President Yoweri Museveni and Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda Armed Forces, has emphasized the need for the people of Uganda to embrace firmly the NRM’s cardinal principles of Patriotism and Pan Africanism for their prosperity and strategic security.
“If you want to be prosperous, love Uganda. Patriotism is not enough; be Pan-Africanist in order to deal with the issue of prosperity. Beyond prosperity comes security. Pan Africanism is one of the elements that can guarantee your security,” he said.
President Museveni was yesterday delivering a lecture to senior military, Police and Prisons Officers who had concluded their 2 months’ advanced Political Education and Leadership Development Course at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) Kyankwanzi, in Kyankwanzi District.
The course that was conducted under the theme ‘Politics, Security, Stability and Socio-Economic Transformation of Uganda’, was attended by 129 senior officers of whom 84 were from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), 31 from the Uganda Police Force and 13 from the Uganda Prisons Service.
He told the course participants that the aim of the East African Leadership is to create a federation adding that such a unit will guarantee the security of the people of East Africa in particular and Africa in general from any threat. “By being weak you are tempting the greedy,” he noted.
On socio-economic transformation, President Museveni pointed out that this is a very crucial element, as society must change.
For purposes of emphasis and illustration, he took the participants through the socio-economic transformation in Europe and likened it to the metamorphosis of an insect.
He observed that the process must also take place in Uganda for the creation of the 2 classes – the middle class and the skilled working class – to evolve.
‘We must have everybody undergo socio-economic transformation so that we have the 2 classes like in Europe that has the middle class and the skilled working class. The peasant in your family must be the last’, he advised.
Mr. Museveni said that the masses could be changed through programmes like Functional Adult Literacy and NRM Government’s Education for All so that everyone is eventually involved in the money economy. He further pointed out that society should adopt modern technology in order to shift from manual to intellectual labour.
In answer to a number of issues from the participants, the President said the price of maize will stabilize once the utilization of that crop is domesticated.
He also said that the process of fast tracking the East African integration is on course as manifested in the recently concluded African Union Summit in Addis Ababa where all African leaders were pushing for a Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA).
“I was surprised as everybody was pushing for the CFTA and we shall conclude that discussion in Kigali, Rwanda,” he said.
The Director of the National Leadership Institute, Brig. David Kyomukama described the graduands as social doctors whom he advised to use the knowledge they acquired to diagnose and provide solutions to challenges wananchi face. He also advised them to impart that knowledge to their juniors in their respective units.
President Museveni also performed the ceremony of handing out awards to the best performing students.
The best student in motivation was Lt. Col. Wycliff Kamugisha while the best in attitude was Superintendent of Police, Fred Ahimbisibwe.
The best Lady Officer was Major Sylvia Meeme, Maj. Charles Ariko scooped the best in class slot as best overall student position went to Superintendent of Police Otoro Roman Japeth.