Mao attacks NUP over Oulanyah’s health
Opposition Democratic (DP) party president Mr Nobert Mao. PHOTO BY YUSUF MUZIRANSA
What you need to know:
- NUP is trying to score political goals but they are not only doing bad politicking but also bad manners, Mao said.
Democratic Party (DP) president Norbert Mao has attacked National Unity Platform (NUP) party leaders for criticising the government decision to airlift Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah to the US for specialised treatment.
In an interview with this publication yesterday, Mr Mao said all government officials are entitled to specialised treatment if their condition is complicated, indicating that NUP leaders and supporters are not being honest in their attacks on Mr Oulanyah.
“NUP is trying to score political goals but they are not only doing bad politicking but also bad manners. In my culture, you don’t criticise a sick person, you wait for them to heal before you attack them,” Mr Mao said.
“As I said, the NRM in Parliament is on holiday because the front desk on the Opposition side is very empty. They lack depth and coherence in their ideas,” he added.
On February 3, Mr Oulanyah was airlifted to the US to receive specialised treatment.
Shortly after his admission at the hospital in Seattle, US, a group of NUP members demonstrated against the move, indicating that it was a waste of resources for the government to airlift officials abroad other than building a better healthcare system in the country.
Mr Mao yesterday said NUP had a point in their agitation but it was done at the wrong time.
“It is hypocrisy of the highest order because when Bobi Wine or Betty Nambooze is sick, they are airlifted on government money. It is, therefore, bad politics for the NUP chaps to think that they oppose everything,” he said.
In response, Mr David Lewis Rubongoya, the NUP secretary general, said their position as the party has always been fighting to make sure that the healthcare system in the country is one that could serve everyone, including the top government officials.
“It is misguided of him (Mao) to think that we are not being right. In [Milton] Obote’s regime, for instance, he was treated here when there was an attempted assassination on him. If we call for the government to develop hospitals here using the case of Speaker Oulanyah, what is wrong? We shall soon issue a statement about all these issues but for the record, Bobi Wine has never been airlifted on government money,” he said.
