Stop blackmailing opposition into returning for plenary sittings-LOP Mpuuga tells journalists

Mathias Mpuuga, Leader of Opposition has asked journalists to stop blackmailing the Opposition into returning for plenary sittings in Parliament.

Mpuuga claims whereas journalists are free to pick pay checks, they should not divert the Opposition from the fight to end killings human rights violations in Uganda.

“I also see some attempts at blackmailing me and my office, I follow it, I want to advise that whoever is financing whoever so please take your pay check but report what we say. Do not misrepresent me and my office, if you have any questions raise them, I have never failed to make a response even if it is really flat. Raise the questions, do not attempt at blackmail because I never buckle at blackmail. Otherwise you aren’t helping the cause of citizens, for you to divert us into small things. If you have any questions, raise them here or shut up,” he said.

According to Mpuuga although plenary sitting is set to resume and there are plans by government to respond to the issues raised, the Opposition will stay away from the proceedings until government officially communicates to him detailing how the issues raised will be addressed and the time frame within which the issues will be resolved.

“After that meeting with government, no progress had been made, save for the a transitory commitment with no time frame to the effect that they are ready to respond to the issues we raised and pour stance then and now is that we are out of plenary sittings until we have received response and there is no new development since then,” he said.

Mpuuga also laughed off claims that the boycott isn’t paying off because the government has refused to oblige by the demands and business at Parliament has continued, noting that such individuals shouldn’t purport to know how he works because any attempts to do cram work on how he conducts his business will see such individuals crash.

“They also purport to know me, yet they don’t know me. That is the danger and mistakes that people make, purporting to know people they do not know and they are forgivable for their ignorance. I don’t do anything by cram work, those who have known me, know that I respond to issues depending on how they were raised,” said Mpuuga.

He added that he has some level of imagination and that is how he handles them, “so ask them to drop their cram work. I assess situations and supply answers depending on the conditions prevailing and if anybody tries to cram me, they will crash. I am not linear by the way I work,”

Mpuuga also noted that if the Executive is adamant and obstinate, their duty as Opposition is to insist and the instance can be various.

“We are engaging the right gear and we aren’t about to change it, if necessity arises for us to change the gear, we will assess the feasibility of that engagement, but at the moment as their team leader, I am content with how we are moving. You probably might think the Executive is comfortable, probably the comfort is on their faces, but they are hurting,” he said