Africa-Press – Uganda. The Minister Of Water And Environment and Nile Council of Ministers’ (NILECOM) Chairperson Mr Sam Cheptoris has said there is a need to fully bring Egypt back into the Nile Basin Initiative fold to achieve ratification of the Cooperative Framework Agreement on River Nile to ensure equitable use of the river across the 10 basin states.
“We still have a problem with Egypt. We would have loved to bring Egypt into the fold, and we are trying to see how best we can bring Egypt back into the fold. I know it’s going to be very difficult but we will try our best. If we fail at least we would have tried” he said.
Mr Cheptoris made the remarks while presiding over the handover ceremony for the executive director of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) held at the secretariat in Entebbe on Monday.
“We shall encourage countries that haven’t yet ratified the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) to do so. We now have five countries. We only need one more then NBI will be transformed into a commission. That is one of the issues we are going to handle to see which countries we can bring on board” he said.
Mr Cheptoris urged the new director Ms Florence Adongo to be flexible with the NBI staff to achieve teamwork and the secretariat set goals.
“There are people who are born negative. Your job is to ensure that we bring them on board with all their imperfections, try to understand them, and the staff please give her the benefit of the doubt and support her,” he said.
The new NBI director Ms Florence Grace Adongo said there is a need for finding a mechanism of regular engagements to see how Egypt can fully be brought back into participation in the Nile Basin Initiative.
“From the very beginning Egypt was part of the establishment of NBI. It was only until that time of signing that they were not able and we think that there’s always room for countries to make their internal consultations and are free to come back,” she said.
Ms Adongo said the secretariat would continue inviting Egypt to all meetings of the Nile Basin states.
“We are open to sharing information and receiving it whenever they come or resume regular meetings with us,” she said.
The outgoing director Mr Sylvester Matemu urged Ms Adongo to work with the NBI team to ensure the continuity and consistency of issues handled by NBI to avoid creating possible gaps.
“Don’t be overwhelmed with working with the team, there is a system here which will advise you, don’t go alone, if you go alone, you can run fast but you will not reach but if you go along with others while listening to their advice you will reach far?” he said.
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