The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kolawole Salako has charged Nigerian students to cultivate the habit of reading, declaring that “today’s Readers are tomorrow’s Leaders”.
Prof. Salako who was represented by the Deputy Director, AMREC, Dr. Olalekan Oyekunle dropped the hint at a Seminar tagged, “Education and the Nigerian Child” and Interschool Debate Competition.
The programme was organised by Park Inn by Radisson Venture in conjunction with Kola Obadimu (Jnr’s) Playhouse held at Park Inn.
Prof. Salako charged students to take their education seriously, by improving on their reading culture and making use of the Library facilities at their disposal.
He also tasked them to be morally upright; eschew and flee from bad influences choose associates and friends wisely and set goals and pursue them vigorously, in order to have an all-round education and achieve success in their chosen careers.
Speaking earlier, the Manager, Park Inn by Radisson Mr. Kayode Aina, stated that the Hotel was looking for an educational initiative that will impact on children and it decided to choose the Schools’ Debate as its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), in order to encourage Secondary School Students.
According to Mr. Aina, “Education gives knowledge and debating requires some form of research to oppose or support a point of argument.”
The Seminar also had in attendance the Director, Grants Management, Professor Kolawole Adebayo, who presented a Paper titled, “Park Inn By Radisson Abeokuta Schools’ Debate: The Journey so Far”.
The Debate was graced by Mr. Bayode Treasure-Olawunmi who is the holder of the Guinness World Record of the Longest Marathon Reading Aloud – for 122 Hours and he presented a talk titled, “The Importance of Reading to the Nigerian Child”.
The highpoint of the Seminar was the Spoken Word Presentation by the representative of Golden Grace International School and African Church Grammar School, Abeokuta respectively and the Reading Game where the representative of the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Oyekunle, Professor Adebayo and other guests were subjected to reading selected tests under a time frame.