President Yoweri Museveni has commended the UPDF Officers for the successful Veterans agriculture program.
He paid tribute to the soldiers during the 25th Heroes’ Day celebrations that were held at Bukalamuli Catholic Parish, Kikandwa Sub County in Mityana District.
Celebrations were held under the theme: “Celebrating the lives of our National Heroes through dedicated service to our Country.”
“The soldiers have done a very good job delivering planting and breeding materials in areas I first experimented with,” he said.
The President revealed that the Government recorded good service during the 2013/14 financial year when the officers facilitated the farmers to plant 11 million coffee seedlings and 2 million tea seedlings at a cost of Shs 900m.
He observed that this performance was a big contrast to that of the NAADS officers.
He told the gathering that the Government having recorded success would expand the pilot Veterans Agriculture program to cover the rest of the country.
He revealed that an army officer would be deployed in every Constituency in order to ensure food security and commercial farming.
President Museveni said that he would terminate services of NAADS Coordinators who have rendered a disservice to the country.
He assured the people that the funds which hitherto were put to waste through salaries and workshops by NAADS would be channelled to breeding materials and seedlings to Ugandans.
He was optimistic that with time the 7 million families in the country would have the capacity to cultivate enough food and cash crops.
He commended the people of the Luweero region for supporting the NRM during the liberation struggle.
He said that when the NRM Government came to power in 1986, the economy had collapsed noting that the tax base had shrunk.
He revealed that the Government embarked on a minimum recovery program which was followed by rehabilitation, development and a stabilization process.
He said that it succeeded in eliminating the killers who previously terrorized the people.
The President assured the people that having expanded the tax base it has a better opportunity to expand service delivery.
He revealed that when the revenue collections increased in 1996, the NRM Government introduced the UPE program in order to ensure that children from poor families access free education.
He observed that the primary School enrolment increased from 2.5 million children to 8.8 million upon the introduction of the program and criticized characters dissuading parents from providing their School going children packed lunch.
He stressed that it was wrong for Teachers and related Education Officials to demand for lunch funds.
He told the attentive crowd that Parents have the duty to provide their children lunch, exercise books and uniforms.
President Museveni said that the Government has ushered in development in the Luweero region by providing infrastructure such as roads.
He gave the example of the Busunju – Hoima road and the Mityana – Fort Portal road which were constructed among others in the region.
He called on the farmers to employ micro-irrigation by using plastic bottles which have the capacity to deliver drip irrigation on a small scale.
He said that using such a method of work, they would be assured of good harvests during the dry seasons.
President Museveni pledged to assist the people in setting up agro- processing industries as one of the methods of ensuring employment for youth.
He directed the Minister of Energy, Mrs. Irene Muloni to install electric transformers in all the trading centers in the country which have power lines transiting through.
He granted the request by the people to have Busunju transformed into a Town Council.
President Museveni called on the children of the Veterans to join the army. He assured them that he would create for them an employment quota in the UPDF.
He promised to fulfil the pledge to pay the outstanding benefits of the Veterans.
President Museveni decorated 380 people with the Nalubale medals, the Golden Jubilee medals and the Luweero Triangle medal.
The Minister of the Presidency, Frank Tumwebaze saluted the President for having ensured security in the country.
He noted that it works as a fulcrum of the nation. He introduced members of the opposition parties who converted to the NRM.
The State Minister for Luweero, Sarah Kataike said that the main challenge was unemployment among the youth.
She added that the country was experiencing terror threats. She was optimistic that the Citizens registration exercise would be utilized as part of the measures to guarantee national security.
The National Chairman of the War Veterans Association, Hajji Idris Sseddunga saluted President Museveni for distributing seedlings using soldiers who had done a very good job.
He assured the gathering that the results of the Veterans agricultural project would be good.
He thanked the President for constructing the Kampala- Hoima road and thanked the UPDF, Police and other security organs for ensuring security during Martyrs Day celebrations held recently in Namugongo.
On behalf of the Veterans, he saluted the President for accepting to communicate with people from all walks of life.
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