State Minister for ICT and National Guidance Peter Ogwang has today, Friday started his 2 day regional inspection tour of government ICT projects funded by Uganda Communications Commission under the Rural Communications Development Fund (RCDF).
The Minister who was accompanied by UCC officials led by Emmanuel Muyomba, Manager Projects, RCDF kicked off the inspection tour in Eastern Uganda where they visited Jinja Public Library. The Minister also proceeded to inspect the Free to air digital site in Wanyange, Jinja.
While there, the minister expressed disappointment with how UBC is mishandling the equipment. Government recently earmarked $17m to roll out the installation of 17 sites across the country.
"We can not have such state of the art equipment that cost government a lot of money and yet our people can not maintain it. Dust is nearly taking over the equipment and staff are simply watching. This is completely unacceptable," Ogwang said.
The Minister later proceeded to inspect some schools that recently received computers from government. Among the schools include; Bukedea Comprehensive School in Bukedea district, Kumi Technical School and Nyero Rock High School in Kumi district.
While in Kumi Technical School, Ogwang urged the students to remain patriotic and nationalist for the good their country. He also pledged to provide more computers to the school to boost the current number of 10 that the school has.
"It's a government policy that everyone must learn how to use a computer. That is why I am here [at Kumi Technical] and I have realized that the school is in dire need of computers and this will be sorted. But first of all you [students] must be patriotic; you must love your country and not involve in strikes and destroy government property," Ogwang said.
The minister observed that in most rural schools there was still a challenge of shortage of computers and infrastructure to match the rising number of students following the introduction of the new curriculum which now makes computer studies a compulsory subject.
Tomorrow, Saturday, Minister Ogwang will inspect more government projects in Mbale and Tororo district.
