Battle over unfulfilled promises and the test of time in Vurra County

ARUA.

In tennis, if you lose your serve at a crucial stage, it is difficult to bounce back when the opponent is strong and leading the set. This is the challenge former State Minister for Transport, Simon Ejua, has to overcome to recapture the seat he lost in 2011.

Not long ago, Ejua was MP for Vurra County in Arua District, having been elected on the strength of the NRM party that had dominated the constituency. His aggressive campaign to have better roads, well equipped schools and churches unleashed political energy that electrified the whole of Vurra.

After a short time, he was appointed State Minister for Transport, a position which probably later contributed to the grading of a 40 kilometre key road and completion of bridges in Vurra.

The former junior minister, who is the chairman for NRM in Arua, says he wants to reclaim his seat in order to restore sanity in the constituency, which he claims is divided.

“I want to restore unity because people who were opposed to me claimed that leadership should be spread to develop the constituency. People have no spirit of reconciliation and trade in politics of lies,” Ejua said during an interview with the Saturday Monitor.

He says Vurra residents have now realised his successor (Dr Sam Agatre Okuonzi) made lots of promises, which he has failed to fulfill.

“He (Okuonzi) sees all the people who worked with me as enemies and this is bad politics. It is these things, which I want to change; we can only develop our area when we are in harmony,” Ejua said.

Time will tell if he can manage a comeback, especially in West Nile where there is a delicate balance of political forces. The ruling party occupies three seats (Vurra, Madi Okollo and Arua Municipality), just as the leading Opposition party, FDC (Terego, Ayivu and Arua Woman representative).

There are fringe candidates such as Peter Pariyo and Yovan Adriko, the LC3 chairman of Logiri Sub-county, who could spring a surprise. The two gentlemen bring to four, the number of likely aspirants for the NRM ticket, setting the stage for very interesting primaries.

Failed bids for the NRM ticket will inevitably produce independent candidates.

In 2011, both Ejua and Okuonzi contested as independents after court issued an injunction restraining Ejua from being nominated as the NRM party candidate. Trouble started when Ejua had been declared winner of the NRM’s primary elections which Okuonzi contested.

Okuonzi went on to win with 14,522 votes. Ejua managed 10,291, Louis Dramadri (FDC) got 1,979, Santo Alima (DP) had 613, and Samson Agupio (UPC) 472 votes.

Vurra is accustomed to having a ministerial position. Past MPs Andruale Awuzu and Eric Adriko were also ministers, state for transport and deputy prime minister, respectively. However, the incumbent representative broke that trend.

Unbothered, he says: “I’m now going to focus my attention on women and youth. Already, I have been sponsoring students in various universities and schools. I will also promote agriculture since the area is the food basket of the district.”

He is likely to attract women’s vote by establishing savings and credit organisations which will help in improving household income.

This is another promise which, if made, will join the list of those he made in 2011. These included offering scholarships and investment opportunities which some voters say their MP has not delivered.

What is the Opposition upto?
In the meantime, the Opposition parties appear to have gone into hibernation after the dismal performance in 2011. FDC’s district General Secretary Bosco Candiga Ven says the party is still in soul searching mode as they plan to reverse the ruling party’s dominance in Vurra.

“We are currently in the process of identifying a competent candidate for Vurra and when we are done, we shall inform the voters,” he said.

Mobile telephones have become a useful political tool for networking with pro-change campaigners taking advantage of the technology to reach potential supporters deep in the villages. FDC hopes that through social networking and other resources, they can avoid a similar abysmal showing in 2016.

Prospective candidate Pariyo says: “Our assumption has been that our colleagues like Okuonzi who came from overseas would have translated the good things [learned there] to transform our constituency, but to the surprise of many, little has been done. So we need a charismatic leader who takes into account people’s views.”

Overall, the intending contestants want to speak the language of democratic politics without learning its grammar: the art of compromise and treading a middle path.

However, both the opposition and ruling party will need to evolve further and adjust their policies according to the changed circumstances in the constituency.

Issues of widespread youth unemployment, unreliable electricity, abject poverty and failure to improve on quality education should be key topics in the coming campaign.

In 2011, Okuonzi had wooed voters when he said: “All I am banking on is the goodwill of the people and their conscience votes. I intend to implement reforms in the areas of health, roads and poor education standards. These have been lacking.”

And he did, in fact, enjoy popular goodwill. Business owners rallied behind him, resulting in his high decibel campaign replete with massive advertising.

Voters speak out
So, what do voters across the county expect to hear from the candidates?
Celina Adiru, a resident of Ovisioni township, said she needs a leader full of courage and conviction; someone who can rescue residents from poverty, help them get access to clean water and help improve education standards.

The consciousness exhibited in Adiru’s choices would suggest that NRM political reality has undergone a dramatic shift and the mood of the people here is changing. Compared to the time when Dr Okuonzi took over the mantle, the political tactics of NRM appear to have lost traction with locals. The party looks jaded.

Money too, will again play a role in 2016. Aspiring candidates are already contributing generously during fundraisings for churches, schools, weddings and funerals.

The voters of vurra
Ms Celina Adiru, a resident of Ovisioni township, said she needs a leader full of courage and conviction; someone who can rescue residents from poverty, help them get access to clean water and help improve education standards.

Possible Contenders for vurra constituency in 2016

Mr Peter Pariyo, treasurer for River Oli Division. has served the Division for more than five years.

Mr Simon Ejua, fomer Vurra County MP. Was State Minister for Transport from June 1, 2006 until May 27, 2011.

Mr Yovan Adriko, LC3 chairman for Logiri sub-county. Has served Logiri sub-county for more than two terms

Dr Sam Agatre Okuonzi Okuonzi, MP Vurra County. Worked at Kuluva Hospital in Arua for 15 years. Also served in Kumi, Kiboga, Masaka and at Mulago. hospital.