By Mulengera Reporters
Jonathan Odur (Erute South) is the fearless legislator who read out one of the minority reports as hundreds of MPs gathered to debate and vote on the controversial protection of sovereignty bill. He was allocated 35 minutes yet he still wanted more after exhausting the same.
Speaker Anita Among, who presided over the Tuesday session, didn’t allow him anymore minutes. She repeatedly indicated there was no time. So, Odur grumblingly resumed his seat and left the microphone.
Then came Betty Nambooze who accused the chairpersons of the two Committees which processed the bill of bias to the extent that they allegedly disregarded many views including a memorandum that was tendered by the Buganda Kingdom. She also accused co-chairperson Bakka Mugabi of suffocating and disregarding her views yet she is a whole Shadow Minister. She also castigated MPs of the 12th Parliament for behaving as if they are the last ones to occupy that office of Member of Parliament.
She also called on Anita Among to reflect on the Commonwealth practice whereby Parliaments which are about to retire, don’t handle controversial business. She proposed the matter of the bill be differed to be handled by the 13th Parliament, which will have enough time to carry out adequate consultation as required by law and rules of prudent practice. Nambooze also protested and demanded that the speaker allows her to finish her submission however much she personally didn’t like her views.
Anita Among directed that she stops there and as she prepared to leave the microphone, Anita Among cautioned her of the need to respect time and speak within the five minutes she had been allocated. Among referred to Odur who had spoken earlier while praising him to have raised substantive issues which the House needed time to exhaustively debate.
Odur (who had already bid farewell to Parliament since he lost his seat during the January elections) rose up and vigorously objected to what the Speaker was saying about him. Accusing her of misrepresentation, Odur (shouting on top of his voice) addressed the Speaker directly and declared as follows: “stop using my name because you didn’t not allow me time to present my report.” Odur said he didn’t want his name and submission to be used to justify the gagging of other members like Betty Nambooze.
Many feared hell was going to break loose just in case Anita Among, renowned for taking no prisoners, vigorously pushed back against the disrespect with which a tough-talking and fire-breathing Odur addressed her. Instead of fighting back with the same vehemency, Anita Among merely looked on as Odur ranted. She signaled MP Wilfred Niwagaba to proceed with reading his own version of minority report, which he did.
Other early speakers who gave out their individual dissenting views from the minority side included Gilbert Olanya, Abdullah Kiwanuka, Medard Segona and others. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
