Museveni: African "masterplan" do not need education

By FREDERIC MUSISI

KAMPALA- President Museveni has pegged the countless problems ravaging Africa such as wars, poverty, diseases, hunger and underdevelopment on policy blunders made by technocrats and political leaders, and urged fellow leaders to stop ‘ideological meandering”.

The President advised leaders to come out clearly and build on strategies that will help transform their people, especially using the vast natural resource wealth.

Mr Museveni, speaking at this year’s Tana High-Level Forum on security in Africa last Saturday, also observed that education was not the solution to solving problems dogging the continent as it is widely perceived or as other key note speakers before him had averred.

“That if you educate your people, everything will be okay? This was part of the mistake in 1960s,” Mr Museveni was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his press secretary Ms Linda Nabusayi.

“This fragmented vision is incorrect; if you educate people but you don’t have infrastructure including electricity, where will they work? How will they work?” he said at the two-day summit under the theme: “Managing Natural Resources In Africa: Challenges and Prospects” held in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia’s second largest city after the capital Addis Ababa.

The summit, held for the sixth time, was attended by among other leaders, the host Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as the key note speaker, chairperson of the Forum, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa acting executive secretary Dr Abdalla Hamdok.

Mr Museveni contended that while Africa is at a structural disadvantage in that ‘great ideas’ that have transformed some countries cannot be applied to the rest of Africa, the ideas conceived at the Tana Forum can be spread through ‘osmosis’.

“We are not like China. In China when there is one good thinker…the whole China follows them. Here, you may have good ideas localised in Ethiopia but they do not apply to the whole of Africa.”

Africa’s natural resource wealth, according to the Forum; oil and gas reserves, is estimated to be worth 12 per cent of global oil reserves, nearly two thirds of the world’s arable land that enables farming and among other precious minerals almost 40 per cent of global gold deposits.

The Tana Forum was conceived as an independent platform on peace and security in Africa for leaders to come up with robust responses to the superficial resource-curse plaguing the continent.

It brings together current and former heads of state and government, policy makers, civic society, and academia from across the continent.

Touching on the subject of oil, the President said having discovered commercial oil volumes 10 years ago, his government has moved slowly and cautiously to embark on commercial production.

“I was told Uganda does not need a refinery because it was not productive and not economic, that means those with refineries are Mother Theresa’s working for nothing. I went to Iran and asked how many refineries they have and they said they got nine and building another six. I said no refinery no oil. It is still in the ground until we agree,” he said.

musisif@ug.nationmedia.com

Source: Daily Monitor-Uganda

My take:
Raisi Museveni clearly point out that African countries should never learn from each other due to extensive diversity between and within communities. Most intriguing, Raisi Museveni hasn't said what is the alternative master-plan to contain and address African social, political and economic problem. The remaining question is, if education is not key, then how would Africa build capacity of her people. Without knowledge of themselves and their surroundings, how would African people challenge ever increasing global technology?

hey...it silent yet critical.

50thebe said:

By FREDERIC MUSISI

KAMPALA- President Museveni has pegged the countless problems ravaging Africa such as wars, poverty, diseases, hunger and underdevelopment on policy blunders made by technocrats and political leaders, and urged fellow leaders to stop ‘ideological meandering”.

The President advised leaders to come out clearly and build on strategies that will help transform their people, especially using the vast natural resource wealth.

Mr Museveni, speaking at this year’s Tana High-Level Forum on security in Africa last Saturday, also observed that education was not the solution to solving problems dogging the continent as it is widely perceived or as other key note speakers before him had averred.

“That if you educate your people, everything will be okay? This was part of the mistake in 1960s,” Mr Museveni was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his press secretary Ms Linda Nabusayi.

“This fragmented vision is incorrect; if you educate people but you don’t have infrastructure including electricity, where will they work? How will they work?” he said at the two-day summit under the theme: “Managing Natural Resources In Africa: Challenges and Prospects” held in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia’s second largest city after the capital Addis Ababa.

President Museveni delivers his speech during the 6th Tana High-Level Forum in Ethiopia on April 22. PPU.

