NAN-H-47
History
By Emmanuel Acha
Enugu, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) Stakeholders at a good governance workshop organised by South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO) has advocated the compulsory teaching of Nigerian history at all levels of education.
A guest lecturer at the workshop, Mr Emmanuel Ogbodo, said the move would produce young and vibrant democrats.
Ogbodo, who is an ICT expert from the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Development, University of Nigeria, Nsukka said that the country needed to take proactive efforts to consolidate on its democratic experiment.
“What we need at this stage of our political maturity is a robust history or social studies curriculum that runs through every stage of education to prepare our young democrats for the challenges ahead.
“We should strive to strengthen schools’ resolve to consciously impact to students the ideals and values of democracy and good governance in order to possess the mature political judgment when they graduate,” Ogbodo said.
The Executive Director of SSDO, Mrs Grace Nwobodo, said the event was the grand finale of activities marking the International Youth Day in the state.
Nwobodo said that the event had been replicated in all the states in the zone during which no fewer than 500 students were trained on the ethos of democracy and good governance.
She said that it had become imperative to expose the youth to democratic norms following the growing political apathy which had denied them quality representation.
She said it had become imperative to engage political representatives and hold them accountable for their actions or inactions, adding that people needed to take interest in the running of the government.
“Good governance is central to everything you do but the youth in the zone are indifferent to what is happening. This is a concern as it will be a problem in the future,” she said.
She said that SSDO had been at the forefront of civic enlightenment in the South East due to the people’s indifference to political issues.
She said that democracy had come to stay in Nigeria and that for citizens to derive maximum benefits from the process, they needed to understand their roles.
“Our major aim is to enlighten the youth on the need to engage the government on the issues that affect their lives.
“We went round the South East spreading the word that civic engagement is very necessary if citizens are to derive the benefits from democracy.
“They need to know and understand their roles and responsibilities toward making democracy work,” she said.
Nwobodo said that for the country to sustain its efforts toward deepening democracy, it needed to create an open society where people would be free to express themselves.
“Our young ones need to understand how government works and their own role as the governed and take the necessary steps to hold their elected officials accountable for their deeds or misdeeds.
“It is only when people begin to advocate for their rights that real development happens because most of the good governance issues are based on decisions that are taken most of which affect you in life,” Nwobodo said.
One of the participants and a student of National Grammar School, Nike, Master Ozochi Samuel, said that the workshop had afforded him the opportunity to meet the people that would shape his political life.
Samuel said that the students would begin to imbibe what they had learnt by engaging their parents, teachers and the government on development issues.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop featured series of group work that involved the students breaking into practical sessions and making presentations to the audience. (NAN)
EOA/MVO
(Edited by Mbadiwe Okwor)