An appeal has gone to stakeholders in the nation’s education industry to accord more emphasis to the need to train the minds of learners towards thinking positively and rationally rather than just learning the facts of their various curricular.
This appeal was made last Saturday (September 28,2019) by the President of an Ilorin-based socio-cultural organisation,the Ilorin Emirate Compatriots,Mallam Saliu Ojibara,while speaking at the organisation’s presentation of bursary awards to some outstanding indigent secondary students of Ilorin Emirate origin held at the IEDPU Secretariat,Geri Alimi Area,Ilorin.
Mallam Ojibara,who is a renowned chartered Accountant,while contending that the essence of education should be the building of creativity in learners,addedd that it was very important for our education system to be tailored towards bringing out innate qualities in students so that they can grow up to become,not only outstanding in learning and character, but also develop technical and entrepreneural skills, which will turn them into employers of labour instead of job seekers after the completion of their various courses of studies.
Mallam Ojibara congratulated the winners for their successes at winning the highly-competed awards.He also encouraged the winners and their friends and other students to be determined and focused, saying that the future belongs to those who are resilient in the pursuit of functional knowledge.
The former frontline staff of the Nigerian Television Authority commended the support of members of the Association especially those who sponsored the awards from their widow’s mite for their alluring patriotism and exciting act of generousity.He also paid glowing tributes to the memory of two deceased members of the Association,Alhaji Shehu Laaro and Alhaji Abdullahi Alabi,for the unforgettable services and commitment to the growth and development of the Ilorin Emirate,saying history will forever be kind to them for the several roles they played while they were on this side of existence and most particularly in the course of their membership of the Ilorin Emirate Compatriots.
Also speaking,Hajiya N.Ibrahim,who represented the Kwara State Ministry of Education on the occasion,said that the Government of Kwara State was serious in the pursuit of its policy of “every child counts”,saying that every hand must be on deck towards ensuring that our children, who are leaders of tomorrow, acquired qualitative education at minimum cost.
While commending the initiatives of the Ilorin Emirate Compatriots for encouraging and rewarding academic excellence among youngsters,particularly those from humble background,encouraged the Association to do more by giving-out more of such helping hands to encourage learning in our society.
Shenoted that, while Ilorin Emirate could no longer be described as educationally backward,more efforts should be geared towards ensuring that the rate at which qualitative education is imparted and acquired is sustained for the community to remain in the forefront of the socio-economic and education map of Nigeria.
The event at which about 10 students of various secondary schools were awarded bursaries was graced by the Ag.National President of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union,Alhaji Yahaya O.Ahmed;his immediate predecessor,Ambassador Sheikh Usman AbdulAzeez and a retired Assistant Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service,Alhaji Abdulmumini Abdul Malik among other prominent indigenes of the Emirate.
