President Paul Kagame on Thursday evening met 600 opinion leaders from Northern Province, and challenged them to put more efforts in ensuring some of the derailed projects in the province are expeditiously completed.
President Paul Kagame on Thursday evening met 600 opinion leaders from Northern Province, and challenged them to put more efforts in ensuring some of the derailed projects in the province are expeditiously completed.
During the meeting held at the Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College in Musanze District , the President referred to projects such as paving the road to Butaro Hospital in Burera District which needs urgent attention.
President Kagame reminded the leaders that security is a prerequisite for development, emphasizing that Rwandans learnt the hard way the effects of lack of security on development.
He warned those elements roaming around the world organising activities to destablise the country, and promised Rwandans that whoever is involved in causing insecurity will face consequences.
The President said no one from outside should offer lessons on how Rwandans can develop their country, saying that sustainable development is one that is based on choice by Rwandans themselves because they understand better the context of their country.
"What kind of human rights condemns us for speaking out against those who kill innocent Rwandans.What kind of human rights defends those who kill Rwandans and expects us to choose inaction?” Kagame said
"How can you allow others to destroy what you have built? As leaders, you have to make a choice. Are you committed to standing up against the politics of division that we fought against?”
"You have two choices: the easy road that takes us back to where we once were or the hard road that moves us forward. It is all a question of choice. Our country will become what we choose it to be,” the President said.
The Northern Province Governor, Aimé Bosenibamwe, acknowledged the recent cases of involvement of some local leaders collaborating with the DRC-based terrorist group FDLR and committed to step up efforts to prevent further insecurity.
The opinion leaders included members of the private sector, local leaders and representatives of the civil society in the province.
The chairman of the Private Sector Federation in the Northern Province, Jean Damascène Munyankusi, said the sector is committed to working hard but appealed to the government to continue proving enablers for the growth of the private sector, such as infrastructure development.