By SundiataPOST, Abuja
Former vice president of Uganda, Prof. Gilbert Bukenga is expected to deliver the keynote address at the Founder’s Day ceremony of American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola on November 30.
According to a statement made available to SundiataPOST, Dr. Bukenya, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of AUN, is one of Africa’s most distinguished and respected academics.
“Trained as a medical doctor, he has dedicated his life to the health and wellbeing of people all over the world.
“Dr. Bukenya was educated at Makerere University, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the University of Queensland (Australia). He has taught and practiced medicine in Asia and Africa, and serves as an adjunct faculty member of two distinguished universities in America—Case Western Reserve University and Tulane University. A consultant for the World Health Organization and UNICEF, he is a fellow of two British Royal Societies, has been Dean of Makerere University School of Medicine, and gone on to play an important role in the government and policy making of Uganda.
“As the Minister for State Trade and Industry, and Minister for the Presidency, an energetic parliamentary leader, and as Vice President, Dr. Bukenya has been a pioneer in fostering new forms of rice agriculture in Uganda, and has had an enormous impact on the Ugandan standard of living. He is deeply involved in a number of Poverty Eradication Programs and is an important figure in the fight against AIDS in Uganda where he has brought his background in public health to the aid of his country,” the statement said.
AUN President Margee Ensign, in announcing Dr. Bukenya’s visit to the campus, was quoted as saying “We are so honored at AUN to have Dr. Bukenya as our Founder’s Day speaker. He is not only a very accomplished academic, but also a public health expert, and a leading politician on the continent. We look forward to his speech and participation in both Founder’s Day and Yola Peace Day.”
