President Yoweri Museveni was not ‘very sorry’ to his counterparts at the Monday 2nd Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) held at Protea Hotel, Entebbe after he arrived for the function at the time when it was supposed to be closing.
According to the program, the IPOD summit was slated to start at 9am and the leaders of various political parties were supposed to speak from 3pm before its closure at 5pm. However, by 5pm, President Museveni, the NRM chairperson had not yet arrived at the venue. This prompted the meeting to extend up to 11pm in the night.
In his opening statement, Museveni was not very remorseful to other leaders whom he had kept waiting for hours. Museveni said that the leaders should not complain after they were waiting from an air conditioned room unlike him who waited for years in the bush before he could take over power in 1986.
“I am sorry we kept you waiting, I was however not in a bar. You waited for some hours, waiting is not a big issue if you are in an air conditioned room. I waited for years in the bush,” Museveni.
Museveni also showed great concern why the FDC party led by Patrick Amuriat had again decided to snub the 2nd IPOD summit having snubbed the first in Munyonyo in November 2018.
“Being in opposition doesn’t mean that you don’t work for your area/constituency. Work for the progress of your area. I was a young boy, about 19 years old when I started working. I can authoritatively speak about youth issues because I was once a youth leader. So, don’t waste time saying you’re opposition yet you’re doing nothing for your people,” Museveni said.
“I’m therefore glad to meet leaders of Democratic Party, UPC and Jeema. I don’t know why FDC doesn’t come, but that is up to them. Once we discuss issues, we can agree on a point of convergence and therefore move forward together.”
DP President Nobert Mao, also IPOD chairperson also blasted FDC for snubbing the summit.
“We call upon our colleagues who have consistently denounced IPO Summit meetings simply because they feel that sitting in a meeting with President Museveni waters down their image as an opposition party to change their attitude,” Mao said.
“Why would one be uncomfortable with partaking of a meal one has participated fully in preparing?”
