Gender Ministry Permanent Secretary Pius Bigirimana has been praised for authoring books which senior government officials say will go deep down in the annals of history as educative masterpieces.
Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda who presided over the launch of Bigirmana’s latest two books, “From Cheers to Tears” and “Youth Livelihood”: A Model for Empowering Youth in the Developing World’; said the volumes would “inspire and encourage” public servants into authorship.
“Other people sleep but Pius refused to sleep – the reason he has written many books. He has challenged many of us,” said Rugunda while giving his speech at Sheraton Hotel, Kampala on Friday night.
Rugunda spoke at length about the ‘From Cheers to Tears’, which provides a brief analysis of Reconstruction of Northern Uganda from 2007 – 2012.
The Premier recalled that the unprecedented brutality of the Lord’s Resistance Army had left unimaginable psychological harm to the people of Northern Uganda.
“An entire generation was born and raised in war. Those hounded into captivity will never be the same,” said Rugunda.
He hailed Bigirimana (former Permanent Secretary Office of the Prime Minister) for spearheading the reconstruction of the war-torn region.
Rugunda said the book was a “permanent reminder for us to reflect and tell our children the tragic period that our country went through.”
The book documents the conceptual as well as implementation processes for the recovery of Northern Uganda from the socio-economic destructive upheavals of the Lord’s Resistance Army war.
Bigirimana said the narrative constructs a chronological presentation of the breakout of the war through the various development frameworks targeted at bringing the Acholi-Lango region, Karamoja and Teso land to levels up to par with the rest of the country.
The book starts with an introduction to the Northern war and its woes before delving into the challenges and milestones in pacifying the area.
It also discusses Humanitarian Relief – Northern Uganda Social Action Fund I and an Exposition on Pre-Peace, Recovery and Development Plan Initiatives.
Addressing the gathering at the hotel’s ballroom, former Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi praised the book’s “capturing title” which he said was a “good step to read that book.”
Nsibambi recollected: “We did work on Northern Uganda with him (Bigirimana). It was a very hard task. He had the capacity to carry out difficult tasks. He clarified on the problems in OPM very well. Public servants and ministers need to read these books.”
He warned that information will always be distorted as long as few people commit themselves to authorship.
Youth empowerment
The second book titled, “Youth Livelihood”: A Model for Empowering Youth in the Developing World outlines steps to undertake when implementing a nationwide fund programme to finance self-empowerment entrepreneurship by youth under the auspices of a national framework by the Government, a donor agency or any other stakeholder.
Government has so far released Shs 43 bn to the youth under the Youth Livelihood Program.
The objective of the programme, according to Bigirimana, is to provide the youth with marketable vocational skills and tool kits for self employment and job creation.
Since the launch of the youth livelihood programme in January 24, 2014, at least 80,162 youths have been empowered to create their own sources of livelihood.
Bigirimana previously launched a book under the title, “Corruption: A Tale of Wolves in Sheep’s Skin” – exposing the corruption in the Office of the Prime Minister.
The function was attended by eminent public servants, NSSF MD Richard Byarugaba, prominent city lawyer Edgar Tabaro, Youth and Children Affairs State Minister Evelyn Anite among others.