Another ripe fruit of the opposition eaten up by the NRM. Before the plenary yesterday evening, the speaker of parliament Hon. Anita Annet Among revealed to parliament of how she had received a resignation letter from then Public Accounts Committee ( in Charge of Local Government) Chair Hon.Ojara Martin Mapenduzi. She asked members of parliament to let Mapenduzi, go where he wants because you can’t force someone what they don’t want.
She asked Mapenduzi, “present the committee reports because they aren’t personal property but rather property of parliament , and after that he can go wherever he wishes to.”
Ojara Martin Mapenduzi , a former speaker of the Gulu city council and mayor of Gulu city denounced FDC and stood for the MP seat on the independent ticket and chosen by the leading opposition party in parliament National Unity Platform (NUP) , to head PAC
The public expected , Mapenduzi to be loyal to the opposition especially NUP who had appointed him chair to a committee, this wasn’t the case as he was a cardinal to moving the censor motion for Mityana Municipality mp Francis Zaake from his position as the commissioner of parliament . An action that Zaake petitioned in the courts of law to seek intervention.
This saw the opposition come with changes to its members on different committees of parliament. When it came to Mapenduzi, the speaker of parliament declined his re- designation of Mapenduzi and she explained to the house that PAC needed its chair at the moment while handling the Auditor general’s report for the financial year 2020-2021.This was declined by leader of opposition Hon.Mathias Mpuuga who alleged the speaker of violating section 196 of parliamentary rules of procedure.
Hon. Ojara Martin Mapenduzi, has officially been appointed by NRM, new chair for Public Service Committee and the opposition chief whip John Baptist Nambeshe has appointed Gilbert Olyanya kilak south legislator as New Chair for PAC. Mapenduzi has vowed to help Gilbert to ensure successful transition and willing to offer home support where needed.
In an interview Mapenduzi , told the media “This is the problem with some of you, when NUP appointed me to head a committee as an independent MP ,you didn’t complain. And now that the NRM has chosen me you’re now saying another of words. The committee am going to serve answers to the same parliament, then why are you complaining.”
The Bardege Layiibi Division Gulu city legislator, received comments form the side he was working with the opposition chief whip Hon.Nambeshe referred to him as a mole , Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi said, “we reached an agreement for everyone to move on ,which is his right “. Mapenduzi adds to the long list of people who have Crossed from working with and for the opposition to join the Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Yellow bus for different reasons.
Article by: Katongole Anorld
