{UAH} On this 56th Independence, I celebrate my late father - Otema Allimadi
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8:27 AM |
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BY BARBARA ALLIMADI
On this 56th Independence, I celebrate my late father - Otema Allimadi, who after witnessing the injustices suffered by Africans at the hands of the colonialists...decided to join the struggle for independence. He joined the Uganda National Congress led by the late visionary - Ignatius Musazi. He was young and energetic and quickly rose to become National mobiliser...travelling throughout Uganda to recruit members and sensitize citizens about the importance of independence.
He recalled that during one of his sensitization missions, an elderly villager asked him that, if we get rid of the Europeans, does it mean we will have to do everything by ourselves, including making safety pins? He reassured the gentleman that we could still buy safety pins from the Europeans until we developed the facilities to make them ourselves, but we had to start by governing our own country and determining our future.
He believed that an independent Uganda would need a lot of educated people if it were to succeed; he therefore traveled outside Uganda to seek scholarships in eastern European countries, including Poland, then East Germany, Czechoslovakia and former Soviet Union, who were all supportive of Africa's quest for independence.
When the colonial government heard about this, his passport was confiscated and he was briefly arrested for "holding banned material".
However, even the numerous raids on his home and arrests would not deter him in his pursuit for Independence.
Our Ancestors championed our independence from colonial bondage...the ball is now in our court to defeat African dictators!
I wonder what the elderly gentleman who worried about us making safety pins would think about our current state...
He recalled that during one of his sensitization missions, an elderly villager asked him that, if we get rid of the Europeans, does it mean we will have to do everything by ourselves, including making safety pins? He reassured the gentleman that we could still buy safety pins from the Europeans until we developed the facilities to make them ourselves, but we had to start by governing our own country and determining our future.
He believed that an independent Uganda would need a lot of educated people if it were to succeed; he therefore traveled outside Uganda to seek scholarships in eastern European countries, including Poland, then East Germany, Czechoslovakia and former Soviet Union, who were all supportive of Africa's quest for independence.
When the colonial government heard about this, his passport was confiscated and he was briefly arrested for "holding banned material".
However, even the numerous raids on his home and arrests would not deter him in his pursuit for Independence.
Our Ancestors championed our independence from colonial bondage...the ball is now in our court to defeat African dictators!
I wonder what the elderly gentleman who worried about us making safety pins would think about our current state...
--
Allaah gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him."And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things." (6:17)
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