Chakwera talks tough on ‘first-degree stupidity’ ranks: Hails unsung heroes Dr Ben Chilima, Dr Dr. Miriam Nyenje
President Lazarus Chakwera has challenged graduates in the country to provide solutions and opportunities to the country’s problems, saying “in fact, every time we meet a college graduate, we must demand an answer to the question: what problem are you solving for all Malawians with the education you received?”
Chakwera said this on Friday during the 22nd Mzuzu University (Mzuni) Congregation held virtually in the northern city of Mzuzu where he was before awarding degrees, diplomas and certificates to 1186 students in various programs.
President Chakwera was also inaugurated as the fifth Chancellor for the university.
“The only thing worse than uselessness in an uneducated person is uselessness in an educated person, which I call first-degree stupidity,” said Chakwera, adding “ Iam sure none of you graduating today will join those ranks, for there are other Malawians who are leading the way in charting a different and more useful path.”
Chakwera commended scientists who he said work tirelessly in the country to combat spread of Covid-19 pandemic, saying this week he met two PhD holders from the Public Health Institute of Malawi.
“One was Dr. Ben Chilima, the first Malawian man to hold a PhD in Microbiology, and the other was Dr. Miriam Nyenje, the first Malawian woman to hold a PhD in Microbiology.
“The most remarkable thing about these two academics is not that they are academics, nor is it that they have made history by being the first of our compatriots to specialize in that field. The most remarkable thing about these two academics is that they are presently and actively using their education to solve a problem that our country has never faced before and to prepare our country for the problems we will face tomorrow,” he said.
Chakwera said everyday, Chilima and Nyenje go into the lab to coordinate and supervise the work of testing people for Covid-19 across the country.
“By the end of next month, they will have set up their lab in the capital city with the capacity to sequence the virus that causes Covid-19, a remarkable achievement. Under their supervision, our Covid-19 testing sites around the country have conducted over 193,000 tests for Covid-19 in less than one year.
“Now, can you imagine how paralysed we would be at stopping the spread of the pandemic if these scientists were not daily tracking the positivity rate of tests? Can you imagine how directionless our treatment strategy would be if these scientists were not able to distinguish patients of Covid-19 from patients of other infections? Can you imagine how anxious the 18,045 people who have recovered from Covid-19 would continue to be if these scientists were not able to test them after recovery to assure them that they were negative?”
He stressed that the work that these two educated scientists and other lab technicians under their supervision are doing is “indispensable” to the country’sfight against virus pandemic and integral to Malawi’s winning strategy.
“They are proof positive that the best education is that which solves the problems society faces today and prepares society for the problems sure to be faced tomorrow,” he said.
President Chakwera ,who tawarded K200 000 to a graduate in Bachelor of Science Education, Muhakaye Madalitso for passing with first class, advised the gradutes that they have not been educated to go into the world to beg it for opportunities and solutions, “but to go into the world to give it opportunities and solutions. That is what it means to be an agent of progressive change.”
He advised: “ Today, you join the ranks of other graduates around the country leading that change, and I congratulate you and wish you Godspeed. “
Out of the 1186 graduates, 478 are female.
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Foolish graduates will always use resources limitation as an excuse of their underperformance. Having well trained in nursing and midwifery at kcn, I found Malawian hospitals with none or very few things mentioned in books and our skills lab. I could not sit idle with patients dying and babies asphyxiated waiting for government to provide me with such required resources. I rather work with the little I have. I use my heard and education to improvise and offer to Malawian best out of my education.
Dr Laz should conduct an experiment on those two microbiologists.
~ Should remove all financial benefits they get
~ observe them closely if they are going to perform their duties
~Pour those benefits on a useless graduate like me.
~ compare my achievements with the achievements of those so called microbiologists
~what do you observe?
Even NASA scientists are provided with resources that’s why they are smart. Give us resources and see what we got!!!
And who is the chancellor of those idiots? Make mbuu, mwana. Mbuu
Chakwera ndi phwala. He has the entire status apparatus at his disposal but is failing to do anything that can uplift the lives of Malawians in tangible ways. Gwape. All he knows is just talk talk talk.
The president should start with his family and let them do things for themseleves instead of giving them employment at state house . I have noted Chakwera is creating his criminal enterprise at state house to steal government resources where he is appointing his inlaws and relatives to oversee a theft syndicate. Kapondamgaga and Kalumbu stole money through cross roads and nothing was done with them. The same dual spend MK10billion without any tender in what they call maintainance of state residences. This reverend is worse than the devil
How are they going to offer opportunities and solutions when they have been trained to beg for such. Don’t be deceived, your degree is just a mere decorated paper. Now is the time to use your brain, and your mind. Has school trained you to prepare for real life? I hope you will not be frustrated by poverty, unemployment, and jobs you hate doing.
