VENUE: – EQUATORIAL HOTEL:
TIME: – 3: 00 PM
DATE: – FRIDAY, THE 5TH OF DECEMBER 2014
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dec 6, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — In the name of God Almighty, I greet you all. Am totally thrilled to be here making one of the graduation speeches. It gives me a great pleasure to welcome you all to this year’s Graduation Ceremony of 2014. It is a great joy to convey congratulations to members of Cavendish University and friends. Please let us give a round of applause to all grandaunts.
My special congratulation is passed to our successful graduates who have shown today that they have fulfilled the message of development and prosperity. On behalf of sixty graduates’ families, I’m deeply impressed to express my gratitude and happiness to the Chancellor, Board of Trustee, Council and Senate of Cavendish University of Uganda for the seeds of education that they have brotherly planted in the minds of our students, the graduates as African children.
Dear Graduates, there is no land without people, as there is no land without administrative jurisdiction. It is of great pleasure to recognize the role being played by public security of Kampala District authorities in particular and Uganda in general. On your behalf and on behalf of Nuer tribe in particular and South Sudan in general, I’m to pass my ample gratitude to the leadership of KCCA Mayor/ Executive Director of Kampala for providing peace and tranquility without any single security harassment to our students and people who are displaced.
Dear graduates,
I will base my speech on the theme “Education and our challenges”
It is truly a time to celebrate. You have spent many sleepless nights, either worrying about passing or worrying how to get up in the morning, having had too much fun. As from now, no more exams, no more apprehension. “The roots of education are bitter but the fruits are sweet”-Plato
Great challenges lie upon you. Many of which are large and complex, however you will meet and face them, and together we will resolve them. How to accomplish them will require all your collective skill, talents and time effort. I firmly believe if one invests in the future it will be ours and subsequently our grandchildren. The very least we owe them is a legacy upon which to build.
Dear Business Administration and Finance graduates:
Your first priority in investment will be the petty traders to encourage transfer of development to rural area, the place of your birth, your origin of your ancestors and your early education which still backward. There is no business without complexity, either problems or crisis, but they are overcome by good management skill. Your field work will reflect your specialization how to exercise in marketing, account, then finance and budgeting. I believe that Cavendish University has prepared you to face the challenges that bedevil the profession. The best financial manager is one who identifies his resources. He or she must have the correct data collections to benefit the ministry in budgeting, and not fault or forge data that shall embarrass the country and the economy. Is not also enough to depend on already existing resources. The best manager is the vigilant financial manager that explores or anticipates new resources to strengthen national income. By doing so, your potential for promotion to higher positions is strengthened. I must remind you that you will not always find it easy in your practice: whether as an accountant, auditor, and consultant or in any other capacity. The fight between the manager and the politician in charge of the ministry over allocation of resources is a big challenge awaiting you. Whenever you will be facing such challenges always remember one thing: IT IS INTERGRITY THAT WILL CARRY THE DAY AT THE END OF THE DAY!
Dear Graduates of Law:
“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow cause” Isaiah 1:17ESV/74 helpful vote
“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously; defend the rights of the poor and needy” Proverbs 31:87 ESV/257 helpful votes
Dear legal bodies. You have decided with all your behavioral aspect, with sense and sensitivity to run the key factor in professional leading to human dignity. This career you have selected is to ensure life of individuals, community, public and private sectors. It builds states governments’ laws, local governments Ordinances as well as the constitution of the country. The personality of that authority who exercises such laws must have high quality of character, humanity full of respect bearing signs of sympathy. He or she must know that when law is misused deaths occur as the case with our country. There is no law stopping it, because the Transitional Constitution is biased being made by hands of legal bodies which are biased to the system. To be ever vigilant; you must seek God’s wisdom. Be vigilant!
“Let me advice you all, what you think that you make with your right hand is correct, but may be the one to harm your left hand tomorrow”.
