It was about 11 o’clock yester morning when I saw the picture above on a friend’s WhatsApp status update. It was captioned with a statement that said more or less the same as the caption I have attached myself. For I usually scroll through the statuses, I didn’t pay much attention to it at first sight, but I was reminded of the picture by another friend who brought it up in a conversation. That was when I addressed my mind to it and allowed my heart to rage with fury over the anger that the picture stirred in me. That was when I told my friend to leave that subject alone; lest, our dialogue extinguishes the mad muse in me, after all, it’s not usual that the writing muses visit me in such manner; and more so, after suffering from writer’s block for over a fortnight now.
I will; therefore, pour out my fury here in this piece. And I would like to make it clear that I won’t regret and neither will I apologize for my opinion over the subject of this write-up’s focus. I will disagree with the action of the strike or demonstration and do so in totality. I will condemn the act and make it clear that it is regrettable not only on the part of the doers but also on the part of the awarding institution. And as if that is not enough, I will also comment that the act beshames as well all other students elsewhere and their alumni colleagues.
First things first, the facts preceding this incident are that recently, Makerere University, the great, as is so commonly described by her loyal alumni; and with which I concur, even though I go to Cavendish University Uganda, held her graduation ceremony. The graduation ceremony came with many interesting news bites but was a success after all. That not even a month later, a group of fresh graduates, on Monday, 3rd February 2020, were seen on the streets of Kampala City, dressed in their black graduation gowns holding placards that read a question as to what is next after graduation. This was in a fashion of a humble demonstration of their disgruntledness over the unemployment levels in Uganda. And it is not denied that it is not easy to find a job here in Uganda after attaining a degree. These are the brief facts of the case.
In light of the above facts, I must say I was stunned by the act. As much as I much as I know that jobs are hard to find, I did not expect that job seekers would go on a demonstration this quick. I expected them to start such maybe after five or six months of job hunting. That is only if they were striking over the availability of jobs anyway. The act was so uncalled for and I must say is indicative of many incompetences in the strikers. If nothing else, then certainly, they lack innovation, creativity, critical thinking, decision making, hard work, persistence, networking, teamwork, productivity, and solution-seeking. Summarily, they may have gone to school, but they have not attained education.
Last year was marked with talks that centred on the rise of the 4th Industrial Revolution and part of the issues tackled were unemployment and job seeking. Did they not listen to those talks? Last year again, they knew they were set to graduate this year, and most probably witnessed their predecessors graduate. Did they not listen to the wise words that were said to them at graduation? Last year again, they knew they were set to graduate this year, and they probably saw their predecessors walk their soles to ache in a seemingly vain search for jobs. Did they not learn a lesson from that experience? And did they not themselves prepare to face that moment now come, or was this their preparation?
Those and many other questions keep forming in my mind. And even then, I can’t seem to find a satisfactory answer that should invite me to sympathise with these graduates. Cutting the long ranting short, these guys had a number of speeches delivered to them by successful people on their graduation day. And as may be expected, there was a commencement speech, a guest of honour’s speech, the Vice Chancellor’s speech, the Dean of Students’ speech, and probably others. And all these focused on nothing else but how to survive after University. So the big question is, How does it occur then that before the celebrations are barely finished, the guys are already on strike?
Is this not an insult to the institution? Is this not an insult to fellow graduates? Is this not an insult to Makerere’s alumni and current students? And is this not an insult to the institution of education as a general norm of society at large?
What the act symbolises is that it is useless to attend University and that education is not fruitful. It further shows that our developing societies should not bother to labour so as to afford education for their sons and daughters. It also carries forward a shade of embarrassment to the alumni of the great institution and as well her current students since it casts a shadow after university. And to other students elsewhere, the same feelings of contempt and ridicule are inflated. And emphasis must be made that it is not because jobs are readily available, but only because it is abnormally way too early for such extremes to be witnessed. It, by all means, could wait if it must in any case.
I strongly feel that the act was a huge disappointment to their Alma Mater and if you asked me, I hold the opinion that the administration should summon them and threaten to revoke her degree awards. I know that success doesn’t come on a silver plate and neither does a degree guarantee it, but I also know that it takes more than just the paper certificate to make it in life. All I am saying is that what else have they done besides their attainment of the degree as a preparation for success in life.
I watched a video of Les Brown telling his life story and in there he preached for people to have a hunger for success. He said we ought to be hungry, but clearly, he didn’t say we ought to be greedy! There is a big difference between hunger and greed. These guys are greedy and that’s not the way to go! Besides, which employer will take one who has a history for striking for whatever he or she is in need of? Tell me one who would take on such a person.
As I conclude, I don’t think it is necessary that I should also address you on the concepts of entrepreneurship, volunteering, peer projects, brainchild, rural development programmes, the concept of trade and business and so much more. The whole idea is that the world operates on commerce. That you have to sell something to make a living. Now that these guys are incapable of selling their services, then let them find a product to sell. Instead, they are “selling” themselves on the street. This is academic prostitution!
In a nutshell, the act of the graduates was tantamount to blasphemy. And it ought to be learnt that successful people never ask: After graduation, what next?