Retired Makerere Don honoured

A book on local and regional demography to aid policy formulation has been written in honour of Prof. James Manyenye Ntozi, a renowned former Makerere University (MAK) lecturer, in recognition of his enormous contribution to academia.

The book titled: The Demography of Uganda and selected African Countries, written by his former students, some of them professors and published by Fountain Publishers, was launched on Thursday by the Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda.

Although the book focuses on population factors in Uganda and Africa, raising major issues that enhance development, it is a glowing and befitting tribute to the don.

 Apart from focusing on population factors and highlighting major issues on demography, the 276- paged book, among others presents findings to guide policy and programme implementation, critically examines demographic factors and their impact on sustainable development, underscores the importance of demographic data to development and helps put the understating of local and regional demographics in perspective.

Ntozi, a professor on demographic statistics in the College of Business and Management Sciences (COBAMS) retired from the MAK late last year, after lecturing for 46 years. The book was written by Prof John Oucho, Assoc. Prof Gideon Rutaremwa and Jockey Baker Nyakaana, among other writers.

Born on July 25, 1945 at Rwobuyenje, Kashari County, Mbarara district, Prof Ntozi retired after clocking the retirement age of 70 at the university. Unlike his contemporaries, who quit the university and fled to exile in the troubled 70s, Ntozi opted to stay to keep the university a float.

"Many of my international professional colleagues never understood my reasons for staying in Uganda with its overwhelming challenges. My decision to stay put in Makerere was to serve my alma-mater Makerere and my country. So long as my country was not in immediate danger, I reasoned that if everyone including me abandoned Makerere, who would keep the fort," Prof Ntozi, now a farmer explained at the function.

Over the years, Ntozi has published over 75 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals, presented more than 70 papers in conferences and written and edited over 15 books.

 "The older persons also have an institutional memory of society history, if they went too soon, some of this memory will be buried with them and younger people will not know it," Prof Ntozi noted in his remarks.

Speaking at the book launch Rugunda hailed Prof. Ntozi for his profound contribution to scholarly works, which have helped shape and inform policy in the country and the region, and urged Ugandans to emulate him.

"Prof Ntozi's profile in this book shows that he has produced over 150 scientific publications and public presentations, which is excellent by all standards. If most Ugandans and Africans made similar contributions, our country and continent would fast track development," Rugunda said at the function.

He called upon all staff at Makerere University to emulate Prof Ntozi and make MAK proud.

"However when Prof. Ntozi told me that he was retiring, I reflected on his contribution to MAK, Uganda and beyond. In other countries like USA and UK, universities utilize their professors until their end," the Prime Minister said and called upon MAK to engage the relevant government ministries to enable the university benefit from services of professors who have retired.

Several speakers at the function shared the same sentiments with Rugunda, some pointing out that Ntozi is still resourceful and can still serve at the university, thereby enabling students tap into his wealth of knowledge.

The Vice Chancellor Makerere University, Prof John Ddumba Ssentamu praised Ntozi for his outstanding contribution to the University, the country and the continent particularly in the area of demographics, which saw him appointed to many distinguished positions.