The National Bureau for NGOs has warned Non-governmental organizations against making disreputable statements following the suspension of the Democratic Governance Facility.
Spokesperson of the NGO Bureau, Patrick Ezaga who was Tuesday speaking at the Uganda Media Centre, said such actions from the affected NGOs will attract reprimand.
“On February 5′ 2021, some NGOs and other Civil Society Organizations under the auspices of Uganda National NGO Forum released a statement about the suspension of Democratic Governance Facility (OGF) and the post-election environment. Whereas citizens are free to express their views on matters that concern them, the NGO Bureau, as regulator of the sector, took note of some of the disparaging comments in that statement,” he said.
Ezaga added, “According to the Updated National NGO Register (UNNR) at the NGO Bureau offices and on the Ministry of Internal Affairs website that is updated and uploaded on weekly basis as at February 01, 2021, there were2,228 NGOs legally registered and permitted to operate in this country. It is important to note here that nine NGOs participated in the release of the statement. Therefore, they cannot purport to represent the views and
interests of all NGOs in the Country.”
Last week, President Yoweri Museveni ordered the suspension of a multimillion-dollar fund backed by European nations that supports the work of local groups focusing on democracy and good governance.
Museveni, in a letter to his finance minister argued that money withdrawn from the Democratic Governance Facility has been “used to finance activities and organizations designed to subvert Government under the guise of improving governance.”
Museveni said that he was never consulted on the establishment of the fund with cash reserves of up to £100 million and “operated exclusively by a foreign mission” in the country.
“This is not the financing of a private business but the funding of state and non-state actors to achieve the political objectives of the funders in Uganda,” he wrote in the letter dated Jan. 2. He also ordered the suspension of the fund’s activities until his cabinet reviews the matter and a new oversight board featuring Ugandans is installed.
Following the suspension, a group of NGOs spoke against the action.
However, Ezaga, speaking on the matter, said, “the NGO Bureau calls upon the affected NGOs in particular and the sector at large to remain calm so as to give room for the relevant arms of Government to investigate the matter and for Cabinet to deliberate on it and come up recommendations as directed by the President. The affected NGOs are called upon to organize themselves and prepare a report highlighting the nature, importance of the support they were receiving and the impact of the suspension of DGF on their activities and avail such information to the investigating authorities through appropriate channels so as to guide and inform Cabinet in their deliberations.”
The Democratic Governance Facility, or DGF, was launched in 2011 by Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the European Union as a five-year program to support government and non-governmental groups working to promote human rights, deepen democracy and improve accountability. Renewed in 2018 and domiciled within the Danish embassy, the fund says it wants to see a country “where citizens are empowered to engage in democratic governance and the state upholds citizens’ rights.”
Below is the full statement
On February 5′ 2021, some NGOs and other Civil Society Organizations under the auspices of Uganda National NGO Forum released a statement about the suspension of Democratic Governance Facility (OGF) and the post-election environment.
Whereas citizens are free to express their views on matters that concern them, the NGO Bureau, as regulator of the sector, took note of some of the disparaging comments in that statement.
It is needless to note from the onset that H.E. The President of the republic of Uganda is primarily endeared by the constitution to not only protect the lives and property of the citizens but also to ensure the preservation of the sovereignty of the nation at all times.
The President is privy to information on national matters at a level higher than any other entity, NGOs inclusive, and therefore takes action on matters that in his wisdom adversely affect the execution of his mandate.
It was therefore unfortunate for some NGOs working together with other Civil Society Organizations to attempt to portray the President’s actions as having been uninformed.
It is common knowledge world over that for any nation to be and remain tranquil, the observance and respect for the rule of law is paramount, and that includes respect for the directives of the Head of State.
In recent times, some organizations in the sector have developed the tendency to act as if they are independent of the nation.
Loose organizations have been warmed and statements issued in their name with the expectation that such actions would go unchecked.
It is also known that the enjoyment of civil liberties is not unlimited. Where the excesses of such liberties are adjudged to infringe on or become detrimental to national interest, any Government is duty bound to take appropriate action.
The support that DGF has been extending over the years to both state and non-state actors, the NGO Bureau inclusive, is not in doubt.
It is also true that this support has added value to different facets of the national development fabric.
However, the support should not mean that questions should not be asked and clarifications sought once there are concerns especially from the Head of State, more so where such concerns ate bound to destabilize national stability.
The President’s letter dated January 02, 2021 to the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development raises concerns regarding the operations and monitoring of DGF activities without the requisite oversight by Government.
The President clearly outlined a number of detectives and recommendations in his letter including immediate suspension of DGF activities by the Minister of Finance, Cabinet considering the matter and other investigative arms of Government undertaking their tasks with a view to coming up with further recommendations for action.
H.E the President’s letter is addressed to the Hon. Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development for implementation of the directives and recommendations contained therein.
However, DGF has indicated that it had not yet received any formal communication from the Minister to that effect.
In the event that such a letter has since been written, DGKF has established mechanisms of engaging with the Government and this would most likely not include a Press statement from the beneficiaries of its funding and other actors who have now become experts on this issue using various media platforms.
NGOs’ contributions to complementing Government’s development efforts are recognized and appreciated.
The ability of NGOs to mobilize additional resources to support Government programs is also recognized.
However, it is very intriguing and therefore premature for some overzealous NGOs to start issuing statements and responding to matters that are still within the circles of Government and are before Cabinet for consideration.
Furthermore, the concerned party DGF, is yet to inform the public on its position and planned course of action in relation to the matter.
The premature actions by some of these NGOs has created anxiety among the public without adequate facts hence precipitating uncalled for conclusions, a diversion and distraction from the concerns raised by H.E. the President.
It is imprudent for a sector that prides in advocating for and advancing the basic tenets of the rule of law to be the very one negating these principles because it affects them directly.
That amounts to selective application of the law. The authors have issued near-conclusive commentary on a number of issues in the statement including malfunctioning of government, vote rigging and extra-judicial killings even before according due process and the relevant authorities the opportunity to investigate and consider the allegations.
In this particular case, some NGOs have opted to join the bandwagon of those questioning the integrity of the Presidential directive and the NGO Bureau, as the arm of Government mandated to regulate the NGO sector cannot stand aloof in such circumstances.
The NGO Bureau has the responsibility to call such NGO’s to order.
According to the Updated National NGO Register (UNNR) at the NGO Bureau offices and on the Ministry of Internal Affairs website that is updated and uploaded on weekly basis as at February 01, 2021, there were 2,228 NGOs legally registered and permitted to operate in this country.
It is important to note here that nine NGOs participated in the release of the statement.
Therefore, they cannot purport to represent the views and interests of all NGOs in the Country.
In conclusion, on the DGF matter, the NGO Bureau calls upon the affected NGOs in patticular and the sector at large to remain calm so as to give room for the relevant arms of Government to investigate the matter and for Cabinet to deliberate on it and come up recommendations as directed by the President.
The affected NGOs are called upon to organize themselves and prepare a report highlighting the nature, importance of the support they were receiving and the impact of the suspension of DGF on their activities and avail such information to the investigating authorities through appropriate channels so as to guide and inform Cabinet in their deliberations.
On the concerns relating to the post- election environment, the NGO Bureau calls upon the sector to accord the relevant authorities the opportunity to do their job.
The NGO Bureau further strongly cautions NGOs to desist from uttering and issuing disreputable statements as any continued action in this path will certainly attract appropriate reprimands.
Okello Stephen
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY