By THE OBSERVER UG
President Yoweri Museveni has paid tribute to the late Dokolo Woman MP, Cecilia Ogwal for raising above partisan politics and being patriotic.
The president made the remarks at a vigil in honour of Ogwal at parliament. He said that while it was fashionable to loathe his government, the fallen legislator soared above hate politics and served the national interest.
“When she was elected to the Pan African Parliament (PAP), you would not know that she was not NRM [a member of the ruling National Resistance Movement party]; she was a big defender of Uganda out there,” he said.
Fondly referring to the late as Cissy Ogwal, the president said that she was a very good leader and that her contribution was suppressed by the bad politics of hatred and bigotry.
“Cissy Ogwal was very firm in rejecting that politics; that politics of hatred is getting isolated,” said Museveni.
Recounting intelligence eavesdrops into the late Ogwal’s phone call with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) deputy commander, Vincent Otti, Museveni said the former Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) assistant secretary-general weathered intimidation and denounced the rebellion.
“We celebrate her achievements, her contribution because when you hear that the North is peaceful now, people who played a part in pacifying that area apart from the soldiers are people like Cecilia,” he said.
The president also said that Ogwal was corrupt-free, recounting that during her time as Parliamentary Commissioner, Cecilia Ogwal emerged clean.
“She was in the parliamentary commission, we never heard of any dirt,” he said.
Speaker of parliament, Anita Among, thanked the president for giving Ogwal an official burial and announced to mourners that the president had okayed the request by members of parliament for a special project in the late’s honour.
“The prayers in the motion have been handled by the president,” she said.
Among said Ogwal never looked at issues through the narrow prism of political parties but rather approached every national issue with a patriotic spirit.
“Much as she was from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), she was an MP for Uganda; she put the country ahead,” speaker said.
Museveni also took a swipe at opposition activists, whom he criticized for what he said was their attempt to disrupt the recently concluded international conferences held in Uganda.
“You can imagine they were even trying to sabotage the Non-Aligned Movement conference; NAM is not for Museveni; this is what I don’t agree with,” he said.
The vigil was also attended by chief justice, Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, prime minister Robinah Nabbanja, government chief whip Hamson Obua, and members of parliament, among others.
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