Gen Elwelu to junior officers: "Don't commit the mistakes some of us have made"

The Deputy Chief of Defence Forces (D/CDF) Lt Gen Peter Elwelu has implored junior officers to desist from making the mistakes some of them made while executing their duties.

Elwelu made the remarks while presiding over the pass out ceremony of Intake 12 for the Joint Security Forces Junior Officers at the Oliver Reginald Tambo School of Leadership and Pan African Centre of Excellence (ORTSL – PACEX) in Kaweweta, Nakaseke district.

The junior officers from the UPDF, Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prisons Service successfully completed a 13-week joint junior political education and leadership development course.

Elwelu implored the graduates to work hard and reach their destiny, adding that failure to reach destinies has failed many African states.

"It is a total disgrace for an officer or general to retire in a prison facility. As we retire, we don’t want young people to commit some of the mistakes we have made as individuals or institutions," he cautioned.

He urged them to always be guided by God as they execute all their works, noting that without love for neighbours one can’t claim to know or love God

"Let’s remove the selfishness and focus on the common good,” he said, warning graduates not to be over ambitious but accept what they have and wait for their right time, else they will all end up in sin.

The commandant of the school, Col Justus Rukundo, noted that plans are underway to conduct joint training of militants from all sister security agencies on top of the UPDF, UPF and UPS.

He said the country faces an increased demand for ideological orientation training since it has been realised that a critical mass can be created through mind-set change.