A specialist in youth development, founder and coordinator, Young Minds International (YMI), a non-governmental organisation,  Mrs Ibinabo Celestine Ogolo, has identified the culture of reading among secondary school students as key to achieving  success and greatness in life.
Ogolo, stated this at a one-day seminar tagged, “The Importance of Education and the Nigerian Child: What Hope for the Future,” organised by the Vision of Effective Education Advocacy (EEAG), at Community Senior Secondary School, Kalio-Ama, last Tuesday.
She explained that what can change a person’s life was in a book, and enjoined young people to imbibe reading culture in order to be successful in life.
Represented at the occasion by the Treasurer, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Rivers State Chapter, Mrs Susan Serekara-Nwikhana, said that true greatness resides in the determination to achieve excellence in one’s chosen career.
In her keynote address titled: “Think Great, Choose Right,” Ogolo stated that: “A great life can be acquired as a result of allocating your time, energy, thoughts and hard work towards what you want to be in life, ever remaining focused, dedicated and committed to harnessing the great potentials deposited in you in order to attain greatness in life”.
“It is not about wasting precious time indulging in negative vices such as disobedience to parents and the elderly, stealing, examination malpractice, cultism, premarital sex, watching of pornographic movies, abortion, negative peer influence, among others,” she added.
She emphasised that a great life does not happen by chance, but through God’s wisdom to think, resourceful, adding that embedded in man are natural abilities, skills, talents and spiritual gifts that could make one great and successful in life.
While exploring the theme of the seminar, Ogolo said it can transform the educational system in Nigeria, if everyone, especially among primary, secondary, tertiary institutions’ students imbibes the culture of reading.
“Education and reading are a sine-qua-non to good life. They are two trending words that could easily transform the fortunes and status of an individual, society and country at large, if properly imbibed by everyone, especially those who have the capacity to become great,” Ogolo said.
In his opening remarks, Chairman of the occasion and Director, Rivers State Secondary Schools Board, Okrika Zone, Mr Mpaka Daniels, thanked the organizers, Daniels commended the EEAG for the noble idea, adding that since they came on board, the Senior Secondary School, Kalio-Ama, has remained the best  and described the group as trail-blazers.
In his address of welcome, the Principal of Community Secondary School (CSS), Kalio-Ama, Mr Dafuro Papamie George, said the seminar was aimed at sensitizing and encouraging the students to discover, and actualise those inherent positive potential in them, adding that it was very important that they become useful to themselves, and contribut, meaningfully to the society and the country at large.
Also speaking, the Chairperson, EEAG, Mrs Asikiye Promise, said the group was formed to address the poor attitude of students as well as assist them to develop the boundless opportunities education offers, and  expressed optimism that having discovered the solution to the above challenges; the body was hopeful that it would reverse the ugly trend.
In their various presentations, Dr Dumoateli Iboroma, who delivered a lecture on the  “Dangers of Unwanted Pregnancies and Prevention from Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Infections (STDs and STIs),” described unwanted pregnancy as ‘one that is not planned or ready to have,’ and enjoined students to have positive dreams and work towards actualizing them.
He urged them to desist from acts capable of resulting into early or unwanted pregnancies, and infections, especially STDs, STIs, and Vesico Virginal Fistula (VVF).
In their presentation, Old Girls of  Government Girls Secondary School, Harbour Road, 1983 set, Miss Adiki Ndamioku and Mrs Grace Manson Endeboh, who spoke on the topic “Problems Associated with Adolescent Sexuality,” attributed the increase in premarital sexual activities to the high level of poverty, hunger, lack of unemployment and large population of unskilled youth in the society.
Some students who spoke at the end of the seminar described the programme as good one that would impacted positively in their lives.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana