H.E Brig Gen Ronnie Balya ‘ndc’, the Ambassador of Uganda to South Sudan, has urged the Ugandan community living in South Sudan to embrace government initiative programs that are aimed at alleviating poverty in the country.
Brig Gen Balya, who was presiding over the Ugandan Community Independence Day celebrations held at Bross Hotel in Juba, South Sudan, on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, warned Ugandans against laziness and being idle, asking them to work in order to earn a living. He, however, said that it’s the elderly, the very sick, and the disabled that can be excused.
Amb. Balya asked the attendees to work hard and ensure food security and income security in their homes and the country at large, urging them to join the money economy to alleviate poverty and unemployment and to ensure socio-economic transformation.
“Africa must achieve food security—become a food exporter, not a food importer. We have wonderful soils and climate. The African potential should be turned into reality for the good of our people,” he said.
He commended the good work being done by the Ugandan Community to overcome poverty and unemployment in society.
The Ambassador General quoted the Bible in the book of 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 3:10, where St. Paul talks about obligation to work, and it reads, “While we were with you, we used to tell you that whoever refuses to work should not be allowed to eat.” We say this because we hear that there are some people among you who live lazy lives, are idle, and who do nothing except meddle in other people’s business. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command these people and warn them to lead orderly lives and work to earn their own living.”
Brig Gen Balya highlighted the challenge of the population, which is still engaged in rain-fed subsistence farming for food and income, citing that reliance on rain-fed agriculture in Africa remains a risk to economic growth, the income of farmers, and export earnings.
“We need to enhance our production with irrigation and fertilizers,” Gen Balya noted.
Gen Balya called for regional integration to enable countries to overcome divisions that may impede the flow of goods and services.
He asked the Ugandan community to embrace the principle of patriotism by loving and sacrificing for their country as well as rejecting tribalism.
“Uganda suffered from tribal conflicts and religious conflicts from 1962 until 1986, when the NRM took state power. We buried tribalism and religious segregation or discrimination,” the Ambassador General said.
The Ambassador called on Ugandans to be patriotic Pan-Africans by uniting Africa to be strong and have a big market for their products, adding that it can be achieved through regional integration. He further called for building strong security for Africa.
Additionally, he called for Uganda’s socio-economic transformation through service delivery, wealth generation, and job creation through industrialization, value addition, agriculture, and services, stating that human capital is key to the growth and development of a country.
Gen Balya advocated for youth assistance to acquire skills and technical knowledge to ensure social transformation, unveiling the government’s commitment to helping Ugandans, especially those living in rural areas, to improve their livelihood through sensitization, education, and financial empowerment to create wealth, including the Parish Development Model (PDM) funds supported by Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) activities, the youth fund, the women fund, the microfinance fund, and the innovation fund.
He asked Ugandans to take interest in the opportunities and access the available financial resources for transformation. The Ambassador General said that the government has over the years attracted huge foreign direct investments to the economy, which has led the GDP to grow very fast with inflation being at single-digit 3%, which he said is a sign of a stable economy.
He assured Ugandans in South Sudan of the government’s ability to handle threats, fight crime, and ensure security.
