Construction of sh9.8b facilities at Lira UTC completed

By Hudson Apunyo

CONSTRUCTION of buildings under Uganda National Education Support (UNES) project worth shs9.8bn by Pearl Engineering Company Ltd was on Wednesday handed over to the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Sports.

The Permanent Secretary Dr. Rose Nassali Lukwago accompanied by ministry officials in the department of Business, Technical and Vocational Education (BTVET) received the keys to the buildings and handed over to the college administration.

The construction consists of library, dormitories, classrooms, laboratory, and a health centre.

Lukwago said the library will be well stocked with modern textbooks supported.

"This should allow these students and staffs adequate space to study and prepare and also do further research," she said. The furniture, she said, is on its way.

Lukwago said she has seen the classrooms, dormitories and health centre, all of which are superb and should therefore motivate the students to study harder. She urged them make the best use of the facilities and to guard it jealously for their benefit and of those coming after them.

The fund to put up all these structures was secure through loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

The loan, the PS said, will be paid by all Ugandans and therefore the institution is open to all Ugandans as staffs, parents, students and members of the community.

She urged members of the community to take advantage of the institution to use it as a learning centre to upgrade their skills as technology changes every day.

The PS said that she has been following students' performance in exams and noted that the results which the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB) have been releasing since last year has seen a marked improvement in performance.

She noted that this will go a long way in helping the government of Uganda to implement the ten year strategic plan Lukwago noted that previously technical courses have been relegated to those thought not to be academically endowed.

She said those who fail in the other roots can always revert to the technical root but results now show otherwise.

"There is very good performance and we hope that if we sustain that performance, we will be attracting more and more students to join the technical so that we get more technicians."

She warned the students against strikes which she said she was informed is being instigated by some staffs. She said the consequence may even be death.

On the problem of lack of staffs raised by the principal Talwana Bucha Bathan, the PS said the Ministry is on the process of recruiting and they will get staffs

On the issue of transport, she said she saw students of St. Katherine came in a magnificent coach and wonder if it's the Ministry that bought it. She encouraged the college to embark on venture to get their own transport.

"There are many institutions that still needs expansion and facelift,' she said.

She encouraged- the college to start budgeting for maintenance and repair of the institution.

The RDC Emmanuel Mwaka Lutukumoi commended President Museveni saying he ushered in peace, security and democracy.

Mwaka said such project can only be done when there is peace and security.

"For us when others talk of regime change, we talk of life change. Those who want change should go and do it from Kampala where they have their property to protect."

Some officials who graced the function include, Ethel Kamba under Secretary Finance and Administration, Ilahi Mansoor, Assistant Commissioner Technical Education, Dr. Jane Egau Assistant Commissioner Instructor/Teacher Education and Project Coordinator, and Commissioner for Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training Sarah Namuli Tamale.