Bonita NAKALULE
Earlier this month the European Parliament passed a resolution advising Uganda, Tanzania and Total energies SE to postpone the development of the proposed East African Crude Oill Pipeline project (EACOP) for a year sighting human rights violations.
President Museveni while addressing the seventh Uganda international summit on oil and gas yesterday at Serena Hotel Kampala responded to the European Parliament resolution saying the EACOP will move on according to plan because the people at the EU where just egocentric, shallow and so wrong.
“EU MP’s need to control themselves not to explode.(They are) so shallow, so egocentric and so wrong that they think they know everything broadcasting their ignorance all over the place but they should calm down. This is a wrong battleground for them,” Museveni said.
“We don’t take kindly to arrogance and that’s why we spent so many years sorting out issues with arrogant people. The plan will be implemented according to schedule. I hope our partners join us firmly and advise them. When you go to the European Union parliament these are just young girls. A young girl is lecturing me what to do in Uganda! I think somebody should counsel those young people.”
It’s now very clear that both the Ugandan and Tanzanian governments have defied the European Parliament’s resolution by insisting that EU can not be dictating to them on how to do things in East Africa.
“The EU parliament has got much work to do in their own place and I would advise them to spend much time to help some of our people there. East Africa has got capable people who know what to do,” Museveni continued.
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline project is estimated to cost 14 trillion Uganda Shillings and runs from Kabale, Hoima district in Uganda to the Chongoleani Peninsula near Tanga port in Tanzania.