JINJA-Political and religious leaders in Busoga sub-region have declared a Week of Prayer in which they plan to seek God’s intervention to deliver the beleaguered region from the jaws of poverty as well as end disunity, especially among the region’s political leaders.
At a stakeholders meeting held at the Civil Service College in Jinja city yesterday (Thursday), the local government leaders, ministers and religious leaders unanimously declared July 25 to 31st as the Week of Prayer in the entire region.
“We should not pray for only Busoga region but also the individual leaders so that God can give them the grace to lead. We may be suffering because of what our ancestors did and we can dismantle the jinx through prayer,” senior presidential advisor and former Transport minister Monica Azuba Ntege said.
Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda in a message delivered for her by Ms Azuba said placing the region in the hands of God was a timely initiative.
“We agreed to create this moment of collective reflection to re-ignite everybody’s faith in order to dedicate Busoga sub-region into the hands of God. The strategic importance of this week, therefore, is to bring about reconciliation and deepen cohesion among our leaders,” Ms Babalanda said.
Ms Babalanda expressed optimism that at the end of the Week of Prayer, consensus shall be generated among all the regional stakeholders to work towards the transformation of the region.
Former Iganga district chairperson Patrick Kayemba while speaking at the highly powered meeting said the major objective of the Week of Prayer is to create moments of collective reflection as well as re-ignite faith and dedication of the sub-region in the hands of God for unity and socio-economic transformation.
“The Week of Prayer will be preceded by a series of activities held at different parts of Busoga and will be climaxed with a regional prayer assembly at Iganga Municipal Council Primary School,” Kayemba said.
Busoga Central Diocese bishop Patrick Wakula said there is need for constant prayer as a way of renewing our love with God.
“Satan uses disunity to destroy people and places. We must work, we must plan and we must manipulate the variables spiritually and economically for the benefit of our people,” Bishop Wakula said.
The regional Khadi of Busoga, Dr Bowa. H. Mohammad, said the situation the region is in calls for prayers.
“We work hard, we don’t just slumber but somehow things are not adding up. We, therefore, need to pray so that Allah can respond,” Dr Bowa said.
George Badaza who represented the Jinja Diocese bishop Charles Wamika urged Basoga to stop lamenting and embark on work and prayer.
“Let us stop lamenting. Nobody has ever escaped poverty through lamentation. You have to put in effort as well as prayer. Whatever is of the body comes from the soil but whatever supports the soul comes from God,” he said.
The Director General of Busoga Consortium, Anthony Mula, rallied all leaders in Busoga to use their institutional structures to disseminate information about the Week of Prayer.
“All leaders have consented on having the Week of Prayer between July 25th and 31. We call upon all residents of Busoga to participate in these prayers,” Mula said.
Mula also announced an 11-member committee headed by Busoga Kingdom 1st Deputy Prime Minister Dr Mohammad Lubega that has been tasked with organizing the event.
The idea of the Week of Prayer was conceived by the Busoga Consortium as one way of rallying for Unity in Busoga and it is part of activities aimed at officially flaging off the implementation of our annual work plan under the framework of the Busoga Development Agenda that was launched on June, 17th 2022.
