Be Productive, NRM SG Tells West Nile Youths

ARUA. The youth in the West Nile sub-region have been urged to take advantage of the prevailing peace in the country to alleviate poverty by engaging in productive activities.

The appeal was made by Richard Todwong Awany, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General (SG) during the Silver Jubilee celebration of West Nile Effort for Museveni, a political pressure group in West Nile.

The celebration held at the Late Ibrahim Abiriga’s home in Arua Central Division, Arua City on Saturday, March 22, 2025, was part of the NRM party’s official mobilization tour of West Nile. The first phase of the mobilization tour started in Arua, Koboko and will end in Moyo district.

But while addressing hundreds of the NRM supporters who turned up in Arua, Todwong said because of the history of the region, nobody should play with the prevailing peace in West Nile.

“Use this opportunity to develop your homes because you have all the opportunities to develop more than any other region. There is nothing that beats the big markets that you have in this area given your strategic location; neighboring DR Congo and South Sudan,” Todwong said.

He added that: “Young people should be young in terms of production. The glory of West Nile, the cock of West Nile, the beauty of that cock will be seen and will always shine when you, the young people, start production.”

Todwong also appealed to the youth of West Nile to form investment clubs which they should use to look for financial support.

“Look for people who can support you financially and with ideas so that you make money. The point of entry in life for a young person can only be good when you know when to do what. You can’t for example, leave school and start getting a woman, you will be frustrated for the rest of your life. Make sure you have your house where the woman is going to stay, you have the income to feed the woman, then the third thing will be to look for a woman to come and help you. The way you think is the way your life will go through” Todwong advised.

He promised that the NRM government is committed to work with the population of West Nile to make sure that the area develops.

Todwong said there is no government he has seen in his lifetime giving money directly to the ordinary person the way the NRM government is doing through EMYOOGA and the Parish Development Model (PDM) among other programs.

“And all these groups are going to be supported more, put yourselves in groups and the government will support you,” Todwong said.

The SG also used the opportunity to honor the Late Ibrahim Abiriga and Gen. Mustafa Idrisi, the former Vice President of Uganda for the good work they did for this country. He later held a meeting with the family members of the two fallen leaders.

In her remarks, Hajjat Naham Medina Ojale, the NRM Director of Finance and Administration, thanked Todwong for coming to West Nile.

She was happy to report to Todwong that most of the things the people of West Nile region asked from the government have been got – like the national grid, government programs and roads except a few that need to be worked upon.

“Now we want to see the opposition that used to give us headache, derailing development, come to NRM. What we want now is the development of our people because we are now NRM. There is no reason for us now not to benefit from the government but what are the opportunities? We talked about the power, the roads, the peace and security which we should take advantage of to get out of poverty,” Medina said.

She, however, warned against disunity and politics of tribe, religion and hatred.

“Are we united as a region, are the leaders united because if we are not united, it comes back to us. The politics of tribalism, the politics of religion must end. West Nile is a unique region in Uganda, it has so many different groups of people. So, how do we unite; look at an Alur as a brother, the Kakwa and Aringa. Let us be united, this Arua city you see here was built by everybody, so if we don’t have unity, the things we are asking for will not change us,” Medina stated.

Relatedly, Jackson Atima Lee Buti, the Arua Central Division MP, appreciated President Museveni for the support he has extended to the West Nile region.

Atima noted that in the education sector; they have got Muni University which was granted by President Museveni.

“In the health sector, HE Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has done a lot for us in upgrading and establishing a new regional referral hospital that is Yumbe regional referral hospital on top of Arua regional referral hospital where our population within the region and our neighbors in DRC and South Sudan get health services. This, we can’t take for granted,” Atima said.

Atima also pointed out the newly constructed multibillion Arua main market, the tarmac roads in the West Nile region and the connectivity of the region to the national grid as some of the key developments done by President Museveni for the people of West Nile.

With the availability of power now, Atima urged President Museveni through Todwong, to send investors to establish factories in the West Nile region so that job opportunities can be created for the youths who are idle.

Abdallah Mahamud, the chairperson of West Nile Effort for Museveni, equally recognized the effort of President Museveni for his continued investment in education and health which he said are essential in empowering the youth.

On behalf of the group, Abdallah pledged to continue mobilizing for President Museveni and all NRM candidates in the coming elections.