NYAGATARE - The deputy speaker of parliament, Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuliryayo has petitioned students of Umutara Polytechnic University to play a bigger role in fighting rapid population growth in the country.

He made the  call last Friday while discussing the national population growth dynamics with the students.

Ntawukuliryayo, who is the coordinator of the parliamentary forum on Social Welfare And Community Development (RPRPD), was accompanied by his colleagues Theobard Mporanyi and Liberata Kayitesi.

‘You are this country’s future leaders and we expect a lot from you. You should help the government in checking population growth,’ he said.

Ntawukuliryayo said that one of the country’s barriers to development is high population growth rate and that tough measures are required to manage the issue.

Every year the population increases and creates a situation whereby our net asset bases are not increasing in tandem with this growth. We need to check on population growth rates to spur development,’ he told the students.

Both Mporanyi and Kayitesi also discussed with the students on the approaches needed to curb the dangers of HIV and related population issues such as  gender equality in society.

The University vice rector in charge of academics, Dr. Eugene Ndabaga thanked the legislators  for having taken their time to offer an open lecture on the issues that were discussed.

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