Vice President, Jessica Alupo, has underscored the role of the National Resistance Movement in building youth structures that have seen them (youth) take on different responsibilities in the management of the country.
Alupo in a message delivered by Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba, at the National Youth Council Youth Alumni Dinner that was held at Pearl of Africa Hotel on January 13 in Kampala, said one cannot sustainably talk about the National Youth Council without talking about the philosophy and ideology of the mighty NRM Party.
She explained that the historical comradeship and partnership between the NRM party and the young people in this country is well documented and self-evident.
“In our long and tedious journey to capturing power from the backward elements in 1986, through a protracted people’s war, we ensured that every section we liberated from the backward and non-visionary forces, we established inclusive leadership structures that were known then as Resistance committees (Councils) with a position for Secretary for Youth Affairs,” she said.
The vice president shared that their decision to include youth in leadership was based on their realization before anybody else in Uganda and Africa at large that young people once well guided can be strong agents of fundamental change and transformation of communities.
“Young people during the five years’ protracted people’s war exhibited tenacity, resilience, ideological maturity, impeccable charisma, faith in the revolution and a high level of trust and dependability even during very trying moments. It is on the above basis that even after the war, young men and women were often placed in important positions of leadership to further their ambitions and promote the doctrines of the National Resistance Movement.”
Alupo said that the Alumni Dinner should equally be a moment of catching up with old colleagues, cementing collaboration, building networks and rejuvenating their zeal towards doing everything possible to transform Uganda to a modern and prosperous Country.
“Our goal should be increased household incomes and improved quality of life of all Ugandans without leaving anyone behind.
This Dinner is a celebration of the many achievements of the NYC including being a nursery bed for powerful National Leaders including myself and many others (Ministers, Party leaders, Public service top managers, Private sector drivers and even those serving at International level.”
She challenged them to increase their efforts of mobilization to have the council run by a big number of members across the different regions of the country.
“As Alumni fraternity, our job must be to encourage the young people to do much more than we did during our time. This is so because the conditions of engagement are far much better now than they actually were 20 years ago.”
She added: “I would like to urge all of you (both the present and past leaders) to fully embrace the various interventions of Government, including the Parish Development Model (PDM) to liberate our people from poverty.
Poverty is now the most lethal and most complicated enemy of our people. I am confident that if we put our efforts together as the elite (cream) of our society, we can truly surmount poverty and take our correct position among the Upper income States of the World.”
Alupo also congratulated Dr Shaft Nasser Mukwaya for the long service he has rendered to the National Youth Council and the youth of Uganda in general. She expressed her gratitude for his work as Executive Secretary for almost two decades and wished him well in his new assignment as the Secretary to the Equal Opportunities Commission.
The dinner was also attended by Government Chief whip, Hamson Obua, NRM National Treasurer, Rosemary Namayanja, State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Hon Nyirabashitsi Sarah Mateke, National Female Youth MP, Phionah Nyamutoro, Kitgum Woman MP, Lillian Aber, and the Permanent Secretary of the Gender Ministry, Aggrey Kibenge.