A section of Northern Uganda promoters is seeking special meetings with Gen Salim Saleh for financial assistance this week.

This group is appealing to the General to consider supporting them financially because they aren't doing well since the covid-19 outbreak.

According to Gavin Lapoti, such as the Northern Uganda Promoters Association (NUPA), they have not yet benefited from the National cake and the problem has been persisted and been used a lot by the central promoters and artists.

He narrated that the information that reaches them is always second hand information of which they lack transparency from the few leaders representing them.

"First of all as Northern Uganda promoters, we have not benefited from the National cake. These problems have always been persisting and we Northern Uganda we have been used by the central promoters even the artists and the information that comes to us are always second hand information. And we have people amongst us who also go and work together with those people from central. So this information comes to us and makes us feel so grievances."

"We want our voices to be heard as Northern Uganda promoters and we want to try our best to see that we meet with Gen Salim Saleh but we are always being blocked. We have a unique problem that is not the same from the people of central. COVID-19 was a problem to us the promoters, it finished up all our capital. We are trying to organize shows and recently one of us organized a show and had a very big loss. We want to revamp ourselves but we can't come out because of covid-19''.

He added that the government is always giving the support to the wrong hand and they are really begging the government to look at Northern Uganda and give them an audience so that they can air out their grievances.

"The government is always giving help to the wrong hand and this time we are really begging. We want the government to look at us as Northern Uganda and give us an audience so that we can air out our grievances to you."

Meanwhile Paul Mutanga, the CEO of Open Mic Festival they are seeking recognition from the leadership of national organization people like Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi.

"We are seeking a bit of recognition. We are asking for the leadership of national organization people like Balaam if you get to see, try and get us an audience and we just want to be heard.

Ms Amony Robbinah Mbabazi, narrated to reporters, how they have not been given the opportunity to speak out and they are requesting for opportunities to meet with Gen Salim Saleh. 

"But truth be told, for the longest time we have not been given the opportunity to speak out. Every time we try to reach out, we are always blocked. So now we are here to say that we deserve the opportunity. We deserved to be heard as Northern Uganda a lot has been going on behind the closed doors and a lot of mispresentation has been happening behind our backs." She said.

She said that they have been silent for a while now and they are asking Gen Salim to give an audience and listen to them. She also blamed the central promoters and artists for disrespecting them the home people.

"It's high time we speak out. We have been silent for quite some time now and I feel it's the right time to do so. And this time around, we want the big man Gen Salim Saleh to give us audiences because it's been a long time honestly a lot has been going on. People come all the way from Kampala and disrespect us in our own region and how fair is that. I'm asking the government how fair it is. How can a visitor come to your own place and carry a full bag of posho and leave with nothing and how are you supposed to feed your family. Ever since COVID-19, we never had any support and we have been surviving on our own that is not fair we are human beings and we have invested so much in the industry." She concluded.

Great Stevens openly called upon the Chairperson of Ugandan Promoters Association Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi to immediately reach out to the Northern Uganda Promoters Association because they have realized that there is support coming out from the government.

"We want a straight out message to our chairperson Mr Balaam if you are watching this, reach out to us as promoters of Northern Uganda because our full attention we have realized that there is support coming up from the government as Northern Uganda promoters also we need that support. We don't want things to be happening like those days. So failure to do so as Northern Uganda promoters we are not going to be happy with the central promoters and to Gen Salim Saleh as Northern Uganda Promoters Association we request to meet you and pledge in our request directly to you.

Watch the full video here>https://youtu.be/Ete2lQdlciU?si=lqL6DODW-W0Vxm0q