The minister for Internal Affairs, Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, has warned that sectarianism coupled with misinformation, and ignorance about the laws can plunge any country into insecurity.
While delivering a lecture to military officers undergoing training at the National Defence College-Uganda, Otafiire said security must be treated with extra care and factors such as sectarianism that can cause its disappearance must be avoided.
“Many African countries are facing insecurity due to a lack of interest, ideological bankruptcy, misinformation, backward culture, sectarianism, and the inability to understand the laws of nature,” Otafiire said.
According to Otafiire, providing security for countries like Uganda requires a collaborative effort from all stakeholders. He emphasized that security is now a basic necessity and providing it to the people, leaders in all spheres must ensure unity, democracy, production, and fair share in determining destiny and satisfying people’s needs “because insecurity is a threat to life.”
Otafiire added that sometimes insecurity in Africa is state-inspired by the misuse of power, where individual interests become state policy. Otafiire explained that when NRM took over power in 1986, they introduced the Local Council one (LC1) system as a first-line measure to fight insecurity, adding that it’s everyone’s role to fight the vice.
“Security is now a fundamental necessity, and as future leaders, you must ensure unity, democracy, production, and fair share in determining destiny and satisfying people’s needs. Insecurity poses a threat to life,” Otafiire said.
Col Deo Akiiki, the deputy defence public information officer said that the trainees have been urged to promote unity and embrace advanced technology integration by eliminating artificial colonial boundaries.
Leaders both in military and civilian spheres have also been urged to create a viable East African state with purchasing power to build an economic muscle as a strategy to defend territorial integrity.
Akiiki further explained that since its commissioning by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in January 2022, the National Defence College-Uganda is conducting its second intake which commenced on June 2, 2023, and comprises 21 members, one of whom is a public servant at the level of a commissioner.
WRITTEN BY URN
