IGANGA, UGANDA: The Speaker of Uganda’s 11th Parliament Rt Hon Anita Annet Among has donated 20 million shillings to support the construction of a dining hall for the Muslim-founded Ibun Baz Girls’ Secondary School in Nakalama Sub-county, Iganga district.
The speaker who was represented by the member of parliament for Katikamu South in Luwero district Hon Kirumira Hassan Lukalidde was on Saturday presiding as the chief guest at the school’s 20th anniversary.
Rt Hon Anita Among tasked parents to educate all their children citing that the Quran also talks about education. She appreciated the importance of the school to the community and rallied the community to continue supporting the school.
“We all know that education is a divine command for both male and female and it’s the reason why the Quran also talks about education. This project which you started is great and I request all of us to support this project to grow,” reads part of the speech before donating 20,000,000= to the school and 200,000= to the girl child who recited the Quran accurately.
Ms Among said that education involving secular and Arabic widens the cognitive thinking of the students citing that a number of Muslims are in cabinet holding juicy positions because they studied, adding that secular becomes very easy after learning and mastering the Quran.
“They used to despise Muslims that we’re uneducated but that one is now history and Muslims have studied and have qualified for each and every position and it’s the reason why even in Uganda’s cabinet there are Muslims, so I call upon you to follow the teachings of Allah because education is a godly command,” her message read.
The guest speaker and third deputy Prime Minister of Uganda Rt Hon Rukia Isanga Nakadama commended the school for educating the girl child before she read the names of female cabinet ministers whom she said they should follow their footsteps. She urged parents to give children basic requirements for education.
“We ask you to read harder such that you can replace us as we go away. I call upon parents to encourage students to stay in school by providing them with academic requirements as well as visiting them at school and engaging their teachers to have good performances,” Rt Hon Nakadama said before calling upon Ugandans to embrace Parish Development Model(PDM) program in fighting poverty.
After learning about the fire that consumed a girls’ dormitory at St. Paul SS Nasuti in Iganga district on Thursday morning, Ms Nakadama tasked the district disaster committee to write a letter to the prime minister’s office to see how it will be handled after knowing what exactly is required.
However, Rt Hon Nakadama donated a total of 5 million shillings to support the construction of the school dining hall at Ibun Baz Girls’ secondary school and appreciated the board of directors of the three schools i.e Ibun Baz Girls, Ibun Baz Boys and Ibun Baz primary school for the investments.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Bruhan Abdulkadir Byekwaso, one of the five directors of Ibun Baz schools said they are planning to grow into a giant modern science girls’ secondary school with the help of their stakeholders especially the government and other individuals and institutions.
“Our future plan is to be a giant modern science girls’ secondary school but we cannot manage it unless we get support from government. Secondly, we need to put up a dining hall and we request your support,” Sheikh Byekwaso said before saying they need a computer lab and a library which are better than the current ones.
Sheikh Byekwaso commended the speaker and Hon members of parliament for leading the passing of the Islamic financing bill, before appreciating the public for supporting them since 2003 when the school began with 17 students.
The function was attended by Jeema party president and MP Bugiri municipality Hajj Asuman Basalirwa, MPs from Busoga, Iganga district leadership led by LCV chairperson Mr Gabula Ezera, educationists led by Iganga District Education Officer (DEO) Mr Baker Kasadakawo, the Islamic clerics led by deputy mufti Sheikh Ali Muhammad Waiswa, among others.
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