Be risk takers to succeed, Gulu varsity students told

GULU.

The Gulu University Vice Chancellor Prof George Openjuru Ladaah has tipped the University students to conquer the fear of taking risk with courage if they are to become great entrepreneurs and successful persons in future.

Prof Openjuru said many students live in what he describes as “protected world” where they haven’t met challenges and end up growing with the fear that hinders them from taking risks in enterprising ventures.

“Challenge is the excitement of life, if you don’t meet challenges, life will be very boring... Many of you [students] fear challenges because you are in a protected world; you should overcome that fear with courage if you want success.

Prof Openjuru was speaking at the sidelines of the annual Career Expo organized by National Social Security Fund [NSSF] in partnership with Monitor Publication and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) at the University on Wednesday.

Prof Openjuru said even an unborn baby who enjoys the comfort of the womb of his or her mother cries at the moment of birth but the cries doesn’t last forever.

“When you [students] immediately leave the university, you get excited after the graduation but remember that you need to face the world with courage in order to survive in this open world system and make contribution to the economy,” Prof Openjuru said

He added: “If you don’t take risk and be productive, you would have been a total waste of resource to your parents, the teachers and the government.”

Mr Nelson Tasenga, an entrepreneur and real estate dealer encouraged students to be job creators rather than job seekers if they are to escape from the wide spread unemployment in the country.

“You can make your own job by creating an enterprise, you have to do a lot of work if you are to move ahead. If you set up an enterprise, you can become a contributor to regional development, your standard of living changes and even increases social ties,” Mr Tasenga said.

He tipped the students on the benefits of having plans in their daily lives adding that a person minus plan can never reach where they intend to go.

Motivational speaker and educationist, Mr Martin Aliker, cautioned students against living luxurious life styles minus any proper source of income.

“If you want to excel in life, be simple, act simple and think simple, the outstanding fact about successful people is their simplicity,” Mr Aliker said.