The summit, held for the sixth time, was attended by among other leaders, the host Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as the key note speaker, chairperson of the Forum, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa acting executive secretary Dr Abdalla Hamdok.

Mr Museveni contended that while Africa is at a structural disadvantage in that ‘great ideas’ that have transformed some countries cannot be applied to the rest of Africa, the ideas conceived at the Tana Forum can be spread through ‘osmosis’.

“We are not like China. In China when there is one good thinker…the whole China follows them. Here, you may have good ideas localised in Ethiopia but they do not apply to the whole of Africa.”

Africa’s natural resource wealth, according to the Forum; oil and gas reserves, is estimated to be worth 12 per cent of global oil reserves, nearly two thirds of the world’s arable land that enables farming and among other precious minerals almost 40 per cent of global gold deposits.

The Tana Forum was conceived as an independent platform on peace and security in Africa for leaders to come up with robust responses to the superficial resource-curse plaguing the continent.

It brings together current and former heads of state and government, policy makers, civic society, and academia from across the continent.

Touching on the subject of oil, the President said having discovered commercial oil volumes 10 years ago, his government has moved slowly and cautiously to embark on commercial production.

“I was told Uganda does not need a refinery because it was not productive and not economic, that means those with refineries are Mother Theresa’s working for nothing. I went to Iran and asked how many refineries they have and they said they got nine and building another six. I said no refinery no oil. It is still in the ground until we agree,” he said.

musisif@ug.nationmedia.com

Source: Daily Monitor-Uganda

My take:
Raisi Museveni clearly point out that African countries should never learn from each other due to extensive diversity between and within communities. Most intriguing, Raisi Museveni hasn't said what is the alternative master-plan to contain and address African social, political and economic problem. The remaining question is, if education is not key, then how would Africa build capacity of her people. Without knowledge of themselves and their surroundings, how would African people challenge ever increasing global technology?

hey...it silent yet critical.

Click to expand...

ADVANTAGES OF EDUCATION
Knowledge is power and for those reading this article, at least a basic level of that power of education has been accessible. However there are instances in the world where the distribution of education is skewed. The advantages and disadvantages of education although seemingly quite clear can be explored to quite a detailed level.

It is usually the benefits of education that are extolled from time to time and there is much strength in that argument since the one thing that separates man from animals is the ability to advance knowledge and expertise from one generation to the next. On the other hand some may argue about the difference between ‘having an education’ and ‘possessing knowledge’.

Here we try and develop a debate about the advantages of education keeping in mind all points of view.


Advantages of Education

Human Capital – To build upon the previous point, when looked at from a macro perspective, an educated population provides a more valuable human capital base to the economy. A developed economy has maximum concentration of jobs in the tertiary sector which requires a highly skilled work force which has expertise in specific fields. For instance one of the most developed countries3 in the world, the USA has the most skilled human resources with maximum efficiency. Also, developing countries which adopt tried and tested technologies from other nations require skilled engineers, technicians and managers who can put that to good use. This can only be achieved by providing quality education to the population at a primary, secondary and higher level.

Broadens perspective – This is one of the key advantages of education. Even if we consider economic benefit of education but its most important contribution that it helps in changing minds of people. Education makes people understand others cultures, religions, places and culture. It helps gain understanding of what the world is all about. This is very important if we see from perspective of developing nations which are plagued by old notions.
Hones potential – An education provides individuals with the ability to develop their potential to a much greater extent. Exposure to different fields and interests allows a person to choose between a number of options and hone in on the one field that they have the ability to excel in. This also helps develop interest in a number of other non-academic fields such as art, culture, music, all of which are important to have a wholesome life. It improves interaction between people and results in more efficient exchanges.

Better job prospects – The conventional way of proceeding in life through the ages has been in four stages: childhood and education, putting knowledge to work by obtaining a career, raising a family, growing old and retiring from the daily conundrums of life. The logical step after the initial childhood years is to attend an educational institute and gather as much knowledge and information as possible for a better life in the future. This helps in developing a better base for securing a career later thus advancing the individual into the next phase of life. This helps in providing the basics such as food, water and shelter as well as a host of other needs. Thus, a better education will ensure higher returns and subsequently a better quality of life.

