Former Vice President, Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe on Thursday met with the Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah and briefed him on her bid for the Chair of the African Union Commission.
Kazibwe who met the Deputy Speaker in his Chambers said that she was committed to representing Uganda and also serve the Ugandans and Africans as a whole.
“Leadership is a service to the people. We have a big job of re-orienting young people ideologically,” Kazibwe said.
Kazibwe who is a member of the Panel of the Wise (PoW), one of the critical pillars of the Peace and Security Architecture of the African Union (APSA), said peace, security and infrastructural development are key to Africa’s progress.
“We need to optimise use of Africa's resources for the benefit of all Africans,” she noted, promising to fast-track the implementation of “Agenda 2063”.
“Agenda 2063” is an approach to how the continent should effectively learn from the lessons of the past, build on the progress now underway and strategically exploit all possible opportunities available in the immediate and medium term, so as to ensure positive socioeconomic transformation within the next 50 years.
She observed that the African continent has enough resources to deal with her peace and security work through prioritisation.
Oulanyah pointed out that Africa must put into perspective the dynamic of youth unemployment in relation to peace and security.
Using Uganda as an example, he said that public service jobs are not more than 350,000.
“Even if all the 350,000 jobs were given to the youth, it would not satisfy the demand for employment by the tens of thousands who graduate every year from institutions of higher learning,” he said.
Dr Kazibwe suggested that the Ministers of Youth, Trade and Labour work in close coordination to address unemployment issues through supporting innovation, entrepreneurship and spurring industrial growth.
She added that she was keen on working with African parliaments and all institutions pertinent to mobilising populations to relate with the African Union in its vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens.
She called for the rekindling of the Pan-African Movement and creation of a Parliamentary Committee on the African Union.
“I would be glad to see the AU flag flown alongside those of Uganda and the East African Community,” she added.
The Deputy Speaker pledged that the matter of the Parliamentary Committee on matters of AU would be considered as “we review the rules”.
He expressed total support for Kazibwe’s bid, which is themed on six areas; “peacebuilding and conflict resolution; infrastructure development; resource mobilisation; research, communication and people empowerment; member-state and partner engagement and reinforcing existing AU systems.”