Osun Commissioner Advocates Teaching with Local Languages

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The Osun State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Kola Omotunde- Young has added his voice to the call for a more effective use of indigenous languages in knowledge impartation.
The commissioner, who made the call during an event organised by a US-based NGO, Adonis Quality Life Initiative, in Osogbo, urged teachers in the state to use the Yoruba Language to teach and use locally available examples and concepts for illustration in order to achieve effective understanding of the subjects by students

He also called on teachers and parents in the state to support the functional education drive of Governor Rauf Aregbesola by showing commitment to teaching and giving the children adequate parental care.
Alao speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Enterprises and Wealth Creation, Hon Akintoyese Ademola, charged Nigerian youths to be upright and to be focused on what they could do to be relevant in the society, rather than thinking of what the government can do for them.

“It is time for youths to develop themselves in the area that they could be useful for in their immediate society.” Ademola also reiterated the commitment of the current administration to youth development.
Delivering their papers, a senior lecturer from the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Mr. Babatunde Isamuko and a social commentator, Dotun Ojon, urged the youths to first change their mind set and increase their level of activism if they really want to take over the reins of government.

In their separate addresses on the topic, ‘Youth Engagement in True Democracy’ the duo urged the youths to become genuine vehicles for societal change. Isamuko advised them to monitor the affairs of government and those in power and most importantly to engage the elders in their activities.

“The youths should help themselves, they should increase their level of activism because nobody will give political power to the youths on a platter of gold. They should go beyond being “bread and butter” activists.
“The problem of our country is not the government not working; the problem is people not taking responsibilities for themselves. If as a youth, you cannot take responsible for yourself, then you are likely to graduate to an irresponsible elder.”

In his remarks, the coordinator of the initiative, Mr. Seunayo Isola, explained that the organisation has a lot of initiatives geared towards youth development part of which is the Adonis Health Club, which was established recently following the approval from the state ministry of education and that the club now exists in all the high schools in Ilesa, Ijebu Jesha, Esa Oke, Obokun, Imesi Ile, Otan-Ile and Ibodi.
He urged other organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to partner Adonis as it aims to extend the health club to the rest of the state by 2018.

Also speaking, the chairman of the event, who is the Patron of Egbe omo Obokun in Ijeshaland in the United States, Prince Joseph Babalola, lauded the efforts of the founder of the initiative, Mr Ademiju Omodara Adonis. He said the initiative has impacted the youths of the state in a positive way.

Highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to Aregbesola and a traffic marshal in transportation ministry to Mrs. Toyin Adeleke.
This year’s International Democracy Day event organised by Adonis Quality Life Initiative was held in three countries: United States, United Arab Emirates and Nigeria.