Members of the Non-Governmental Organizations under their body Uganda National NGO Forum have been criticized for insinuating that the move by President Yoweri Museveni to suspend the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) was uninformed.
The members released a statement on Friday February 5th about the recently concluded General election and the suspension. Now, as regulator of the sector says it took note of some of the disparaging comments in that statement.
Okello Stephen the Executive Director National Bureau for NGOs told the press in Kampala on Tuesday, that the President of the Republic of Uganda is primarily endeared by the constitution to not only protect the lives and property of the citizens but also to ensure the preservation of the sovereignty of the nation at all times.
"The President is privy to information on national matters at a level higher than any other entity, NGOs inclusive, and therefore acts on matters that in his wisdom adversely affect the execution of his mandate. It was therefore unfortunate for some NGOs working together with other Civil Society Organizations to attempt to portray the President's actions as having been uninformed" Okello said.
He added that it is Common knowledge World over for any nation to be and remain tranquil, the observance and respect for the law is paramount, and that includes respect for the directives from the Head of State.
Okello also noted that some players in the sector have developed the tendency to act as if they are independent of the nation, noting that loose organizations have been formed and statements issued in their name with the expectation that such actions would go unchecked. It is also known that the enjoyment of civil liberties is not unlimited.
He also argues that whereas the excesses of such liberties are adjudged to infringe on or become detrimental to national interest, any Government is duty bound to take appropriate action.
"The support that DGF has been extending over the years to both state and non-state actors, the NGO Bureau inclusive, is not in doubt. It is also true that this support has added value to different facets of the national development fabric. However, the support should not mean that questions should not be asked and clarifications sought once there are concerns especially from the Head of State, more so where such concerns are bound to destabilize national stability" Okello explained.
Adding that the President's letter dated January 02, 2021 to the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development raises concerns regarding the operations and monitoring of DGF activities without the requisite oversight by Government.
"The President clearly outlined a number of directives and recommendations in his letter including immediate suspension of DGF activities by the Minister of Finance, Cabinet considering the matter and other investigative arms of Government undertaking their tasks with a view to coming up with further recommendations for action" he argued.
H.E the President's letter is addressed to the Hon. Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development for implementation of the directives and recommendations contained therein. However, DGF has indicated that it had not yet received any formal communication from the /Minister to that effect.
"In the event that such a letter has since been written, DGF has established mechanisms of engaging with the Government and this would most likely not include a Press statement from the beneficiaries of its funding and other actors who have now become experts on this issue using various media platforms" Okello said.
He further noted that NGOs' contributions to complementing Government's development efforts are recognized and appreciated and that their ability to mobilize additional resources to support Government programs is also recognized. However, it is very intriguing and therefore premature for some overzealous NGOs to start issuing statements and responding to matters that are still within the circles of Government and are before Cabinet for consideration.
Furthermore, the concerned party DGF, is yet to inform the public on its position and planned course of action in relation to the matter. The premature actions by some of these NGOs has created anxiety among the public without adequate facts hence precipitating uncalled for conclusions, a diversion and distraction from the concerns raised by H.E. the President.
It is imprudent for a sector that prides in advocating for and advancing the basic tenets of the rule of law to be the very one negating these principles because it affects them directly. That amounts to selective application of the law.
