Students, attack MPs over jobs at schools debate championship
Students and teachers of Nyakasura School, the winners of the 2014 National Schools Debate Championship, celebrate after being crowned at Parliament yesterday. Twenty-five schools took part with two giants; Ntare and Nyakasura, emerging as finalists. The students accused MPs of not doing enough to create jobs for the youth. PHOTO BY FAISWAL KASIRYE
What you need to know:
Students fault legislators for paying a deaf ear to evils affecting youth as MPs say their role stops at making laws.
Parliament- “There are 385 MPs and out of those, only five represent the youth. How can five MPs represent a population of more than 70 per cent? My dear MPs, you are not doing enough because there is a lot of drug abuse and unemployment. As long as they [youths] are able-bodied, the government must give them jobs,” Ms Mercy Deogratious, a student of St Ediope Girls School, Arua, told MPs.
“I paid my own school fees. As a student, I educated three of my siblings. What are you doing? Stop blaming people for things you are unable to do yourself. In other countries, children like you would be working in restaurants. In Uganda, we call it child labour!” Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, sternly retorted.
Such was the war of words between five MPs and a group of students yesterday on whether Parliament has done enough to better the lives of the youth - who form the largest percentage of the 34.9 million Ugandans.
As a curtain raiser for the final of the National Schools Debate Championship, MPs and students wrangled over the motion: “Has Parliament done enough to support the youth?”
Student debaters faulted Parliament for paying lip-service to the ills bedevilling the young generation like unemployment, drug abuse, and gambling while MPs chose to pass the buck to other government agencies, arguing that their essential roles stop at making laws and watching over the government.
Busongora North MP William Nzonghu chose to tear into his own colleagues, assailing the Northern Uganda Youth MP Evelyn Anite for leading a group of ruling party MPs in moving a motion to ring-fence the NRM candidature for the 2016 polls for President Museveni.
“We MPs who are youth but do not represent the youth were wondering: Are these youth representatives? Is this the youth representative? What is this lady up to? Whereas Parliament granted slots for youth to have representatives, some representatives of the youth have not performed to the expectations of the Youth MPs,” Mr Nzonghu argued.
Explaining the intricacies of youth representation, Western Youth MP Gerald Karuhanga compared it to the delicate task that boys face to win the hearts of females, an anecdote that cheered up a jaded audience.
Nyakasura School from Fort Portal emerged the winner of the 2014 National debate competition whereas Mbarara-based Ntare School which was last year’s champions, are the runners up.
