By Amos Tauna

A librarian with Library Board of Kaduna State, northern Nigeria, Mohammed Sabiu Danbala, has observed that to reduce ignorance and poverty in Nigeria, the youths must desist from the distraction and gradual derail from serious learning activities and reading values being demonstrated in the form of love for electronic gadgets.

He noted that the teachers/operators of the various institutions of learning must re-engage the young people on re-awakening the reading culture and sustain it as a daily diet.

Speaking at an annual book day programme organized by Sacred Heart Primary School, Kaduna on the topic, “Discovering the World Through Reading”, he observed that young people especially students must desist from reading only during an impending examination but should take up the challenge of becoming active readers without season if they must record unprecedented academic breakthrough on general knowledge.

Mr. Mohammed noted with dismay that research had shown that social media activities revealed that the topics that gulps their attention revolves round love, celebrity, dating, romance, sports with little or no regard for academic and intellectual discourse.

“The indiscriminate murdering of correct spelling of words on their conversations under the disguise of shortening spellings or SMS grows concern on the heart of grammar professionals as these shortened spelling makes it difficult for those who do not belong to a specific group chats, race or cultural background to read, decode and understand what is being typed.

“The love for electronic gadgets and appliances, video games, TV, multi-media phones computer is taking the bulk of the time/interest of young people in today’s world. This habit directly or indirectly affects the level of commitment to academic task and reading values in the life of our young people.

“Our young people devote so much time to chatting on electronic social media platforms like the 2go, we chat, what sapp, face book, Twitter, BBM, Instagram, amongst other things.

“Parents, teachers have an important role o play in developing the reading habits of their children even before they go to the library, it is sad to note that most parents are not so keen in encouraging their children to use the library,” he observed.

By Auwal Mohammed

Gombe (Nigeria) — The President, Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Rev. Jeremiah M. Gado, has called on management, staff and students of the Federal University Gashua, Yobe State, to embrace peace and develop Spirit of love for the development of the young University and education in the country.

Statement by the Institution’s Head of Information and Protocol, Adamu Saleh, made available to AFRICA PRIME NEWS in Gombe, said the ECWA President made the call when he paid a courtesy visit on the Vice Chancellor Professor Andrew Haruna.

Speaking during the visit, Rev. Gado, urged management and staff to pursue perfection “Even though it is not possible to be perfect, but in pursuing perfection, one will attend excellence,” he said.

Gado said he was at the University to sympathise with the people of Yobe and northeast at large, for the hardship they went through due to insurgency and advised the Vice Chancellor to summon courage in dealing with various experiences, be it negative or positive.

He prayed to almighty God to give the vice-chancellor wisdom and courage to lead the University high to a level that it will compete favourably with other Universities around the world.

Responding, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Haruna, expressed happiness and commended the ECWA President for finding time despite his tight schedules to undertake such visit to Gashua.

Professor Haruna, described Gashua as a peaceful place to live, attributing this to God and the leadership quality of the Emir of Bade, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Suleiman, whom he said is like a father to the University.

In a remark, the Registrar, Sule Dauda, who was represented by the Principal Assistant Registrar, Ahmed Isa Nguru , re-affirmed that Federal University Gashua operates as one family, stressing that it could be seen from the composition of staff and how everybody relates with one another freely.

Meanwhile, the institute has commended Ahmed Isa Nguru, of the Registry department for the successful take-off of the department and the consolidation of general administration in the University.

In a letter signed by the Registrar of the Institution, Sule Dauda, said Nguru’s sense of responsibility and willingness to accept additional responsibility at all times has helped in seeing the Registry department of the University through its difficult times.

He said Nguru’s contributions towards the development of the University cannot be over emphases, particularly the way he handled the affairs of the registry department.

“Your presence is always positively felt in the University particularly whenever I happened to have travelled out of Town. On such occasions, you had always overseen the affairs of the Registry Department effectively and diligently. This had prevented the occurrence of a vacuum in the department’s authority structure,” the Registrar said.