{UAH} What do all the President’s 98 advisers actually do? - Commentary - monitor.co.ug

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What do all the President's 98 advisers actually do? - Commentary

By William G. Naggaga
Posted  Wednesday, November 6  2013 at  00:00

The Monitor recently published a front page article which revealed the names of men and women employed to advise the President. According to the article, President Museveni has 98 presidential advisers spread across many fields. Every ministry and department of government is covered in the list of advisers. Given that the President already has a cabinet of 77 ministers, the addition of 98 presidential advisers makes you wonder when the President ever gets to be advised by this multitude of eminent persons.

Sometime back, I asked one of the individuals mentioned in the list what he actually does as a presidential adviser. He jokingly replied that to advise someone you must meet him, or receive a request for advice. He had not met the President and his advice had not been sought yet. I inquired if he gets paid and his answer was yes, he does, adding that it would not be polite or prudent to reject either the appointment or the salary that comes with it.

This particular individual is only one of the many I have interacted with over the years who are enjoying this privileged status while going about with their other endeavours in life. They don't expect to be called on for advice frequently, if ever, but at the same time, they are happy to enjoy the privileges and status that come with the prestigious positions they hold, even though they hardly do any work.

At the beginning, (1986 -90) President Museveni had a relatively small number of advisers, employed to assist on thorny or sensitive political and military issues. The President needed an independent group of experienced persons, not encumbered by ministerial responsibilities also to check on the work of different departments of government and provide him with objective assessments of what was going on.

Ministers and permanent secretaries, especially when they stay in the same positions for long, tend to 'go native' and lose objectivity. Many even start conniving with suppliers and other interest groups to defraud the government. Most of the scandals and corruption sagas Uganda has witnessed over the last two decades or so have their origin in this 'unholy alliance' between ministry bosses and corrupt agents of private sector interests.

Ironically, when President Museveni had fewer advisers, there was less corruption in government than today where advisers outnumber the Cabinet ministers and permanent secretaries put together.

The increase in the number of advisers has also come at a time when the President is getting more and more personally involved in solving land disputes, market wrangles, teachers' strikes and all manner of things; which one would have expected the President to delegate to his army of ministers, advisers, and the numerous RDCs.

Presidential advisers, like ministers, are not necessarily selected on merit or need. There are other factors at play, including regionalism, politics and other personal considerations. When Dr Samson Babi Mululu Kisekka was unceremoniously dropped as vice president, the President appointed him a senior presidential adviser and the factors mentioned above were all at play.

In fact, he was the first person elevated to the post of senior presidential adviser. His successor, Dr Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, occupies a similar position now as do many others. Many people in the list of advisers are ex-ministers, ex-members of Parliament, army generals not in active service anymore, ex-convicts, defectors from the opposition seeking greener pastures, and other opportunists and grocery seekers.

The President has, however, been true to a promise he made years ago, that there were "many rooms in his house", where cadres and loyalists can now find a place to continue 'sponging' on the Ugandan taxpayer, even after they have been rejected by their constituents.

Mr Naggaga is an economist, administrator and retired ambassador.
editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

What do all the President's 98 advisers actually do? - Commentary - monitor.co.ug
http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/What-do-all-the-President-s-98-advisers-actually-do-/-/689364/2061580/-/76d685z/-/index.html