Deputy Governor Bank of Uganda, Prof Augustus Nuwagaba. PHOTO | FILE
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- He said this remains a barrier to transformation because in such a situation there is no value addition, togetherness and love for the country
The country still lacks people of integrity to drive national transformation, the Deputy Governor of Bank of Uganda, Prof Augustus Nuwagaba, has said.
Prof Nuwagaba made the remarks on Friday during the 22nd graduation ceremony of Bishop Stuart University (BSU) in Mbarara City.
"We have many people whose hearts are private but are in public offices, this brings a big contradiction. In Uganda the weirdest thing we have is trust and integrity," he said.
He said this remains a barrier to transformation because in such a situation there is no value addition, togetherness and love for the country. He challenged education institutions to focus on building values among students rather than just imparting skills.
"The academic staff, lecturers, administration of institutions don't only focus on teaching, impacting skills but also on shaping and modelling values in our young people. It is not about having doctors, accountants or engineers who lack patient care, steal materials and doctor books of accounts," Prof Nuwagaba said.
Prof Nuwagaba also said some Ugandans continue to harm the economy by de-campaigning it abroad.
"We have a challenge where we continue to import more than we can export partly this is because some Ugandans are decampaigning our country in the outside world, we end up losing market for our products, and we cannot provide employment. We have good dairy products, coffee but they lack the market because of such negative publicity," he said.
To the graduands, Prof Nuwagaba cautioned them to uphold high levels of integrity and offer practical solutions to community challenges.
"What you are being awarded for now is just an achievement not success, your success will be measured in the next five to ten years, it is high levels of integrity and also work towards changing your communities," he said.
The University Chancellor who is also Bishop of Ankole Diocese, Rt Rev Sheldon Mwesigwa, said the institution has invested heavily in transformative research but still needs government support.
"We have a factory that makes essential oils, medicine treating animal wounds among other innovations, however we can scale up such projects if we get support and funding from the government," Bishop Mwesigwa said.
Vice Chancellor Prof John Mugisha emphasised that the future of the country's higher education must be about transforming society.
"Higher education is not about increased enrollment, qualifications and ranking but about practical education that transforms society. Graduates should be of good character, competent, integrity and service to humanity," Prof Mugisha said.
A total of 2,779 students graduated in different disciplines, 50.9 per cent of them male and the rest female.