Bernard Atiku

The ministry of health has been asked to start registering all traditional healers/doctors as a way of following their work to control the rates of child sacrifice in the country.

This call was made by the Ayivu county Member of Parliament, Bernad Atiku, who is fronting a private member’s bill known as the Anti-Human Sacrifice and Harmful traditional practices bill 2017. Atiku was granted leave by parliament in August this year to prepare this bill.

Related: MPs Abiriga and Atiku get into scuffle with each other

Atiku noted that with the traditional healers working in an informal sector leaves many at liberty to involve in ritual murders because there no rules that govern their work.

Addressing the press at parliament as he gave update on his bill, Atiku said that its high time government comes out to register and get evidence from those who claim to be traditional doctors and inspect their medicine, certify them and be given licenses as this will limit the quack ones that take people’s lives as they hoodwink the public who go for services.

He said starting this Friday, he will start receiving public views on what they think should be done in order to streamline the traditional healing sector nothing that the districts with high cases include Mukono, Jinja, Busia, Kayunga and Buikwe among others.

ALSO READ: Government urged to stop award of fake degrees

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Ayivu county MP Benard Atiku

The chairperson of the parliamentary forum on children Bernard Atiku  asked the ministry of education to rise up and inspect the higher learning institutions to stop the award of fake qualifications to students.

Recently the National Council for Higher Education (NHCE) noted that it’s aware of individuals, including politicians, who have been approaching institutions of higher learning to secure diplomas and degrees to meet academic qualifications to vie for various posts without even attending classes.

ALSO READ:Mubende Senior 4 candidates cry foul as headteacher disappears with examination fees

Atiku who is also MP for Ayivu county said that the ministry of education has all the required structures and resources to fight this practice but it’s not doing enough to stop this problem,

He said that some education institutions are teaching subjects and courses which were not approved by the National curriculum Development Centre and the National Council for Higher Education which deprives the future of the students and resources of their parents

Atiku added that as MPs, As parliament they will put the ministry of education on task to explain under what circumstances institutions engage in unethical behaviors which is compromising the education standards of the country

ALSO READ:Students, Staff eulogize fallen KIU students who perished in road accident

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Hon. Abiriga and Atiku in a scuffle

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Member of Parliament for Ayivu County, Bernard Atiku

Parliament has granted leave to the Member of Parliament for Ayivu County, Bernard Atiku, who intends to introduce a private member’s bill for an Act entitled; “The prevention and prohibition of human sacrifice and harmful practices bill 2017”.

Atiku’s  motion seeking leave was seconded by the Woman Member of Parliament for Kumi district who is also the chairperson of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association, Monica Amoding.

Atiku told Parliament that despite the existence of international instruments, national laws and government efforts in place to protect individuals right to life and degrading acts, ritual killings and human sacrifice practices are on rise in the country and that children are increasingly becoming the most common victims.

She said that the bill seeks to fight the growing evil of human sacrifices in Uganda saying  the witch craft Act has lost relevance in today’s circumstances.

Atiku noted that since 2009 about 219 cases of ritual murders have been reported from different parts of the country.

She pointed out that child sacrifice is highly happening in central region districts which include; Mukono, Masaka, Buikwe ,Mpigi ,Wakiso ,Kampala and in Busoga sub region especially in Jinja and few cases in West Nile and Northern Uganda

The Woman MP for Kumi district, Monica Amoding, noted that there is a feeling in the public that traditional medicine which involves blood and use of human body parts is stronger when applied to fight illness which justifies increase in cases of human sacrifice.

Government Chief Whip, Ruth Nankabirwa, said that government has no objection to this bill, saying that the mover of the bill is complimenting government efforts to stop acts of child sacrifice.

Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah granted the request for leave from Parliament to Atiku to go and prepare for the presentation of the bill.

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Minister Sarah Opendi

The State Minister for Health, Sarah Opendi, last week clashed with the Chairperson of Parliament’s committee on health, Dr.Michael Bukenya, in Parliament over statistics of babies that are reportedly dying at both Mulago referral and Kawempe hospital following the closure of Makerere University.

Opendi had appeared before Parliament with a statement showing that there was no cause for alarm at Mulago disputing the figures of 8-15 children dying at these two hospitals on a daily basis due to lack health services but Bukenya took to the floor and produced evidence indicating that 10 babies had recently died in one day as a result of birth related complications.

Opendi reiterated her statement that indicating that there was no need by government to hire the continuing doctors to salvage the suffering in the hospitals.

Bukenya also took on government for taking the matter of negotiations with the continuing doctors lightly when there was evident need for recruitment of doctors to alleviate the suffering in the hospitals and to reduce on preventable deaths of babies.

Michael Bukenya, the Parliamentary Health Committee Chairperson.

Bukenya’s submission was seconded by other MPs including: Bernard Atiku, Elijah Okupa and William Nzoghu who were demanding that the minister withdraws her statement for lack of content as they await the outcome of the meeting at State House Nakasero.

