President Rupiah Banda has urged students at learning institutions in the country to learn to dialogue and avoid engaging themselves in unnecessary disturbances when aggrieved.
President Banda said that he is saddened when students resort to violence when expressing their grievances.
President Banda said this in Lusaka yesterday when he officiated at the second graduation ceremony of the Australian Institute of Business and Technology (AIBT) Zambia Chapter.
Mr Banda said students won’t achieve anything if they resort to rioting every time they are aggrieved.
First Lady, Thandiwe Chilonga Banda and former First Lady Maureen Kakubo Mwanawasa were among the students who graduated in Information Technology Advanced Diploma and Master of Business Administration (MBA) respectively.
Others are Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Board Chairman Augustine Seyuba (MBA), Late Local Government and Housing Minister Benny Tetamashimba’s daughter Rachael, three Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) Staffer Wamunyima Muwana (Bachelor of Communication, BC), Rosaria Lubumbashi (Advanced Diploma in Communication, ADC) and Cecilia Mulenga (ADC) and Zambia National Agriculture Services’ Susan Musukuma (BC).
President Banda said education is a pillar to eradicating poverty and therefore government attaches great importance to the education sector.
He said the challenges Zambia is facing can be solved through an educated human resource at appropriate universities and colleges in the country.
He said government through the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission provides employment to the Zambian people but he challenged the graduates to think og self employment instead of looking for employment.
He congratulated the graduates for exhibiting an exemplary example in excelling in education adding that it is plus to national development.
Mr Banda further urged other spouses to always encourage one another to attain higher education as it is a milestone in their lifetime.
“I want to congratulate you my wife, Thandiwe for acquiring this Advanced Diploma. The presence of you and former First Lady, Maureen is a plus to this nation and a shining example to the rest of the spouses in the country. I am proud of you that you have attained higher education while carrying out other responsibilities placed on you by your status as First Lady,” President Banda said in his address to the Fist Lady.
President Banda said government through the Ministry of Education is in the process of revising the education Act of 1996 and the University Act of 1999 to improve gaps in the education system.
And speaking earlier, AIBT Principal Marian Mighell encouraged graduates that education should serve as a window to putting Zambia on the globe.
And passing a vote of thanks, Shiela De-Sousa Arcanjo, an international student said their graduation today has made her and her colleagues to grow rich and sharpen their skills in education.
Ms De-Sousa Arcanjo challenged government in the world to make education a first priority as it is a driving force to eradicating poverty and illiteracy in the country.
ZANIS
King Cobra, get your bachelors from this institute – it sounds generous and user friendly. RB, WE SHOULD ALSO SEE YOU OFFICIATING AT NKURUMA AND LUKASHA TRADES. CONGRATS TO THE GRADUANTS, I HOPE YOUR PAPERS ARE GENUINE AND ACCEPTABLE WORLDWIDE….NEXT TIME TRY YOUR LUCK AT UNZA OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT INSTITUTION…
whats is aibt?is a university or union?surprising enough indeed, that the president is proud of a 3 months diploma.what did the first lady learn in 3 months?didnt she buy the papers?
i thought she is a teacher?why not updating her chipata teachers training college certificate?why changing her career now?where is going to work with that diploma since the husband sold zamtel.mmmmmmmmmmmmmnnnnnnnn, i dont know.
ba first lady, get something big (i mean a degree with honours at a recognised university) ( unza).or maybe u cant survive the competition?
This guy and madam Dora refused to attend UNZA and CBU graduation ceremony, and now they are busy attending these “night school, shibukeni” colleges (AIBT and Zambia Open university). next it will be Lusaka University and CopperSTONE University. You can see that something is wrong.
How long has the first lady been in school? I wonder what she is going to do with her diploma, maybe her husband will give her a job as minister of information., so that she can partner with Shikapwasha in propaganda. This RB is nothing, but a joke.
We know she was in school because she was too busy to get her hair done.
The First Lady has been studying at AIBT since February 2007. The qualification she has acquired is an Advanced Diploma in Information Technology from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia. One of the top five universities in Australia. Far more recognised worldwide than any of our local universities. She is two semesters away from getting her degree. People, get your facts right before passing ignorant comments. Instead of just using the net for blogging, you could also use it for research.
First Lady Thandiwe Banda and Maureen are an inspiration. Despite having all the comfort , they had to find time to do some studies. Imagine if 5% of our mothers had to commit their time and resources by going back to school. This will be agreat contribution to human capital development. I hear other pipo say at over 45 yrs where can one find employment. Its not a matter of getting employed but the pride of acquiring new knowledge makes one not to be left out in this changing world.
@6, Superman , what are talking about, a simple web query will tell you that the university no where near the top 500 universitiesdoes not even appear on the Shanghai Jiao tong Academic Ranking of World Universities. For your information the top 6 universities in Australia are Australian national university, university of melbourne, university of sydney, university of queensland, university of queensland and university of new south wales, in that order. And since you asked, ECU “is often labeled as SuperTafe with its degrees being called glorified TAFE diplomas. Another derogatory label associated with Edith Cowan is Enid Blyton University due to the perception that one can get a degree in any area of interest no matter how trivial” I hope this clarifies your question. now get back to…
Well-Done Thandie
Congratulations Tandiwe and all who graduated . Some Zambians are full of the “LETS PULL HIM OR HER DOWN ” factor . So what if she acquires Knowledge and does not want a regular job . I am sure not everybody that goes to school does it in order to be employed by some one else . Most facilities at the so called recognised Zambian Institutions leave much to be desired- They are beyond Third World Grading
LT do you have pictures of the graduation ? Bring them on ! and lets enjoy . Congratulations to them all
Times have changed. Stop your kalijo. I know you are from the so called public universities – what do u know. Nigeria has 76 universities out of which only 10% are public the rest are private and recognised. hats off the graduands.
Some of you who graduated from UNZA had never even seen a flush toilet before you went tp Lusaka for your degrees .You left the village but the village has not left you .even when you are in the Diaspora , atase