EPL 2013/14 SEASON: THE FALL OF MANU AND THE RISE OF LIVERPOOL

English premier leagues (EPL), world’s most popular league ended yesterday with surprises. Man city bagged the trophy on the last day of the season.

This league is becoming more admired and popular among all age groups. Among the youth, soccer is the main topic of discourse.  

Every day, I talk about soccer; two of my friends are Manu fans while two are Arsenal. We all passionately support our teams whether they lose or win, whether our players are up to the ace or not.

The older learned age group have already joined soccer family while those living in the country side are also pacing up. My mum is a passive Arsenal fan who is ever curious about how Arsenal performs but can’t memorise any player apart from manager- Wenger.

The main question of the season has been “the rise of Liverpool FC and complete fall of Manchester United.” We of United kicked off last season without Sir Alex Ferguson- the most successful managerial career Britain has ever known and a man who turned everything possible and won every trophy that exist. 13 premier league trophies, 5 FA cups, 4 league cups, 10 community shields, 2 champion leagues, the list is endless.

After retiring, he was accorded absolute power to select the new manager, no doubt he allotted everything to his pal David Moyes, a man who carried bad luck from nowhere to Old Trafford, alas the anointed one!!...

He inherited a winning team later to claim that it lacked world class players. Ferguson depended on his amateurish players to win trophies.

Moyes additionally failed to command the dressing room, no wonder; senior players like Van Persie were contemplating to depart, Ferdinand publically doubted his tactics while Vidic has already departed. He is joining Inter Milan starting next season.

The anointed one broke a number of Theatre of Dream records, to mention a few including;

1-It is the first season since 1995 that United has failed finish in the top four, which means that United will not play champions league, Europe’s league of elite teams. Worse of all even Europa.

2-It is the first season since 1976 that Everton won double over United.

3-United finish the season with the lowest ever Premier League points tally 

4-United worst home league record for over e decade

5-United suffered three defeats in row since 2001

6-First time United conceded a first minute goal in the Premier League history- Dzeko for City

7-First home defeat to stoke city since 1984 and Newcastle-1972 and west broom in 1978. The list is endless.

Prior to his sacking, a number of soccer pundits were arguing that United should give him time to settle as they did to Ferguson. However my argument was that Ferguson inherited a weaker United.

 Or why not feat like his successor at Everton-Martines who has performed far better than him?. He was a true mediocre manager who even failed Everton for ten years.

Though management succumbed to the pressure of weeping fans and sacked Moyes-the wrong one , it was not enough to save the club and fans; we have ended the season in a disastrous style.

Worst of it all we have been scorned by Liverpool and Arsenal fans. They were arguing as if United has never won a trophy. Maybe, the new manager will restore our glory.

On the other side, Liverpool came from nowhere to nearly winning the trophy. Leading Liverpool diehards, mostly Don Wanyama were at their best shouting and mocking United fans until when things fell apart at Anfield and the title slipped out of their hands.

Honestly, not even a single Liverpool fan or player could dream about Liverpool success. I am behind the kops to bounce back next season. Liverpool attained enough and I congratulate the Kopite Empire however Man city lectured you about the virtue of patience...they say it pay but pains.

I cheer Arsenal fans for winning your first trophy-the fourth position. That what you have settled for and you have achieved it though Everton fazed Arsenal. Congratulations and wish you all the best as we you wait for FA cup finale come next weekend.

EPL is over however there is no rationale to direly miss soccer since World Cup is around the corner.

KIIR, MACHAR MEET, UPDF ROLE IN SOUTH SUDAN WILL BE A CAUSE TO DISCUSS

US secretary of state John Kerry brought a new chapter in the long awaited approach of de-escalating tensions in south Sudan and the importance of forming a power-sharing transitional government.

Last week south Sudan president Kiir accepted that he was willing for a face to face dialogue with his arch enemy Riek Machar-rebel leader. This was during a extensive conversation with Kerry in Juba.

In the same way, Kerry had an extensive telephone interview Riek Machar on the same issue. However the latter remained sceptical about the significance of power sharing government but accepted to meet Kiir.

This is what Machar is said

“I asked him (Kerry) what would be the purpose of a transitional government? It would not be workable without a programme to implement before elections come,” he told Sudan Tribune on Saturday.

