Government through the Ministry of Education and Sport has responded to singer Moses Ssali aka Bebe Cool, on allegations that his son was made to miss his national exams while he was away representing the country in an international football tournament.
Bebe Cool recently came out and bashed authorities for failing to organize ‘special examinations’ for his son who was part of Uganda’s Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations squad.
In the tournament, the Ugandan team came second after losing 2-0 to champions Ghana in a game played at Olympic Stadium in Nouakchott, Mauritania on March 6.
Last week Bebe Cool ripped the Government in a social media rant, for not allowing his son Alpha Thierry Ssali and other under athletes who helped the country reach the U-20 finals in Mauritania to do their exams.
“Really big disappointment with the Uganda government and the Ministry of Education and Sports in particular on how they have handled the issue of missing Senior Four (S4) final exams by the young talented football players who have been/are on continental duty with the U-20 and U-17 Uganda National teams,” he ranted.
“How could you have thought they could choose exams over representing their flag? And after representing their flag, can’t their flag (country) support them by organizing special exams so that their parents don’t pay an extra year of fees?” Bebe Cool said.
Responding to these claims yesterday, State Minister for Education Dennis Obua told Parliament that Bebe Cool was contacted prior and gave them a go ahead to field his son in the tournament.
“Now in respect to the son of Bebe Cool, I personally spoke to him on phone. First of all, he accepted and he also consented as a parent,” Obua disclosed.
“His view and request was that if it is practical under the UNEB Act, Government and Parliament would consider organizing what he calls special examinations but I think in UNEB it is called Supplementary examinations for these boys who were under this national cause,” he added.
Obua revealed that his ministry also contacted parents of three other teenagers; Travis Mutyaba, Ivan Mbabazi and Oscar Mawa, all senior four finalists who had been selected for the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations tourney and their families agreed citing various reasons.
As such, he said, no single player was coerced into participating in these two tournaments.
“The parents made choices for their children to participate in the tournament. So this was purely a question of choice, a question of opportunity cost because at the time these children were assembled, the parents were aware that they were two competing priorities,” Obua revealed.
Obua further told MPs that save for Alpha Ssali the other returning finalists returned in time and can write their missed Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UCE).
“There seems to be no specific provision compelling UNEB to organize special or supplementary examinations. Now these four candidates have not sat in a nutshell; they have missed examinations; three with the under-17 and one with the under-20. So that is the state of affairs.
MPs weigh in
Responding on the matter, Mitooma Woman MP Jovah Kamateeka urged authorities to hold special examinations as a token of appreciation to the youngsters who ably represented the country at the U-20 finals.
“Supposing parents had said no our children will not go, you would have assembled second class players,” Kamateeka implored.
If Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) considers giving special exams to the affected students, this will be the second time, the last time being in 1986 during the National Resistance Army (NRA) liberation war.
