeper the 4 principles and I find them, an embodiment of rule of law, constitutionalism, human rights and good governance. Many scholars have argued that the problem of Africa is not lack of resources but ideological disorientation. Africans don’t believe in themselves, hence import solutions to domestic problems.
It’s therefore not uncommon today to find topics like mindset change, there are sets of mind we need to change from in order to transform into modern developed economies.
I have been keenly listening to His Excellency the President on different occasions of his addresses emphasizing these principles to the nation and castigating ideological disorientation of some people.
I therefore suggest and recommend that in a bid to increase awareness and to socialise Ugandans into this new nation culture the following needs to be done;
- Make the 4 principles part of the school curriculum.
- Enact national legislation to enforce the 4 principles.
- Encourage, research and documentation of good practices.
- Work with religious leaders, cultural leaders and civil society organizations as crusaders of the message.
- The Ministry of Gender and social development together with Ministry of Local government to spearhead the implementation of mass awareness through dissemination.
Once Ugandans adopt the new nation culture, I am sure nation building will be a complete effort and Ugandans will be able to enjoy communion as a transformed community and using our influence in the region and Africa we shall be agents of change. Once again, I would like to thank and applaud His Excellency the President of Uganda for the vision capsuled in the 4 Principles of the NRM.
The writer is Cadre and Public Administrator as well as Public Policy Analyst.
edotupaul21@gmail.com
0782191141.