Speak up for who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy, and give the best legal advice to the ruling power in the name of people and country. The law is made by the people, for the people, and to the people to leave fairly. The successful power in leadership is the power whose legal authorities in the country are faithful, and the country is saved from crisis.
Dear Graduates in Hotels and Tourism:
As we have now become a new nation in Africa and the world, we expect to review our natural livestock wherever they are in the country. Our forests look jungle and rich with wildlife resources in the midst of Africa, the richest Savanna. As one of the African countries, and according to geographical situation and climate, we expect wild animals to reflect the country economy. Natural factors are part of national economy resources targeting development. We have rivers as well as the River Nile of 4,258miles length (6,853km) – an international river as its water resources are shared by eleven countries. We have rivers in the midst of the country as River Jur from Lake Ambadi in Central Africa Republic. River Jur forms the river Ghazal of 716 km(445mil) and Bhar-Alarab, both run from Western side of Unity state flowing to White Nile. From the Eastern part of the country there is river Sobat which runs west from the High land mountain of Ethiopia. All these rivers once rejuvenated shall soon become international zones of South Sudan that attract international view of tourism which shall boost the economy of the country. There is no one that will remind the government to establish or rehabilitate this important economic sector, except the technical (like you) that is professionally trained to advice the government. If the professionals get to fear to advice the government in power, or they become reluctant, the national economy is bound to collapse.
Dear graduates of Human Resource,
I’m impressed by those who have opted to study in the field of human resource. It reminded me of Even Edward Pritchard who in 1931 had a glance on Nuer population. He quoted it as being 200,000.
He said and I quote “The Nuer / who calls themselves Nath (Ran) are 200,000 souls and they live in the swamp and open Savannah that stretch on both sides of the River Nile” end of quote.
My argument is, if our population was 200,000 in 1913, what should be our population now in 2014? This is a general question for us all to answer. There is no development without taking care of population as there is no population without household. Likewise, there is no individual without origin. The more population you have the more educated classes you bound to get. And the more educated you become, the better economic, social and financial strategy you can establish. I’m sure we are more than three million souls. But who is interested to make such a research correct to reflect a true picture? The on -going war has drastically reduced our population. Our government therefore has not attached any value to human resource.
Please read my last Article in Sudan Tribune ( bonimedia.wordpress.com) and Nyamilepedia on 26/11/2014 to the president of South Sudan under the title( Can there be peace before Christmas in the country?
General observation and caution:
You remember the word of Christ to the Vineyard workers. 15 `Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own or is your eye envious because I’m generous? 16 “So the last shall be first, and the first last” There is no doubt you look today like the ten Disciples. A long rough road but peaceful journey is awaiting you all. First you are going to be faced with new life of different social problems that may force you to surrender……… It is not the life you inherited from your ancestors, but public life mixed with different traditional, cultural, and social with mixed mental behavior, administered by government disciplinary measures. There are fundamental challenges to meet:
- Firstly how to get employed. Is there a vacancy according to the approved budget?
- Secondly, if there is, how many are competing for the post, and who is the employer and from which tribe?
- Thirdly, once employed you will be faced by the adherent of flow directives from above your (BOSS). His directives may not please you or may not be accepted by your own thinking however; you have to adhere to his directives. But the successful junior official is the junior official that gives scientific and technical advices to his superior officer (BOSS). Because tomorrow when you become the BOSS your staff will get the best qualified experienced leader who listens and receives advice from the bottom with correct feedback.
Dear graduates, historically, Uganda had been closely following our origin as Nuer (NHUAR) along the Nile shown by (Uganda Journal 1936, that said “Customs and belief relating to Twins among the Nilelotic Nuer” Uganda Journal 1936 Vol.111. No,3 (Jan): page 230-8 . We again as Nuer give our gratitude to Uganda intellectuals, the educated class for their keen and African culture that had made them to pursue our footsteps.
