Former President Benjamin Mkapa
Higher learning institutions graduands in the country should strive to be models of good leadership in whichever places of employment they may be in pursuit of better standard of living.
Retired president Benjamin Mkapa said this when addressing more than 440 graduands during the third graduation ceremony at Sebastian Kolowa Memorial
University (SEKOMU) in Lushoto district,Tanga region recently. He urged graduands to show evidence of righteousness in community.
Mr Mkapa told the graduands from three faculties — law, special needs and eco-tourism that the fact that they were graduating was evidence of their commitment in their studies.
"But the degrees and diplomas conferred to you today, are not souvenirs to be framed on the walls of your rooms, but tools of your various trades with which are to be used in your
careers," Mr Mkapa, who was chief guest, told the graduands. He told them that the community and the nation have high expectations on university graduates in terms of better leadership with regard to social services.
"Similarly, your parents and guardians, having known that you had graduated, expect you to improve their living standards, considering that most of them had invested enormously in your studies with meagre resources. The retired president urged the graduands to be creative in pursuit of both more knowledge and better life.
"A tendency has emerged these days where some politicians move about promising people rapid development. I tell you this is nonsensical", he said, wondering how a parliamentarian candidate could build a latrine for every household in his constituency, taking into consideration that over 40 per cent of households in
Tanzania have no modern toilet facility.
"What I believe is that development can only come about when the people are organized and work hard — not through unscrupulous few leaders who move from place to place hunting for leadership positions, their levels of education notwithstanding," he said.
Earlier, Rev. Professor Joseph Parsalaw, the Vice-Chancellor of Tumaini University Makumira, urged the graduands to uphold upright morals, including appearing in socially acceptable apparel. "As
graduates, you must be models in as far as your physical appearance in community is concerned.
Show others that you come from SEKOMU so that they emulate your ways of life," stressed Prof. Parsalaw, who attended the ceremony on behalf of Tumaini Chancellor and Head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Tanzania (ELCT), Bishop Dr Alex Malasusa.
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