VC, Others Berate Poor Reading Culture

THE Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, Prof. Abdulmumini Hassan Rafindadi, has promised to raise the bar in the dwindling culture of reading among students in secondary schools in Kogi State by organising an annual competition for schools.

The competition, which shall be in phases, shall be rounded off at the university for its semi-final and final levels to discover buddy talented-writers.

Speaking at the maiden investiture ceremony by the ‎Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Kogi State Branch, where Rafindadi was honored as patron of the association in the State, the VC said the association’s quest to sustain reading culture was very important in Nigeria. 

“We as a university are putting up an annual event between secondary schools in Lokoja so that we can encourage the activities of this association, because it will contribute positively to the educational development of the children and others in the country.

 “It is a good way of encouraging reading culture among students. It is only through reading that one can write. The young talents can only be  discovered through these.”

 Chairman, Kogi State Civil Service Commission, Mr. Sylvester Onoja, on his part Said, “We don not  have a choice, because the only way we can make progress is through reading and writing. 

“Our leaders must read and our followers must read. The day we stop reading, that day we stop thinking and stop leading. It is important that educational system should encourage reading especially now that the reading culture has declined.”

 He challenged teachers to live up to their bidding so that society do  not  have to give up reading because there is no alternative to it.

 “The future development of this country, the continent and the world is dependent on reading because with reading knowledge can be compared and you do what you are supposed to do and copy what is right and jettisoning what is wrong.”