While presiding over a pass out ceremony of Student Leaders under their Association UNSA, who have been undergoing a two weeks leadership training course at Heritage Park-Entebbe on Sunday 11th November 2022, the Minister of State for Sports Peter Ogwang cautioned them against misusing Social Media and encouraged them to exercise a high level of patriotism.
The Minister said that to exercise ideological skills to build strong leaders that will enhance future national unity, depends on the ability of young leaders to embrace ingredients of Pan- Africanism.
“Have love for your country and mind about the Uganda of tomorrow by being principled leaders who aim at building national unity,” Hon. Ogwang said.
Citing threats to national unity like Neo-colonialism, sectarianism and tribalism, the Minister said that students can make their contribution through exercising patriotism and fight these threats.
He noted that lack of ideological training ruins leaders’ unity which hampers national development.
He urged the students’ leaders to use social media for the rightful purpose and ensure a fundamental change through safeguarding the socio-economic transformation of the country. The Minster pointed out that wrongful media usage deprives the country growth.
Encouraging the Student leaders further, he added that the country wants ideologically brilliant and talented people to push the country forward.
“Have love for your country and build the spirit of brotherhood because this is how neo-colonialism will be defeated,” he said.
He guided them to embrace government programs like the Parish Development Model in order to benefit from them and eradicate poverty.
The Minister who doubles as an alumnus of UNSA, advised student leaders to uphold discipline and hard work, read and research, build social capital, and promised to support them
The pass-out ceremony was attended by other dignitaries among them was the Deputy Director of Internal Security Organisation, Lt Col. Emmy Katabazi, other UPDF officers, UNSA President and parents.
Lt Col. Emmy Katabazi urged students to be committed leaders in society and aim at ideological clarity and not abiding by neo-colonialism.
The training which was attended by students’ representatives of Universities, Tertiary Institutions and Secondary Schools from 90 Districts of the Country was a full packed training which saw students through various subjects ranging from personal administration, digital and social media skills, patriotism, nationalism, endurance, Unity and cooperation. They were joined by more students from the Republic of Comoros, South Sudan and Somalia.
The UNSA students who were in attendance thanked the organisers of the training for imparting on their leadership skills with positive mind-set change, building humility, discipline and confidence which they said will be part of the leadership journey.
The Uganda National Students Association was founded in 1988 and currently has an estimated membership number of over Seven million students. The association has been a mentoring ground for most national leaders who include Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, Hon. Lilian Aber, Hon. Anna Ebaju Adeke and Ambassador Paul Amoru, among others.
