By GASHEEGU MURAMILA
The New Times

SOUTHERN PROVINCE: BUTARE, Rwanda cannot be threatened by countries that pretend to be friendly to her yet they do not appreciate her progress twelve years after the Genocide, the President of the Senate, Dr Vincent Biruta, has said. In his speech as Guest of Honour...

during this year’s graduation ceremony held at the National University of Rwanda - Butare yesterday, Biruta said that despite the fact that the people of Rwanda are putting untiring efforts in a bid to forget their horrible past and forge a new future aimed at developing themselves and their country, there are stakeholders with the desire of having the country lag behind again.

“There are countries that are feeling jealous of the development that Rwanda is registering today because at the time they called themselves friends of Rwanda all this was not attained,” Biruta said. “At this level of understanding, Rwanda can’t be threatened in any way, especially the disrespect Africans are accorded.”

Biruta told the attentive audience of two thousand graduands and guests that graduating was not all about getting academic transcripts but understanding the problems facing the country and how they could help solve them. He cautioned them to avoid reliance on foreign assistance but instead use it as an additional tool to their attained knowledge in a bid to develop the country. Biruta challenged the graduands to respect themselves and their country.

“Giving yourself respect requires that you fight the humiliation even from those that think that they are superior. You know the people I’m talking about -- the French,” Biruta said amid thunderous applause from the audience.

Biruta lauded the university for having put emphasis on enhancing the government’s Vision 2020 and urged of the institution to serve as an example in the Great Lakes region and the world at large. He said that the government’s Vision 2020 will register success if only higher institutions of learning became more effective.

“This should first be emulated by all universities in the country. Graduates should practice what they have learned, and that is the only way the country will go to greater heights,” he said. “After here we can serve as example elsewhere in the world.”

Biruta added that the fact that Rwandan universities offer Masters degrees, it was a step taken to revive the once ruined education system mainly due to bad past political leaderships. He said that offering Masters degree courses was a sign that the government is committed to developing the education sector in Rwanda.

“The university has yielded much in only 12 years after the Genocide and I attributed that to the peace and security the nation is enjoying. It’s on a strong foundation that is determined to a programme of economic empowerment of the local communities. It calls for everybody’s efforts to maintain this standard,” he said.

Biruta was flanked by the Rector of the university, Professor Silas Lwakabamba, and the Minister for Education and Scientific Research, Jean D’Arc Mujawamariya, who also doubles as Chancellor of the university. The graduation ceremony was also attended by high level government officials, who included members of the Senate and Members of Parliament, as well as other dignitaries.