Museveni to Acholi: 'Stick with NRM, the opposition will not help you'

President Yoweri Museveni, who is also the NRM chairman, has thanked the people of Acholi for supporting the NRM government despite sprinklings of opposition.

In a special message to the sub region that was delivered by his assistant, Milly Doka Babalanda, Museveni described the people of Acholi as being resilient and thanked them for defeating Kony.

Babalanda delivered the message to Acholi leaders last week.

He wrote: "It was due to your cooperation and desire for peace that dealt a blow the insurgency. The whole of Uganda is safe due to your sacrifice. NRM has no problem with the people of Acholi. Kony was bad as an individual and hurt his own kinsmen. How would he have acted beyond?"

He expressed sympathy for the numerous lives lost and general disruption to social life during the insurgency.

In the message Museveni said that the sub region lost 20 years out of the 34 years to insurgency.

He said the new war in the sub region is against poverty and it very easy to win if Acholi can listen to NRM's gospel of prosperity.

"The good thing is that you still have land. Government is helping through Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and other interventions in operation countrywide," he wrote.

Museveni thanked the people for supporting the establishment of a sugar factory (in Amuru).  he said it had created jobs and had become a source of tax revenue for government.

He said that now that Gulu has been elevated to a city, it will attract investors to tap into the South Sudan market.

"Use the Elegu border point to connect opportunities. Use the good road network to promote commerce. He guarantees that nobody will ever destroy the peace in Acholiland again. The opposition cannot help you at all in the new phase where you are now positioned," he wrote.

Museveni said he is happy to note that Acholi are well represented in the central government with the Deputy Speaker, Chief Justice, Deputy Secretary General of NRM and other prominent leaders hailing from there.

He urged the people to vote NRM leaders at all levels who will connect directly with decision makers so as to tap resources for the sub region.