“We need to have a peace agreement first with a new constitution. Putting [a] transitional government first is not realistic,” he added.

No doubt, rebels are not interested in a power sharing government since they how weak Kiir’s army is. Without Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF), the current government of South Sudan would be a history.

Rebels are accusing government of violating the January cessation of hostilities agreement by not withdrawing Ugandan forces.

But if UPDF leave south Sudan, Kiir would be overthrown in one day and this is cognitive to both sides hence presence of UPDF in South Sudan remains a giant block stalling smooth peace talks mediated by premier of Ethiopia and IGAD.

Unpopularity of Salvar Kiir among the army has and continues to be another block fruitful peace talks.  Early this month Brigadier General Peter Gatbel Wich, defected from Northern Bahr el Ghazal along with 400 fighters in protest over the alleged massacre of unarmed Nuer military trainees at Mapel.

Maybe yes or no, the rebels are taking the right decision at the right time. This what any rebel group could do. It was until 2000s when Joseph Kony accepted meaningful peace negotiation when LRA had been weakened by UPDF. Currently, LRA are wandering either in CAR, Sudan or DRC.

 As Machar and Kiir head to Addis-Ababa tomorrow (Friday) for substantive peace talks, Uganda’s presence in South Sudan will be the most crux factor in the success or failure of the negotiations.

Nevertheless, this time it is essential to keep our eyes and ears open since shakers and movers of the four month old crisis will convene-Machar and Kiir, Imperatively, if they are fighting for personal conflicts, a concrete solution will be initiated.

STUDENT’S LOAN SCHEME IS HERE BUT.....???

The president on Thursday 24^th of April launched students loan scheme meant to cater for poor students pursuing higher education. There is no reason to feast and celebrate before this scheme commence practically since it may not yield what we expect or succeed far than our imagination.

However this loan scheme raises ample questions.

The first question is who is entitled to benefit from this scheme?. The response is vivid and clear, students pursuing higher education from poor background whose parents/guardians are incapable of paying huge amount of money at university

What will be the criterion of picking out the genuine poor students since everyone is likely to disguise him or herself as a student hailing from humble background?. It will not be a bizarre when this loan scheme caters for sons and daughters of high ranking politicians and the bourgeois class.

Hopefully everyone understands that state house scholarship was meant to cater for students from poor background but this has been less a reality. Students benefiting can testify how they were admitted and those who has tried to gain from it but failed can tell what the basic credentials are for a student to be admitted on state scholarship.

Since state scholarship has been scrapped off and the money will be channelled through this scheme, those politicians who have been reaping big from it may still follow loan scheme.

The scheme will start financing students who wish to pursue science courses and latter incorporate in arts and humanities courses. The mental impact of this will be poor parents’ forcing their son and daughters to pursue science course in order to qualify as beneficiaries.

The end result will be training half baked doctors, engineers, nurses, chemists, etc. After schooling such doctors and engineers may join professions of their interest. For example journalism is an open profession which is open to good writers-print media and public speakers-broadcast media.

There is also a need to mirror into the question of repayment. How will beneficiaries re pay after studies?.

 Clause 17 of Higher Education Students Financing Act says that student loan shall be repaid with an interest which shall be determined by the Finance minister.

 Under clause 22, a person who has received a student loan shall start repaying the loan and interest at least one year after completing the course.

Interestingly, the person shall start repaying whether he/she is employed or not. Nevertheless with unemployment skyrocketing and wage (earning from employment) being the main source of income to Ugandans, the substantive question is; where will these graduates get money to repay if they don’t find jobs?.

The Act further creates lacunas for beneficiaries who are unemployed to joke around with loans. It state “Where a person is not employed and has no income from which deductions may be made for the repayment of the student loan, the person shall within 14 days after receiving the notice under (4) in the prescribed manner, inform the board accordingly” but what if such a person remains unemployed forever?.

With imperfect information about Uganda’s labour market knowing, who is employed or not will be a problem since government may hardly cash in money for checking these graduates who are employed.  The end result could be beneficiaries refusing to repay even when they are employed.

The will be catalysed by desire among graduates who will be eying financial and material success hence exploiting any loophole in the system to default payment.

