In a bid to promote reading culture among school students, Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama has donated 300 Literature textbooks to the Government Secondary School (GSS) in Garki district of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The president of the club, Rotn. Yusuf Alli, while presenting the books to the school, said the books were given to the school after the needs assessment, to ease off the financial burdens of parents purchasing the recommended textbooks.
Alli, who is also the managing editor, of Northern Operations of the Nation Newspapers, called on the beneficiaries to improve their reading habit and advised them to use social media positively.
“We have conducted needs assessments and we discovered that the students are weak in English language and literature. So we decided to intervene. Secondly, the objective is about promoting a reading culture, because Nigerians no longer read. It is an awakening mission that we have taken to promote and enhance the reading culture,” he said.
On if social media is killing reading culture in Nigeria, he said that social media does not kill reading culture, because most books are presently online.
“What we have done is to sensitize, let them read so that they can subscribe to any book of their choice online. If we talk of Amazon, and so many publishing houses, they have their works online, all we need to do is just mobilize, and tell them to take the best from social media and read.
“Look for the right Literature on social media and read to improve your focus, to improve your communication skills, and also to be mentally alert. Reading is life, no other thing. If you do not read, you are dead as a human being.
“So, instead of getting distracted with evils on social media, we want them to use social media positively. So I do not see how social media will affect the reading culture, it will rather enhance it. It makes writing and reading easier these days.
“We have given out 300 books to help the students, and the greatest beneficiaries of this are the parents. Some parents cannot afford some of these Literature books that we have provided,” he said.
All I further said that their objective in Rotary is to do good all over the world; to help the needy and the rich in society and that wherever there is a gap, they will try to fill the gap.
Also speaking, the governor of Rotary International Club, District 9125, Dr. Goddy Nnadi, who was represented by an Assistant District Governor, Rotn. Chuka Okoye, advised the benefiting students to take reading very seriously, adding that with reading they could actualize their dreams.
In his address, the Principal of the school, Alhaji Abubakar Saidu, who thanked the Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama for the donation, assured that the books would be utilized to improve the knowledge of the students.
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