Dispels inequality – For individuals who do not have a wealthy or fortunate background, the provision of quality education puts them at the same footing as the vast majority of job seekers allowing them to rise from their present level. This phenomenon, also known as distributive justice, helps in reducing inequalities, both economic and social, in society.


The importance of education has been recognised by the international community as can be observed by the Right to Education Act which has been in existence since 1952 in the European Convention on Human Rights and obliges all signatories to guarantee the right to education. The United Nations’ International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966 guarantees this right on a global scale.

These facts display how seriously countries the world over have taken the aspect of education to be. Especially for developing countries, improving the quality of life of its population through education and all its subsequent effects is of utmost priority and has indeed been undertaken on a large scale by all such countries.
I can't imagine development without education ....Africa minus education is equal to Dark Continent

I don't understand Mr Honourable his excelence President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni' s School of thinking.....

50thebe said:

By FREDERIC MUSISI

KAMPALA- President Museveni has pegged the countless problems ravaging Africa such as wars, poverty, diseases, hunger and underdevelopment on policy blunders made by technocrats and political leaders, and urged fellow leaders to stop ‘ideological meandering”.

The President advised leaders to come out clearly and build on strategies that will help transform their people, especially using the vast natural resource wealth.

Mr Museveni, speaking at this year’s Tana High-Level Forum on security in Africa last Saturday, also observed that education was not the solution to solving problems dogging the continent as it is widely perceived or as other key note speakers before him had averred.

“That if you educate your people, everything will be okay? This was part of the mistake in 1960s,” Mr Museveni was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his press secretary Ms Linda Nabusayi.

“This fragmented vision is incorrect; if you educate people but you don’t have infrastructure including electricity, where will they work? How will they work?” he said at the two-day summit under the theme: “Managing Natural Resources In Africa: Challenges and Prospects” held in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia’s second largest city after the capital Addis Ababa.

President Museveni delivers his speech during the 6th Tana High-Level Forum in Ethiopia on April 22. PPU.

The summit, held for the sixth time, was attended by among other leaders, the host Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as the key note speaker, chairperson of the Forum, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa acting executive secretary Dr Abdalla Hamdok.

Mr Museveni contended that while Africa is at a structural disadvantage in that ‘great ideas’ that have transformed some countries cannot be applied to the rest of Africa, the ideas conceived at the Tana Forum can be spread through ‘osmosis’.

“We are not like China. In China when there is one good thinker…the whole China follows them. Here, you may have good ideas localised in Ethiopia but they do not apply to the whole of Africa.”

Africa’s natural resource wealth, according to the Forum; oil and gas reserves, is estimated to be worth 12 per cent of global oil reserves, nearly two thirds of the world’s arable land that enables farming and among other precious minerals almost 40 per cent of global gold deposits.

The Tana Forum was conceived as an independent platform on peace and security in Africa for leaders to come up with robust responses to the superficial resource-curse plaguing the continent.

It brings together current and former heads of state and government, policy makers, civic society, and academia from across the continent.

Touching on the subject of oil, the President said having discovered commercial oil volumes 10 years ago, his government has moved slowly and cautiously to embark on commercial production.

“I was told Uganda does not need a refinery because it was not productive and not economic, that means those with refineries are Mother Theresa’s working for nothing. I went to Iran and asked how many refineries they have and they said they got nine and building another six. I said no refinery no oil. It is still in the ground until we agree,” he said.

musisif@ug.nationmedia.com

Source: Daily Monitor-Uganda

My take:
Raisi Museveni clearly point out that African countries should never learn from each other due to extensive diversity between and within communities. Most intriguing, Raisi Museveni hasn't said what is the alternative master-plan to contain and address African social, political and economic problem. The remaining question is, if education is not key, then how would Africa build capacity of her people. Without knowledge of themselves and their surroundings, how would African people challenge ever increasing global technology?

hey...it silent yet critical.

Click to expand...

It is still in the ground until we agree....WELL DONE

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