There is urgent need for Uganda to mobilise its biggest composition of the population, the youth, into a working force in order to realize complete social and economic transformation in the country. In order to do this, the youth need to be ideologically oriented to understand where the country has been and where it is headed. Ideological orientation will help the youth to understand and appreciate their country better.
This is according to Jonah Jackson Bakalikwira, the Assistant Commissioner for National guidance at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, who was Thursday afternoon addressing the 6th NRM Ideological Clinic at the party headquarters in Nakasero, Kampala.
This week’s topic for the ideological clinic was “Tackling the crystalisation of Ugandan’s National core values as a pillar to social economic transformation.” Mr Bakalikwira while speaking to cadres present at the party headquarters as well as those that attended virtually, emphasized the importance of inculcating values in the citizens. “The leadership stewarding this country has been able to go this long because of maintaining ideologies. The notion of values as drivers to social order and development is as old as the history of humanity, Bakalikwira said.
He explained that the purpose of values is to provide a basis for rules, regulations and constitutions which also provide general guidelines for conduct and behavior of society and also go a long way in enabling the citizens to play their constitutional role with passion in fulfillment of their aspirations.
According to Bakalikwira, Uganda’s national core values are contained in the constitution, the national objectives and directive principles of State Policy, among others.
He therefore said that if these laws are not constantly talked about and reechoed, they will cease in our lives. “Uganda’s youngest population comprises of mainly young people who lack appreciation of hard work, integrity and patriotism which is leading to a number of social problems like hooliganism, moral degeneration among others,” Bakalikwira said, adding: “However this population can easily be turned into a productive dividend force if well nurtured.”
He called upon the cadres to massively get mobilized and share the values they learn with others and create a joint front. Bakalikwira also called for deepening of ideological work across all public and private institutions, in the school system from the primary to institutions of higher learning, the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary as well as among the Civil Society Organisations, the media and the citizenry.