President Museveni Accompanied by Maama Visits Okello, a model Farmer at Acii in Amolatar District скачать в хорошем качестве

President Museveni Accompanied by Maama Visits Okello, a model Farmer at Acii in Amolatar District

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has challenged leaders at all levels to teach their people how to get out of poverty using their land and not to focus on one economic activity. The President, accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni, on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, resumed his wealth creation and Parish Development Model (PDM) performance assessment tour in the Lango sub-region by visiting Mr. Jowel Okello, a model farmer in Amolatar District. Mr. Okello, who started by using family land, has since expanded his enterprise to over 300 heads of cattle as well as goats, sheep, pigs and a variety of crops. He also promised to motivate Mr. Okello, by helping him get solar power and later electricity, which is in a range of five kilometres, a water pump and a tractor. “Jowel is already self-motivated. Supporting him is easy,” he added. The President also gave 10 million shillings to the 10 PDM beneficiaries who had come to listen to his message and called upon the people of Lango not to look at fishing as the only economic activity because it cannot absorb everybody. On her part, Maama Janet was happy to learn that Mr. Okello and his wife are working together as a family and supporting each other and prayed that the same spirit continues countrywide among the beneficiaries. Maama Janet also commended Mr. Okello and the wife for becoming examples of wealth creation, saying if every family adopts the same culture, Africa will never lack. On the other hand, Mr. Okello said his humble background of selling alcohol for school fees has been a driving force for him to become somebody in life by, among others, embracing the wealth creation message of President Museveni, where he also discourages land fragmentation. “This is family land. I always tell my brothers and sisters that even if I'm not there tomorrow, please don't divide this land, because I know the benefit,” he said. Mr. Okello, who now employs 18 permanent staff at his farm, started his enterprise in 2016 after retiring from national water, where he worked for seven years and later visited Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Balaba Muheesi, who inspired him more to become a wealth creator and is now becoming an example to others in the district, most of whom are engaged in fishing. “I went to the market. Someone who has kept his cow for two years is selling it at Shs. 250,000. I'm selling a goat for eight months at Shs. 500,000, so we must invest in changing the mindset of the people. We have a lot of opportunities in northern Uganda,” he added. Hon. Moses Okot B'tek, Kioga County Member of Parliament welcomed President Museveni in his constituency and asked him to work on the infrastructure, especially roads, if he is to woo more opposition members like him to the National Resistance Movement. Amolatar LC5 chairman, Mr. Geoffrey Ocen Kiring, expressed gratitude to President Museveni for dedicating his life to ensuring that every Ugandan is involved in wealth creation through the different programs, such as the PDM, youth livelihood program, and women entrepreneurship fund. He revealed that Amolatar has received Shs. 17.6 billion and disbursed Shs. 10.5 billion to the 10,800 households in the district. Mr. Ocen reminded the President to upgrade Amolatar Health Centre IV to a general hospital in order to save on referral expenses and reduce maternal mortality rates. The meeting was also addressed by the Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Betty Amongi, and Hon. Sam Engola, the Senior Presidential Advisor in charge of Lango. The presidential tour that kicked off on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, will include visits to selected farmers in the Lango subregion, the launch of the Presidential Zonal industrial hub, meetings with local leaders, and the Lango sub-region media fraternity. The tour will conclude with a public rally where the President will engage with the community and outline ongoing government initiatives, particularly focused on wealth creation. The meeting was also attended by Members of Parliament, RDCs and security chiefs in the region.