In its strides to promote excellence and instill confidence among school pupils in Ikorodu Division, Ikorodu Local Government under the leadership of Honourable Wasiu Ayodeji Adesina collaborated with Kaodwad & Associates an NGO which focuses on educational development in the axis towards the actualisation of the goal.
Newsconnect reports that this is the second edition of the debate competition since Ikorodu Local government partnered with the NGO in promoting academic excellence. The competition is scheduled for three weeks among 16 schools across Ikorodu Local Government area.
Participating schools include Luwasa Senior High School, Ipakodo Senior Grammar School, Odogunyan Senior Grammar School took part in the first stage of the competition, each competing for a chance to advance to the next round.
The Chairman, Honourable Adesina in an interview with Newsconnect correspondence and journalists at the flag-off said;
“We are trying to inculcate in the student, the act of public speaking. We want to instill confidence in some of our students so they can compete favourably with their counterparts in other schools.
“Education is viewed as yardstick for development, that is why our administration is promoting educational development of this kind. Our priority is on Education, we are trying as much as possible to improve Education in our local government.
“In educational development, we have built schools, repaired deviate fence, marker boards to some our primary schools, distribute GCE forms to some of our schools, very soon we are going to flag off establishment of a computer unit in all the 16 primary schools in Ikorodu.
“I want to call on Philanthropist to continue to support educational development in their domain. Government alone can’t fund education, we want to call on other well meaning individuals to continue to support, so that we can have excellent educational development in all the states and local governments”. He said .
The Supervisor for Education in Ikorodu Local Government who doubles as the Vice Chairman Ikorodu Local Government Princess Folashade Olabanji Oba who was amazed like many participants with the rousing presentation of debaters said;
“The display of their prowess in public speaking should not be a one off thing, it must be a continuous thing, they can always do better.
“Take advantage of today and make sure they use it to remain the pride, and great asset to our great nation. You don’t despise the days of your humble begining, today is a good one, laudable.
“To our Collaborators, we say a big thank you to them. This is a testament that we are really banking on our children. Not just trusting them for tomorrow, we believe it can only get better.
“Education is liberty, education is freedom. I am benefactor of a good education. My mother didn’t go to school, see where Education has taken me to. To the debaters, the sky is the starting point”.
The Executive Director of Kaodwad & Associates
Adeyinka Kazeem Owodunni in an interview with journalists at the event said;
“Students are very important in our sector because they occupy larger population of this country and they need special attention.
“We can’t leave that special attention alone to the Government, that is why our NGO collaborates with Ikorodu Local government. Our advise to the youth is to take their education so serious, be ause to be a leader in any part of the world, you need a very sound education.
“Debate is not the only activity program we have,we have IT programs, Seminar, we just started two years ago with the debate so this is the second edition.
“Next year, we are going to organize IT seminars to the students of this local government. We are in the era of Artificial Intelligence, we are going to bring experts to Sensitise our students and the youth of this local government in this area”. He said.
The HOD Education and Library services Ikorodu Local Government Deji Owolabi in a separate interview at the event said Education is an enlightening experience, hence the students should keep at it.
“What we are doing here today, the debate is also part of it. It encourages them to have confidence in public speaking. I want to encourage them to be the best they can be, the sky is always their limit”. He said.
One of the APC party leaders in Ikorodu Central Alhaji Shamsideen Adewale Longe appealed to the youth to do what is right and take things easy.
In his words, he said;
“They should do what is right and take things easy. What we are doing here today is about education and we say Knowledge is power.
“There are stages in life that all you have to do is to seek for Knowledge. When you seek for Knowledge and you get it, from the knowledge you can transform it to wealth.
“When you have knowledge you can sit down and do whatever you want to do with the knowledge you have. With knowledge, you can choose to be a doctor, Engineer, Lawyer, Political masters etc. without knowledge you won’t have options of chosen a career path.
“The first thing is to seek for Knowledge after that you can transform it to wealth”. He said
The Council Leader of Ikorodu Local Government Honourable Adebowale Ajayi reiterated in an interview at the event that it is a way of preparing school pupils how to be bold enough to compete with counterparts in other schools. He advised them to scale up in preparation of the task ahead.