Africa-Press – Uganda. The Parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports Tuesday failed to deliberate on key issues affecting the Ministry of Education or other related concerns after all the delegated ministers skipped a meeting convened by the legislators.
The retreat being held at the Victoria Serena Kigo Resort was scheduled to, among other things, deliberate on the gaps in the National Teachers’ Policy, training centres for teachers and student loans scheme run by the government.
The committee chairperson, Mr John Twesigye Ntamuhiira openly expressed his disappointed after none of the delegated junior ministers made it to the meeting. Since there was no formal communication about the ministers’ failure to attend the meeting, Mr Twesigye tried to adjourn the sitting for about 30 minutes hoping to allow the ministers time to make it to the venue but this was an attempt in futility.
“The ministers who are supposed to be here are not here. It is therefore, unfortunate that during the break we took for 30 minutes, none of the ministers cannot be here. It is the technical team now that is here. And by tomorrow, I pray that the issue of absence shall not surface again,” Mr Twesigye said.
Many of the lawmakers on the committee, including Kashari South MP, Mr Nathan Itungo and Busia Municipality MP, Mr Godfrey Macho, were equally disappointed.
“We thought this would be a good in-house meeting with our ministers to see how we can be guided and work with Parliament. On our side as members, we are disappointed that ministers and other heads are not interested [in this meeting]” Mr Itungo said.
It later emerged through the communication delivered by the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Ms Ketty Lamaro that State Minister for Education in charge of Sports, Mr Peter Ogwang was in Egypt while his counterpart in charge of Higher Education, Mr John Chrysostom Muyingo was in Germany and Ms Joyce Moriku Kaducu in charge of primary was upcountry.
This prompted Mr Twesigye to defer the meeting to Wednesday (September 27).
It is worth noting that over a fortnight ago, Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among was compelled to suspend plenary due to absence of ministers whom she accused of paralyzing Parliament business.
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