Shonibare wants re-introduction of civic education in schools

A realtor, Mr. Alaba Shonibare, has decried the disappearance of Civic Education from the list of compulsory subjects for secondary school pupils. He has, therefore, implored service clubs in the country to fill the gap by promoting good governance.

Shonibare said this on Sunday at the investiture and fund-raising ceremony of Mr. Oluwaseyi Akinade as the 34th president of the Ilupeju Lions Club.

Shonibare, who chaired the occasion, commended the club for its bias towards good governance and citizenship.

“Given the lack of good governance and declining morals in the fabric of our society in our post-independence history, it immediately came to my mind that we have a desperate need for such a purpose-driven organisation in Nigeria. It is a shame that our schools no longer teach Civics as a compulsory subject and many of our youths do not know what it means. This is sad and underscores the importance of a club like the Lions Club,” he said.

In his remarks, the immediate past president of the club, Mr. Ola Azeez, Akinade’s decision to focus on helping diabetic people and addressing the low level of reading culture was commendable.

While listing some of the projects carried out during his tenure, Azeez urged members of the club and well-meaning Nigerians to support Akinade financially.

“He has identified the high level of mortality associated with diabetes and also the low level of reading culture among secondary school pupils reflected in the mass failure in WASSCE and NECO. Pupils are now more attuned to the pervasive mobile phone culture, e-texting and social media. He has chosen to make his contribution towards saving the lives of diabetic patients through the renovation of the Ilupeju Lions Club Diabetes Clinic at LASUTH along with a fully stocked and equipped public library within the Ilupeju community,” he said.

Culled from punch