It took the intervention of the Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanya who stopped the MPs from discussing the matter after informing parliament that cabinet and other relevant authorities were meeting the President on this same matter at State House Nakasero.

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In yesterday’s Parliament’s proceeding Chaired by the deputy speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, MPs while recognizing the late Awuzu who succumbed to diabetes at Arua Regional Referral Hospital on Thursday morning, asked government to  increase on programmes that care the older persons in the country.

The motion to pay tribute to the late minister was moved by the First Deputy Prime and Deputy Leader of government business, Gen. Moses Ali and which was also seconded by the Leader of Opposition, Winfred Kiiza and the County Member of Parliament Bernard Atiku.

First Deputy Prime and Deputy Leader of government business, Gen. Moses Ali moved motion to recognise the late Awuzu.

Moses Ali praised the late Awuzu for serving diligently both as a minister and in military service as well as an engineer in his private works.

The Obongi County MP, Hassan Fungaro Kaps, urged government to have a directive where by the hospitals are built in country  especially in rural areas for proper treatment and caring  for older persons since their specialized hospitals for children and women.

Mukono Municipality MP, Betty Nambooze Bakireke, said that the 20,000 shillings promised to older persons should be given out to cater for their few needs because they are still useful to the country.

The late Awuzu at the time of death left behind 18 children and 4 widows.

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Some MPs say that it’s necessary to have more deputy speakers although other say that having more than one deputy speaker is a waste of resources.
This comes after last week’s plenary was pushed to this week to allow the Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga and her deputy, Jacob Oulanyah to attend the Uganda North America Association (UNAA) meeting currently on-going in the United States.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga

The member of parliament for Pallisa County, Jacob Richards Opolot says that in future parliament has to approve more deputy speakers so that parliament’s work is interrupted.

However,MPs including; Anna Maria Nakabirwa, Kyankwazi district, Peter Sematimba,Busiro South,Bernard Atiku,Yivu  and Paula Turyahikayo Rubabo, argue that although there was confusion for MPs to attend to plenary because of  both speakers being absent, it does not warrant having more deputy speakers because it would be a waste of tax payers money.

In the 9th parliament civil society and some members of parliament had wanted to move a constitutional amendment to have more than one deputy speaker envisaging a situation when both the speaker and her deputy could be unavailable for chairing parliament and that the gap can be filled by  the second deputy speaker  to chair the session.

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The Member of Parliament for Gulu municipality Leander Komakech says that the president should have ministers who have the technical capacity to deliver services to the intended community. The woman member of parliament for Mitoma district Jovah Kamateka says that the new cabinet should be focusing on the NRM party manifesto.

MPS Bernard Atiku and Joshua Anyarach want cabinet of youth and one which will own government projects.

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Onduparaka players celebrate a victory

The member of parliament for Ayivu county in Arua district Bernard Atiku has asked government to make the construction of sports infrastructure in the country a priority to give youth employment through sports.nAtiku made this plea while receiving 7 million shillings from Westnile foundation head by a senior Kampala city lawyer Karebu Alaka meant for the newly promoted Onduparaka football Uganda premier league for players welfare so as the club is run professionally.

Atiku said that government promised to construct Inzikuru stadium in Arua when Docus Inzikuru won the world steeplechase champion in 2005 but to date nothing is going for this sports facility to be available for developing youth talent so as are expose youth to world sports market. He said that should sport clubs like Onduparaka be constructed they will enable youth develop their talent through sports and earn a living to avoid drug abuse which destroys their entire life.

Westnilers across the country fundraised for Onduparaka football club and raised 17 million shillings; a west Nile business man Moshen Ashiraf Musema pledged to give the club a bus on condition that it’s  not relegated from the league in their first season.

Mp Atiku who is also the patron of Onduparaka football club pledged to give  500,000 shillings to this club every month – the money he has been giving to FDC party per month as its member of parliament since this time he came as an independent member of parliament.

Onduparaka football club was founded in 2003 and promoted to Uganda top league from big league and its one of the four teams which with Entebbe FC, Vipers SC and KCCA FC make up the semi- final  in the 2016 Uganda Cup.

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Children at Nsambya Babies’ Home

Parliament has passed the private members bill known as the Children’s Amendment bill 2015. The bill was initiated by the shadow minister for children Affairs Bernard Atiku. The passed bill says that the adoption process of children shall take one year.
Under the Children’s Amendment bill 2015, legal guardianship has been limited to only Ugandan citizens. This bill if assented on by the president will require application for approval or disapproval of children homes to take a period of six months to avoid Bureaucracy. While contributing to the bill, the woman member of parliament for Sembabule Hanifa Kawooya says that adoption of kids is not only for the kids with no parents or found on streets but is applied to all. She told parliament that she has ever adopted twins belonging to a member of parliament whom she did not expose.
The woman member of parliament for Nasongola district who is also the chairperson Gender committee Margeret Komuhangi says that  there should be no delays in licensing children homes because when they are not approved in time they continue operating in their bad shape.

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