By Stephen Adeleye
The Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Wemi Jones, FCIB, IION, has advised students in the state to be disciplined, determine, focus on their academic pursuit, and develop their talents with additional skills.
The Commissioner gave the advice when he kick started the School Adoption and Mentorship program at Crowther Memorial College (CMC) and Government Science Secondary School (GSSS) to mentor the students on Thursday in Lokoja.
Recalled that His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello on January 25, inaugurated the School Adoption and Mentorship Programme, aimed at restoring the glory of education and to motivate learners for improved performance across the state.
The programme was an initiative of the State's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, aimed at encouraging stakeholders to encourage learners' interest in school by adopting and mentoring students in public secondary schools across the state.
It would also enable stakeholders offer career guidance and values to learners; gives first hand information to stakeholders regarding the needs and challenges facing schools in their immediate communities, among others.
While mentoring the SSS3 students in their various classrooms at CMC and GSSS, the Commissioner charged them to exhibit the virtues of discipline, determination, tenacity focus, integrity, perseverance in their academic pursuit, and develop their talents with additional skills.
The students took their turn to introduce themselves to the Commissioner as well as their hobbies and talents.
The commissioner who took the students down the memory lane of his academic, professional and political careers, enjoined them to prepare themselves and be disciplined in all things.
''You cannot achieve anything in life and career without discipline; you must discipline yourself and study very hard to succeed in life.
''Anyone that is not disciplined, cannot amount to anything in life.
''I needed to be disciplined for me to achieve anything in life. It was discipline that singled me out among my peers at the early stage of my life,'' he said.
He noted that education has greatly improved and dynamic, and urged the students to have a mentor in which they could emulate.
He admonished the students to strive to develop their talents with additional skills as soon as they discover them, citing the Best World Footballer for several years, Christiano Ronaldo as a typical example.
''Whatever talent God has given you, don't burry it, develop it with additional skills. Your Talent is anything that you do that gives you joy,'' he said.
He further advised the students to be tenacious and focus in achieving their goals and never get distracted by anything.
He further charged them to persevere with integrity and never give up irrespective of the challenges, saying they would surely succeed in life.
He encouraged the students not to get involved in any form of social devices and other related crimes and criminality, while commending them for conducting themselves very well.
''We are desirous to ensuring that selfish and wicked politicians do not use you as tools for destruction and insecurity in the state,'' he said.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the visit, the Commissioner said the exercise was to demonstrate the ministry's level of commitment to the program, saying His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello is committed to it.
''What we are doing today is symbolic. I have just done one part, the other part of the program is where volunteers would adopt a child, block of classroom, a school, bring computers, texrbooks, equip laboratory, among others.
''This would cut across the grassroots in all the 21 local government areas of the state'', he said.
He commended the governor for his total commitment to taking education to the highest level in the state.
The Principal of CMC, Mrs M.O Ogunmola, said she felt so happy that their school was the first school to benefit from the school adoption and mentorship programme in the state.
''I am very grateful to the Commissioner for the gesture, and I pray that God will bless him,'' she said.
She called on other stakeholders in the state to follow the foot step of the commissioner by coming to mentor their students as well as school adoption.
Some of the students, who spoke on behalf of others, Praise Durotoye of GSSS; Danjuma Tukura and Victoria Paul of CMC, thanked the commissioner for coming to their schools to mentor them, describing it as a lifetime experience.
Tukura who is a talented Comedian, and Durotoye, a talented Singer, both entertained the Commissioner and his team with comedies and song respectively.
The Commissioner donated textbooks to the two schools, and presented textbooks to some of the students for their biliant performances.
End
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