Life is like running a relay race. During any relay race, you choose your best athletes to hand over the baton.
A successful team knows when and where to identify the most promising talented athletes to build those to become champions.
Great teams have the ability to identify less known and build on them to be celebrated Champions.
Prof Odonga Alexandrer Mwa was a great academic champion who ran a great academic relay race. But who does he hand over the baton to? How were we so lucky to have had Prof. Odonga Alexander in our team?
Prof Odonga, 96, passed on last week at Mulago Hospital in Kampala due to progressive heart failure.
He was the first medical doctor in East and Central Africa to qualify as a specialist surgeon.
He was also former dean of Makerere Medical School and Dean of the School of Medical Dentistry at the University of Nairobi in Kenya.
Born in Patiko in Gulu in 1922 (according to his book about Makerere Medical School) in what used to be the Church Missionary Society area, Prof Odonga joined Gulu Primary School, Gulu High School before proceeding to join Kings College, Budo where he studied to senior six.
Dr Muniini Munera, a former student of Odonga, described the late as a teacher and supervisor who set very high standards to produce the finest graduates.
Muniini adds that,” Odonga a Makerere graduate in the class of 1948, was the symbol of Uganda professionalism of the past and of our hope of Ugandan professionalism of the future. To Prof. Odonga, skills alone were not enough. Rules mattered. Honesty mattered. Ethics mattered. Confidentiality mattered. Commitment mattered. Time Mattered. Cleanliness mattered. Attire mattered.’’
As we mourn and celebrate the life of a great son of the soil, we need to do some soul searching and inquire; how can we as Acholi again produce for Uganda, East and Central Africa fine people to be symbols of professionalism?
My headmaster and mentor, Prof. Lawrence Mukiibi always said, “There is no school better than its students”.
If you are keen, you will notice Prof. Odonga attended mostly faith based schools like Gulu Primary School, Gulu High School and Buddo Secondary School.
The focus of faith based schools is on the holistic development of learners. Faith based schools unlike today’s wealth driven schools develop the body, mind and soul of learners. Indeed, Prof. Odonga’s life exemplified the finest one can find from a faith based school.
Therefore in his death, all faith based institutions are called upon to take deep reflections on their relevance, missions and visions to transform the lives and communities of their followers. They need to reflect if the talented poor still have the same chance to excel on merit because they cared more for them.
Like they say when one door closes, another opens. The good news is the same village of Patiko where Prof. Odonga was born has just received a new faith based international school called Regent International School.
The School is funded and supported by Uganda Transformation Partnership. Preparations are ongoing for its official launch in January, 2017.
Regent International School will identify and nature new talent from Patiko, Gulu.
Regent is tasked with the responsibility of building Uganda’s finest professional who will rise to stardom from rugs to receive the baton that Prof. Odonga has offered. But this can only happen with support from the local community and its leadership. Patiko will rise and shine again because Regent International School intends to stand shoulder to shoulder with local leaders to produce Uganda’s finest professionals.
Mr Aliker is a local community leader and educationist
mdaliker@gmail.com
