Uganda’s President Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni has described members of the European Parliament as ‘arrogant’ and ‘insufferable’, and told them they cannot lecture him on how to handle the country’s oil projects.
Recently, the EU Parliament passed a resolution calling for the halting of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project (Eacop) over alleged human rights violations and environmental concerns.
Museveni has described the resolution by the EU Parliament members as coming from insufferable and arrogant ‘young boys and girls.’
Delivering his remarks during the Annual Uganda International Oil and Gas Summit at Kampala Serena Hotel, Gen Museveni said he had learn the meaning of the word ‘insufferable’ in the period of over a decade he spent studying the English language.
He then said that “some of these people,” most likely referring to members of the EU Parliament were “insufferable” and that they needed to control themselves, or else they would soon “explode.”
The president said he would not take advice from young people in the EU Parliament.
“When you go to the European Union parliament there are just young girls; a young girl is lecturing me what to do in Uganda!” noted Museveni.
“I think somebody should counsel those young people.”
Gen Museveni further noted that “these people” were very “shallow, egocentric and wrong” on a number of matters yet they had, in his own words, continued to “think that they know everything.”
He told “them” to “calm down” and to stop broadcasting “their ignorance” because they have chosen “a wrong battleground.”
“Some of these EU MPs are insufferable and so wrong that they think they know everything but should calm down. This is the wrong battleground for them. I hope our partners join us firmly and advise them. For us, we’re moving forward with our program,” insisted Gen Museveni.
“The European Parliament has got enough work to do in its own place. I would advise the MPs there to spend a bit more time doing that. East Africa has got more capable people who know what to do.”
Uganda’s long-serving leader, who recently celebrated his 78th birthday, further made it clear that he hates arrogance and that he and his fellow comrades had spent a lot of time “sorting out issues with arrogant people.”
He then insisted that the oil projects will go as planned. “Our oil exploration plans will proceed as prior despite the wrongly-placed criticism from European Union MPs,” he emphasized.
The noise over Uganda’s oil projects and the European Union began when the EU Parliament passed a resolution to block the EACOP pipeline. (Read the Full Resolution by the EU Parliament HERE).
Hours later, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa issued a statement firing back at members of the EU Parliament. (Read that statement Here).
Gen Museveni himself would later make it clear that nobody would, including the EU Parliament, would stop Uganda’s oil projects. He even announced the time when Ugandans should expect the first oil barrel to come out of the soil. (Read Story Here).
FREE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY! If you run or own a business in Uganda, register for a training opportunity by University of Chicago and Imuka Access HERE.
