Former governor of old Western State, Brigadier General Oluwole Rotimi (rtd) on Monday, said the nation can only be salvaged for a better future if the teaching of history and civic education is prioritised in schools.
Oluwole who averred that the present crop of political leaders offered no hope in proffering solutions to the problems facing Nigeria, held that the current generation of young Nigerians can only be equipped to provide effective leadership for Nigeria if armed with history and civic education.
Describing Nigeria as a country lost owing to greed and corruption, Oluwole, who chaired the 21st Benjamin Oluwakayode Osuntokun Memorial Lecture, held in Ibadan, prayed for a return to pre-independence and early post-independence years where young Nigerians were moulded for leadership right from school.
Identifying the family as a critical subset of the society, Oluwole urged parents to be keen on the proper education of their children and influencing them to toe the path of moral and civil living.
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“Nigerians are not short of people that notice the causes of our problems today; it is in finding solutions that we seem to be lost.
“Whether it was General or Chief Olusegun Obasanjo or General Theophilius Danjuma when messages are passed to Nigerians, we criticise the messenger but we don’t look at the message.
“For me, and I believe for some other people, there is no hope in the present generation of political leaders. We are lost. A word is sufficient for the wise.
“In this connection, I want to join others in re-emphasizing that in our schools, we must try to reintroduce the teaching of history and civic education.
“In our own time at Kings College, our teachers believed that Kings College was created for leadership after their exit then civic education became part of the curriculum.
“Those teachers wanted to catch the minds of young people and they used to bring a book of literature to Kings College talking about the Cold War, Democracy, Dictatorship and others. Those were core parts of our civic education in order to prepare us for leadership in a democracy.
“We may still save Nigeria for the future if they are allowed to read history. If you don’t know that there is something wrong, you cannot find a solution. Let us influence our children not to take the ways that are now common to Nigeria.
“We must speak up and educate our children. The family unit is beginning of society so we ourselves must start from our families,” Oluwole said.
Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Dr Akintunde Akinkunmi, who delivered the memorial lecture, decried the current culture in Nigeria where the emphasis is put on material possession and personal satisfaction.
Delivering the lecture titled, “The Psychology of Greed and Principles of Conflict: A Marriage Made In …”, Akintunde stressed that only a determined and visionary leadership can change the culture that engenders and sustains greed.
He advocated for the vigorous application of existing laws, the overhaul of the instruments of law and order, especially the police and the judiciary.
For the nation to make substantial progress, Akintunde stressed that government must resolve to cut off all avenues by which greed can mutate into corruption and build enduring institutions that will ensure that our fighting corruption is maintained.
The event saw the Benjamin Oluwakayode Osuntokun Trust award prizes to Joshua Olaranmi, being the best final year graduate of medicine in the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan; Ogunleye Daniel as best final year student in the sciences at Christ’s school, Ado-Ekiti; and the best student in the Ekiti State College of Medicine.
