Repent – Museveni Tells Varsity Staff

By Francis Otucu

President Yoweri Museveni has urged Makerere University lecturers and staff to repent from what he described ‘little faith’. The President made the remarks while officiating at the 69^th graduation ceremony at Makerere University on Tuesday. “Our strategy is to aim at what we can achieve. We are going towards global standards in terms of remuneration of not only university staff but public servants but there are people with little faith. Please repent of the sin of little faith. Things will be done but not in the way of miracle,” he said, likening the staff with little faith to biblical incident involving Jesus and his disciples during a heavy storm in the water. He however emphasized the commitment of government in remunerating university staff and public servants. “God helps those who help themselves. We are going to achieve targets by struggling not by miracle. One challenge we face is prioritization. “Let’s work with discipline like those that fought in the liberation war. He however advised the graduates to form groups so as to benefit from government money inform of grants and interest free loans. “Form groups,” he advised, “You can be job creators if you work with us. We will give you grants and interest free loans target those in textiles and leather cunning or maize processing operations. We shouldn’t export raw hides for clever people to cun and then sell it back to us.” He also tasked scientist graduates to target electronics and artificial intelligence advising those in social sciences to look at management but also tasked lecturers to teach job-linking courses so as to direct which jobs their students will take on after graduation. The president finally commended the university Vice Chancellor, Prof Bernabas Nawangwe for raining on indiscipline staff. “It is very embarrassing to see a lecturer teaching after raping girls. That’s rubbish. Decadence shouldn’t be part of the university. I want to therefore commend Prof. Nawangwe for disciplining lecturers and staff,” he said.

Earlier, Prof. Nawangwe had warned that it will no longer be business unusual for lecturers to act with what he described impunity. “To borrow your word, this is kisangya Hakuna Mchezo,” he said looking at President Museveni. He asked graduates to maintain discipline so as to enter and keep in the job market.

Education Minister, Janet Kataha Museveni on her side while addressing participants at the graduation ceremony said her ministry and government is committed to prioritizing education in higher institutions of learning especially in areas of health, education, agriculture and research among others which she said must offer solutions to problems faced by the country.

Makerere University Chancellor, Prof. Ezra Suruma warned graduates against violating professional code of conducts after getting jobs. “Embrace your future with all your mind aftee you put your heart in degrees and diplomas and have come to pass. Courage and sacrifice is costly. We don’t do great things, we do small things greatly and with love,” he said.

On Tuesday, participants from the school of Education and External Studies, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and School of Health Sciences among others were graduated. The graduation of the 13, 350 continues on Wednesday and Thursday.