Chakwera grieves over greed by learned Malawians

President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has expressed disappointment with the growing tendency by learned Malawians to exploit the poor to get rich quickly.

Speaking at the 99^th Congregation of the University of Malawi (UNIMA), formerly known as Chancellor College (CHANCO), President Chakwera observed that university graduates no longer commit themselves to the service of the nation, but rather to enrich themselves through crooked ways.

“I am greatly concerned by the sense that in recent times, graduates of this University have gained for themselves a reputation of pursuing some professions to get rich quickly, to exploit the poor, to milk and game the system, to practice greed, and to engage in an endless exercise of taking and taking and taking and taking. That is not the University of Malawi’s way and we need to come back to our senses,” said the President.

At this point, President Chakwera challenged the fresh graduates to be different and seriously consider giving back to the society either by supporting others who are struggling to pursue an education at UNIMA, supporting their lecturers or supporting the infrastructure projects that are being developed at the campus to keep the school growing.

“In this regard, I am especially proud that Dr. Chilima and I have ensured that under our administration, there is heavy investment in improving the infrastructure of this university.

“Before coming to this ceremony, I had the opportunity to tour some of the projects under development, and I feel so encouraged by the progress being made. I am happy for all the future students who will have an even better education here than we did because we have prioritized leaving the university better than we found it.

“I therefore want to thank the members of the University Council, the Faculty, and the Vice Chancellor for your leadership in keeping this University on the frontlines of academic excellence, innovation, and progress. I also want to thank all of you students by ensuring that the facilities you use while you are here are well taken care of for the benefit of others who will need those facilities after you.

“So if we all stay the course in doing our part to give back, and if we ensure that those who come out of this University are ready to take on the challenges our nation faces and leverage the great opportunities our nation has, then I have no doubt that we will find that the best days of Malawi are yet to come,” said the President.

He appealed to the graduates to be carriers of hope, warning that they will meet prophets of doom wherever they are going.

“You will find that some people in our country have appointed themselves prophets of nation’s doom, harbingers of our nation’s failure, and mockers of our nation’s citizens. And what’s worse, they are always loudly and proudly proclaiming their loss of faith and hope in our country, and eager to narrate all the things they find embarrassing about our Mother Malawi.

“And my appeal to you as members of the University of Malawi family, my appeal to you as my siblings, is that you should challenge this pessimism wherever you find it; that you should raise your voice in defense of our nation’s potential; that you should promote what is best and beautiful about Malawi; that you should lead the celebration of those citizens in our country that are worthy of praise; that you should count yourselves Ambassadors of Malawi; and that you should set a high bar in all your endeavors to show those around you that a graduate of the University of Malawi is not only a true specimen of what it means to be Malawian, but to also show the world that a graduate of the University of Malawi simunthu wamba,” he said.

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