As result government must start erecting prisons for repayment defaulters of the loan scheme if it is going to imprison them. The fact is that a marginal number of the beneficiaries will repay without inconveniences whether they will get jobs or not.

In Rwanda, statistics show that only 17 percent of the loan scheme beneficiaries have paid back from 1980-2012 but government projects that 80 percent will pay back the loan by 2022/2023.

As result government of Rwanda early 2013 scraped off loan for students joining tertiary institutions as it attempt to recover unpaid loan amounting to frw 73 billions.

In Ghana, government is looking for ways of recovering about 25 million dollars due to failure by students to pay.

For government to say that they shall imprison repayment defaulters yet we also have to incarcerate criminals, terrorists, and rapists among others is unrealistic. There is no space in prisons.

We are speculating and basing on utopian assumption that the scheme succeed. Yes or no but we shall have to wait how it will flourish.

As a true Ugandan, I wish this project succeed and benefit the poor than “the poor.”

ARE WE TOO UNINFORMED TO ENTERTAIN NAKED LIES?

It is fateful for Hon Patrick Nakabale, Youth MP for Central Region to allege that they (MPs) are not selling President Museveni’s sole candidature. In his commentary published by Daily Monitor on Monday 28^th 2014 titled “NRM consultative process is to educate citizens on government programmes,” he asserts “the Kyankwazi resolution contains the commitments of the NRM government in delivering effective services to the people...”

I don’t understand whether there is another Kyankwazi resolution which we don’t know (kindly inform us if there is one). The resolution which I heard about is you (MPs) telling us to support Museveni’s sole candidature and that is what most of the industrious legislators are doing.

The learned youthful MP did not back his arguments with facts as our information mediums does. Brilliantly, he quickly diverted attention to what general public would want to hear from MPS such as government plans, policies and programmes in key sectors like roads, railway networks, energy, markets for their commodities, access to quality health, education; how we are planning to revamp agriculture with value addition and cheap agricultural financing, among others. Yes, I agree with you. This is the information that we are direly yearning for.
However, he disregards what MPs are doing realistically- giving cash pull outs in broad day light and encouraging citizens to support President Museveni, or thanking them for supporting him (president) which logically mean support Museveni in the forth coming presidential elections.
For example, Peter Mugema, Iganga Muncipality MP told ‘cheerful Igangains’ that Shs 5,000 (amount which each voter who attended to declare allegiance to president received) was a token to the residents for the tremendous support they have been giving Mr Museveni and the party over the years.
In Ukusijoni Sub-county-Adjumani District, second deputy Prime Minister Moses Ali notified residents’ who attended consultative meeting that NRM government has brought peace and stability in the country but chiefly urged them to support “President Museveni to stand in 2016 unopposed.”
The meeting chaired by Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister who is also MP for Ruhinda and in Mitooma district was solely conquered by concerns about a councillor moving around with forms calling for party officials to oppose the famous Kyankwazi resolution which endorsed president Museveni as sole candidate for 2016 presidential elections.
These are some of the indispensable facts about what MPs are transacting with voter. The substantial question is; what are government programmes that MPs are educating citizens about?. Should we say that Museveni’s sole candidature issues are the government programmes or government programmes are Museveni 2016 subtle presidential proposal?.
No doubt, politicians bend truth, distort facts, fudge numbers, deceive, delude, hoodwink, equivocate, misrepresent, and, yes, lie, as a matter of course. Politicians lie about each other, they lie about themselves, they lie about issues they know intimately, and they lie about issues they barely understand.
Politicians lie not because they are immoral but because they know that voters rarely reward honest campaigners. It is the basic requirement for any successful politician to be an exceptional liar or else be thumped out of the dirty game.  Telling of durable, convincing lies signals to voters that a candidate possesses political skills.
Few politicians in contemporary history have pledged never to lie voter.  Jimmy Carter, 39^th US president famously promised voters that he would “never tell a lie” and that “never knowingly would he make a misstatement of fact” as president.
I am not saying that our politicians should promise never to lie like Carter who was also a liar but always sugar-coat lies so that they can easily be accepted by the right thinking members of society.
No, we can’t entertain naked lies
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