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By Nelson Ateker
The empty and malicious petition by a one Byamukama alleging that the newly appointed State Minister for ICT and National Guidance has no qualifications even after he ‘outlines’ his scores in O and A ‘levels without saying he forged them demonstrates the extreme poverty of mind we have in our society today.
Ogwang whose father passed on in 1995 struggled to raise fees and barely attended class.
In ‘O’ level Ogwang, used to sell in a shop in Soroti Municipaity to raise fees after the death of his father. In A level, his elder brother had to drop out of school to support Ogwang’s education by working with a Mombasa truck driver as a turn boy in Malaba, as Ogwang himself sold pancakes in Malaba while studying in Tororo Progressive Academy. The results he acquired, were those of a boy who hardly attended school as he was always on the list of fees defaulters. To think you are ridiculing him after he has been appointed Minister is not good use of anyone’s time. He has been a Commissioner of Parliament for three years, a position that is equivalent to that of a State Minister. He is an achiever. The petitioner may never sit in the rooms Ogwang has occupied despite his disadvantaged background. In Usuk, Ogwang’s voters know his humble family. His father was a blacksmith while his mother was a waragi maker/ajon in Katanga Cell, Katakwi Town Council.
We now appreciate the reason the framers of our Constitution only required an A ‘level certificate or its equivalent. They did not prescribe the quality of certificate. Otherwise disadvantaged members of society like Hon. Ogwang and others would never have had a chance to participate in the Country’s democratic processes on account of having not gotten the best grades as the naive and inept think. That our economy is sustained by the Sudhirs, Mulwana (RIP), Karim Hirji, Kirumira among others and failed by PhD holders in Bank of Uganda and in other places should provide us some sufficient life lessons.
Lastly, that the Minister did not forge is what we need in a leader. Integrity is paramount. According to sources in Parliament, some nominated ministers have been denied an opportunity to serve by the appointments committee, simply because they tried to clean their poor A’ level results through forgery. For now, let us hope the petitioner will heed Kiryowa and Karugire Advocates’ advice to sue or forever hold their peace.
The writer is in Soroti
