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Sola Ojo, Kaduna
Erstwhile Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Mike Omeri, yesterday cautioned Nigerian youths, especially those in secondary school, to avoid using information and communication technology (ICT) to join terrorism. The former NOA boss, who was the guest speaker during the annual speech and prize-giving day, at the Command Secondary School, Kaduna, said young Nigerians should rather make judicious use of technological breakthroughs to proffer solutions to Nigeria’s problems. According to him, experience has shown that there were terrorist groups who recruit their members through internet across the globe, hence the need for all stakeholders, including schools, to check what their students do as much as possible. Said Omeri: “I am speaking from experience because we have seen how young people have been recruited to join a band of terrorist groups across the world. The earlier we sensitize our children in this regard the more they know. Not just sensitizing them but telling them the science of what will take a would-be terrorist or recruiter to attract them. So we want to preserve the society as God created and gave us and this is one of the avenues to do that.
As I said earlier, there are innovative ways to handle technology. Technology is created by human and has its limitations.It can facilitate a good idea, but, once it is misused, you can find yourself on the wrong side of it and then, regret will follow.
I want to encourage young Nigerians to look at how they can proffer solutions to the problems we have through technology. We should deploy the opportunity of this technology to solving problems rather than creating problems.”
Earlier, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division Nigerian Army, who is also the Chairman, Governing Council, Command Secondary school, Kaduna, Major General Faruq Yahaya, told the graduating students to go out as good ambassadors of the 42-year-old secondary school. Yahaya, who was represented by the Chief of Staff of the Division, Brigadier General Lander Saraso, said that 1 Division has always been supportive to the Command Secondary School because the GOC is chairman of its governing council. His words: “The school is trying when it comes to academic excellence and discipline among the staff and students alike. Just a few days ago, those that graduated in 1994, held their reunion where the GOC was invited to see the projects they presented to the school.
Discipline is the bedrock of the Nigerian Army. And, as this school belongs to the Nigerian Army, we cannot compromise discipline. At the moment, we have role models, those that have graduated from this school and are doing well in their respective chosen careers and we are happy about that.
I am not a prophet but I want to say the Command Secondary School in a few years to come, will be better than it is now. You can see different alumni coming around to execute one project or the other.”
The highlight of the event included cultural presentations, launching of yearbook, prize and award presentations, among others. A total of 259 students from science, art, and commercial graduated from the school.
