While many Ugandans out there are celebrating the month of November with the tasty grass hopper delicacies, students in Gulu University are busy lamenting and dreading the so called “BLACK NOVEMBER.” Hon. Raphael Magezi age limit might not be the only bill you will push for, students in Gulu are calling upon you to push for a bill about government sponsored students allowances, after all your financial implication certificate was processed in just 17 hours making it the fastest bill to get state financial recognition, how much better will it be for a student who has waited for three months? Remember this went into the genius book of records, what a big deal it would be!
Being a government sponsored student is one prestigious thing that labels you a big brain making your parents have a breath of the tuition and its stress. However, it labels you a beggar as well. From the start of the semester, we have seen students go through thick and thin to survive through Gulu’s heat and perhaps that is bearable.
Reports by Campus Bee show that poverty levels have shot to a value greater than infinity. Theft has become rampant and restaurants are about to close because there are hardly any students to offer their services to. Not forgetting the hostel owners who have incurred extra costs of buying more padlocks to lock students out because of their failure to complete hostel fee.
All this and more is the opportunity cost of being a government sponsored student. At the moment having at least 2 meals of “gwana and Odii” with a glass of borehole water names you blessed and leaves people wondering which church you attend to grab that level of prosperity. Cassava stalls have exponentially increased in number while the rolex stalls are attended to by the slay queens and kings who claim that cassava is very hard and odii will ruin their lipstick.
The GRC’s have been called names, abused and humiliated in all possible ways by their electorates due to failure to deliver despite their constant communications with the University secretary and Bursar who have continuously made promises of the money being delivered in a day or two for now a month but in vain. I would write more but these screen shots will serve the purpose of melting the hearts of those concerned. Till next time, AUREVOIR.
By CLARE NASSUUNA
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