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Why is getting land for the National library such a hurdle?
Started by: charles
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| Expert's Answer: |
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It is a shame that all 7 governments that Uganda has had since 1962 i.e. Obote I, Amin, Binaisa, Lule, Military Commission, Obote II and Museveni have failed to adequately provide for public library and now national library development. How come from 1964 when the Public Libraries Act was enacted through the transformation 2003 National Library Act we can not even point to a piece of land or purpose built library for the now NLU- the National Library of Uganda? It appears even the 3rd (fifth depending on where you stand) NRM government is failing in this noble mission. Some years back, we thumped our chests and some of us toasted champaignes on learning that the NRM government had finally set itself to solve the jinx. Only to learn today from press reports (http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/710310) that the piece of land that had been apportioned to the National Library out of the Nakawa housing estate is about to be taken away! According to the report, the Attorney General in his September opinion to government advised that the titles for the small developers except for the ones belonging to Besigye and IUIU be cancelled. Unfortunately the small developers include NLU. It was reported further that a committee under Ahabwe will resolve the issues and ensure that the titles are given to the UK developer Opec Prime Properties to start work immediately. In real terms this means that NLU may require another 40 years from now to get land from government. Could this be a measure of the value that the political elite attach to knowledge and learning? Or is it a failure on the part of the Library and Information professionals to act on this important matter? |
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| COMMENTS POSTED: |
March 17, 2010
The day a tenant is harrassed by the land lord is the day that tenant wakes up to the realities of the day. NLU with thousands of books is a squarter in all quarters. The only solution will be a harsh action from the present landlords. To avoid such embarrassments let us put our resources together and begin not in kampala necessarily but any where in Uganda. We can buy land in some village at 200,000/= an acre and I leave the rest to your imagination.
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Submitted by: Mpolyabigere
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February 22, 2010
Charles,
Thanks for highlighting this issue. I wonder why government does not take Libraries, books and reading seriously and yet Libraries and the like are fountains of knowledge. No wonder we are lagging behind in research due to ill facilitated Libraries.
NLU needs a dynamic, shrewd and politically connected director and board members to move things. NLU needs to become visible enough to be taken seriously especially by the so called political elites. The NLU Board should swing into action to address this important issue otherwise without a permanent home NLU might become history when the owners of the current premises throw them out.
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Submitted by: Alice
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February 18, 2010
charles, thank you to bring to us this concern. but you see, NLU activities do not directly generate income to the government and even does not show direct involvement in NRM activities. so me i think NLU should get a public NRM figure who is very influencial to the president. You see,who ever attended the tenants meeting has no heart for issuess to do with NLU. Maybe the right time to airout these issues was when we held the last professional dinner because atleast the Prime minister was represented. can't the NLU year budgets include some finances for the purchase of land? or as we wait in vain for the promised land, we the ULIA members open up an account were we deposit money to puchase land. can't we really this time make a fundarising dinner specifically for that burning issue? because really if the A.G for Uganda in the meeting suggested to withdraw tittles for small developers and that no one was in the meeting to support the so called small developers than we should forget this land and think otherwise. In fact like my brother Lugya suggested, let NLU,ULIA,EASLIS,CUUL and ISFEA join hands am very sure we can fight this problem. I remain Ezra Kalule BLIS 04-07
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Submitted by: lib
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February 17, 2010
Thanks Charles for these good news. LIS is one of the professionals that our governments has under-valued and its high time we get to our feets and show the world that we do exist. The problem is that librarians have kept so much behind the shelves. We need to revise our advocacy spirit. Let ULIA, NLU, CUUL come together, join hands with the help of EASLIS to find for our profession. This started when LIS was scrap off the government list, we all kept quite. I remember Dr. Okello-Obura had started the fire, but it all died away because I guess he did not get the support from us.
Let me stop lamenting and get to what should be done:
- Let NLU, ULIA, EASLIS, CUUL, and ISFEA join together, come up with a document that states all our challenges with all our ideas to be presented to the parliament.
- Then, with this document at hand, ULIA calls on all the librarians wherever they are and we protest this act. We should go to the street, call all the media to cover us this event.
- We should also start strong and effective lobbing politically. Librarians we need to be more political and get used to the dynamics of the world. We should put on pressure the ministry
- Lets get to facebook, twitter and all the networking platforms and we discuss and call on all the support of librarians, media specialists and well-wishers to support for our cause
- Lets ask the African regional library organisations and organisations, and then international organisations like IFLA to add our cause omn there web pages. This will help in a wider spread of the issue hence attracting more attention.
- Lastly, we should get out so that we can be seen, lets move out of the shelves librarians. Its time we fight for our profession.
Thanks
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Submitted by: flugya
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