‘How kidnapping is affecting reading culture’

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Reading, Learning and Grow Literacy Organisation (RELEGLON), has condemned the kidnapping of school children in the country.

It said the development was negatively affecting learning culture in northern Nigeria and encourages illiteracy in the 21st century.

Chief Executive Officer of RELEGLON, Dr. Ijeoma Ayuba, and Chairman, Governing Council, Mr. Uche Okpata, said the abduction of girls from Government Secondary Schools in Chibok and Dapchi had demonstrated the growing climate of insecurity, tension and fear in the North-East.

Ayuba called on the public to stand up and speak out on behalf of Sharibu Leah and the remaining vulnerable Chibok girls who are still in captivity of the notorious terrorists gang.

She solicited the international organisation’s intervention to arrest the rising cases of intimidation and molestation, which had affected learning culture among the teeming youths, especially the girl-child who suffers enough deprivation in the area of western education.

According to her: “Let us make it very clear here that we do not believe that these terrorist activities are the handiwork of those peaceful herders who enjoy living in harmony with the natives in centuries are now enemies.”

“Our past heroes who fought for independence of the country had one thing in common: erudition or studiousness. They gave their time to reading and studying global political revolution and events as to know the right time for the abolition of imperialistic governance in our clime. Compatriots such as late Obafemi Awolowo, late Herbert Macaulay, late Nnamdi Azikiwe, and so on were erudite individuals who sacrificed their times to painstaking reading to distinguish themselves in terms of leadership and political sagacity.

“Show me a reader, and I will show you a great man or great leader. Before the devil inflicts a nation with retrogression or retardation, he first attacks the reading and learning consciousness and penchant of the citizenry. We should be bothered by the vacuum the extinction of the generation of individuals such as Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Festus Iyayi, T.M Aluko, Elechi Amadi, Ben Okri, Cyprian Ekwensu and so on would create on the country! It is indisputable that their sense of erudition has exponentially given fillip to our sociopolitical advancement,” Okpata said.