Dear graduates, what dignify a person or makes him distinguished is not today when we have become educated, or having wealth from the Oil discovery, but your culture qualifies you. It makes one focused like a loving poetry among societies being sung by school children. It reflects brightness like morning dew that being liked by all. Let us maintain our culture as we are born honest, faithful, and courageous with either Yes or No. We are liked by all the tribes the world over and specially British that ruled us due to our selfish less, honesty, opened hearted and being socially democratic with no greed. We respect borderline in respect to right of other societies. Equity is our motto of leadership as shown by our action when we are always supporting the weak in time of war and disaster. Max 3.2 said “It is also one of the central themes of the Nuer. Evan-Pritchard puts what corresponds to the relation between base and superstructure at the centre of the Nuer when he states for example” .
”The quality which have been mentioned, courage, generosity, patience, pride, loyalty, stubbornness, and independence, are the virtue the Nuer themselves extol, and these values can be shown to be very appropriate to their simple made of life and the simple set of social relations it engenders” Sir Edward E. Evans-Pritchard 1930.
Dear Graduates, we had six years of transitional government (2005-2011). This is followed by a central Republican government which is now still fighting itself for almost a year since Juba incident on Sunday night of 15th December 2013 because of political differences within SPLM leadership. This system of government has killed thousands and thousands of Nuer citizens of which 75% were highly educated class. It is a test to democracy of a Republican government in the history of South Sudan. You are unfortunate that you have graduated at a time when our country is fighting itself, a savage war than that we fought the enemy for 21 years ago. This shameful crisis can be accounted to the political leadership in the country as to how and why such destructions and the lost of thousands and thousands of lives could take place against one tribe.
The SPLA/SPLM in opposition, under the leadership of Dr. Riek Machar Teny, is defending itself not for divisive war, but for the unity of the country and tribes and equity. It is you the youth to help correct the future by a firm decentralized policy that is to be exercised by people and not by personality from the centre who have no land and people to govern in Juba. The land and population are found with the local people, the rural man., and not by a central minister who rules not more than 21 people himself inclusive.
About Unity, the truth is that we cannot escape tribes as you cannot run away with your tribe to rule. Therefore, whoever talks about unity in general and in darkness exercises tribalism or favors his tribe among all the tribes after 22 years of struggle is cheating God’s promise. To favor a tribe is disuniting South Sudan. But unity of tribes is the unity of the country. But as far as I know we are NOT of that characteristic, we are just a distance like between earth and the sky.
However, as the last becomes the first, you will be lucky to be the first batch to implement Federal system in the country. Am sure the ongoing peace negotiation between the two rivaling parties under IGAAD shall bring total peace with a fair system of ruling that our people shall be the beneficiary of a Federal system once applied. This is the system that transfers development directly from the centre to people at the grass root. People misunderstood to have a country; that even marriages of Nilotics are conducted in Juba city, which is a central government of central Equatorial with local government system working in committees. Social ceremonies which reflect norms towards development are supposed to be celebrated in their respective places of origin to attract development. You are the vehicle of change!
In conclusion:
You are blessed to come to public life and evaluate by your sense how the government machinery moves. But the successful graduate is one who:
- Put the dreams of his country on his right hand.
- Rebukes whoever talks with the mouth of tribalism.
- Cares about his people at the grass root and how to rescue them.
- Always gives the word of God priority in any consideration whenever taking decision.
- Lastly, the best economist is that graduate who prefers to upgrade private sector where there is local government rather than public sector.
- Give the priority of development to rural area.
Remember “the only helping hand is that at the end of your arm”
“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no division among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment” Corinthian 1:10
In God’s name I wish you every success in your new life and prosperity.
Thank you
John Juan Dong
Chief Guest of Honor for Graduation Celebration of Nuer Graduates from Cavendish University of Uganda on Friday the 5th of December 2014. juandong92@yahoo.com / 0795451800 / 0771658872
