By Emma Bwayo
A total of 2573 students have graduated at Mbale-based Islamic University in Uganda main campus, with a call for them to avoid living larger than their life.
These words of wisdom were delivered by the Vice President Maj. Jessica Alupo who represented President Museveni as the Chief Guest at the 32nd graduation ceremony at IUIU.
Museveni in his speech the lady from Katakwi read to the Graduands, asked them to refrain from wasting themselves in reckless lifestyle mainly booziness, extravagant spending and above all, turning their (supposed to be) private parts into public parts viewed by every Tom, Dick and Hurry.
Of the 2573 Graduands, 1142 were males (44%) and 1430 females (56%) who received degrees in various academic disciplines.
“The government and your parents have made endless sacrifices to educate you. It will be great indiscipline if you waste away your lives in trivialities after such sacrifices have been made to make you a better citizen of your country,” Jjajja Museveni cautioned.
The president also appealed to Universities to equip students with skills which are needed by the private sector, noting that the
students must be responsive to the rapidly changing global economy which is mainly driven by science and technology.
He said that as Government attracts more investments, the demand for a skilled and productive workforce will also increase.
“The public sector has only 469,216 jobs.These are very few jobs in relation to a population of 45
million people. This means that the biggest percentage of graduates must seek employment in the private sector, he said.
IDB FUNDING
The president was also delighted to learn that with funding from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Islamic University has started construction of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology and urged the graduands of this University to always stand out in
society as agents of socio-economic transformation, by
utilizing the knowledge and skills, which you have acquired.
“In 1986, human resource in Uganda, was poor with
characterised lack of education opportunities; lack of skills
and poor health” he said but however, said this has gradually been addressed through deliberate programs such as free education and immunization against the killer diseases like polio and measles.
The further said government liberalized the education and health sectors to allow the private sector including the faith-based intuitions, cultural institutions, companies, individuals among others to set up schools, hospitals, health centres, universities, tertiary and
vocational institutions.
Museveni noted that as a result, access to educational opportunities, at all levels has increased.
The president boasted that unlike his predecessors who according to him suffocated the private sector,
thus undermining its capacity to create jobs, his NRM has
created a favourable environment to attract local and foreign
investments.
“Since we now boast of enough electricity, good roads, peace, etcetera, government is prioritizing
industrialisation to cut down the hemorrhage caused by the
excessive importation of items that can competitively be produced in Uganda,” he said.
The ceremony also saw Gen. Moses Ali, the 2nd deputy premier receiving Honorary Doctorate of Laws for his sterling performance in public and humanitarian service.
Meanwhile, John Chrysostom Muyingo, the State Minister of Higher Education commended the University Management, under the leadership of Prof. Ismail Ssimbwa Gyagenda and the staff,
for making a contribution to the development of the human
resource, in Uganda.
“I am glad that the administration and staff of this University have maintained high academic
standards, over the last three decades,” Muyingo said.