Good luck!!!
His excellency the pastor loves to amuse himself in talking tough.Whatever that means.When will he act tough?
Eeish. Tasambwazidwa. But what opportunities can we give Malawi without resources? Capacity is a combination of three variables knowledge, skills and resources. You have knowledge and skills without resources you are nothing. Unfortunately it is Chakweras job to create opportunities for resources. But what is he doing? Nothing. Chakwera, please do not forget. We voted for you because you said you will avail resources to us through a million jobs and loans
Human Resource. You being a human being, you are already a resource. “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”
Kwantele kwantele president!
Chakwera himself is the most useless educated idiot Malawi has ever had. Anthu awiri amene akuti anachita microbiology( PhD) phindu lake ndi liti a Malawi akuliona? Their friends are busy with covid 19 vaccines to be distributed ku maiko ambiri pamene iwo akuchita supervise ma nurse ogawa mankhwala a covid . That’s being too useless like mbuye wao Lazaro wa accent ya bodza. He is busy feasting on covid aid.
Useless ndi iweyo chifukwa ukulephela kuvesesa zomwe Chakwela wafotokoza bwino lomwe.Umafuna ayankhule mu chilomwe kapena? Boma linakulephelani kuyendesa munalisya mumanja a Norman Chisale ndi Getrude.Hahahahah.
I agree with the earliest two comments. Laz olufuna kunamiza wandu. While it’s true that it may take considerable scientific training and research to come up with a test for Covid and to design the apparatus that can do gene sequencing, you really don’t need a PhD microbiologist to do the test or use the machine. I would also argue that all you need is a lab technician to set up these things.
So if Laz really wants cutting edge original research to come out of these two PhDs, he needs to provide them with lots of funding. Talk is cheap! Considering how govt money is being wasted (think of Covid allowances and the huge delegation that accompanied Laz to South Africa), this level of funding is shit that ain’t gonna happen on his watch. I guarantee you!
Also, for someone who studied philosophy and theology in college — two run-of-the-mill first-degree stupidity subjects if ever there was any — he doesn’t seem to see the irony in branding the graduating students as essentially useless.
Abwana ulendo udakalipo mdziko lathu lino. Mr president is convinced that supervising is a tough job which requires praise. Shame. the least these two scientistics could do is to analysis data and give direction on possible approaches. We all know that we need strong immunity to defeat this pandemic. The rest is gymnastics to instill fear and steal our money.
Good they should become educated idiots stealing too much in public service
Academic papers for nothing. Chancellor College has produced thieves that you see in charge of the Capitol Hill. Almost 95% of the DCs that have been interdicted are graduates from Chancellor College. The PSs and Directors that are interdicted are thieves from Chancellor College. The Accountants as well are the biggest thieves from the Polytechnic. The engineers we have cannot solve electricity problems we have. The Bunda and Luanar graduates very useless. The farms are idle and they do not have ideas but stealing when they get jobs in government. These microbiologist should make a Malawi Covid-19 vaccine. We should see the fruits from these people.
Nanga poti chisale waba zambiri yu sanaphunzileko ku chanco?
On the president’s quote of the two PhD holders, I thought he was to tell us that in a few weeks time, THE COUNTRY WILL BE TESTING OUR OWN VACCINE but only coordinating tests is not a tangible achievement of a PhD holder…this is for a Health Surveillance Assistant responsibility…..
DR CHILIMA AND NYENJE, Please, if you can read this or someone can forward this to you, PLEASE, don’t embarass us. Thanks for your effort BUT this is not your level join your international compatriots by producing a vaccine not testing people, NO!! Leave that responsibility to HSAs..ngati inuyo azipewa za round ndi amene mukugwira ntchito imeneyi ndiye a HSA azigwira ntchito yiti….
GO TO YOUR LAB AND RESPECT YOUR CREDENTIALS FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR PEOPLE AND THE INSTITUTIONS THAT BESTOWED YOU THE PhDs.
You are mistaken. The two are tasked to do genetic sequencing not mere testing (HSA stuff). In other words whether Malawi has its own covid virus mutant i.e variant. No scientist can come here to do that for us
Mawu, mawu.Dzimvere mtolo
I agree with you 110%. Zoona PhD munapanga coordinating testing and sequencing? Basi? That’s at diploma level. Machines are doing that. Your job is to create something new. To create a vaccine or create and patent a cure. Not testing. Koma Malawi aaaaaa.
Ndiye mwati awa akachenjede awiriwa chenicheni chomwe akupanga ndi chani kwenikweni, visiting and supervising the work of testing people? If that is what we call usefulness of a highly educated person then we are doomed beyond redemption