By Solomon Hamala
IGANGA
The graduation ceremony of Prime Vocational Institute in Iganga district was temporarily brought to a halt after one student fell of the Institute’s grader and died.
The deceased identified as Wadeba Bernard was in his first year offering Automotive Mechanics and among a group of students who were seated on a school grader matching on a band procession through Iganga Town.
Eyewitnesses say that when they reached the school compound, he allegedly jumped off and fell into the front tyres thus crashing him dead as fellow students, parents and Police watched live.
The grader operator who is said to be a student also fled.
His body was removed and taken to the Iganga Hospital mortuary for a postmortem as investigations go on.
The OC Operations Kokonya Godfrey later on asked congregation to remain calm saying the incident unexpectedly happened.
Before the congregation left the scene to the graduation venue, Rev. Mubibi Enock who was part of the graduation visitors prayed for the soul of the deceased.
However the incident didn’t deter the graduation to proceed although starting off late.
The State Minister for Secondary Education, Dr. Crysostom Muyingo who was the chief guest emphasized the importance of vocational Institution.
Muyingo said it plays a big role in addressing the challenge of unemployment especially among youth as the country grapples with the challenge of creating employment opportunities.
In a message delivered for him by Nakyobe Safina from Directorate of Industrial Training, Dr. Muyingo said vocational practical teaching far beats theoretical teaching because it easily solves the problem of unemployment among the graduates thus expanding on a country’s economy.
Over 600 students received certificates in automotive mechanics, plumbing, Fashion and Design Tailoring, agriculture, Building and Construction, Hair Dressing, shoe making, Motor cycle Repairing, Carpentry, Wielding and Fabrication among other courses.
However Dr. Muyingo implored vocational Institutions and the graduates as well to make use of the existing government programmes like Parish Development Model, Emyooga, YLP, Women empowerment program as well as the Covid 19 Recovery Funds to revamp their incomes.
At the same function, Nakyobe opened a fully equipped automotive training workshop which was constructed under the support from their partners from Netherlands.
The School Director, Bazira Michael said the new facility will go a long way to help students in acquiring the desired vocational skills which initially was a problem.
