Kunle Adelabu
The mass literacy initiative of the Lagos State Government has received major boost as traditional rulers in Ikorodu Division pledged their total support for its success.
The pledge came at the monthly meeting of the Council of Obas & Chiefs in Ikorodu Division held at the Ikorodu Local Government Secretariat on Friday, September 25, 2020.
Ayangbure of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabir Shotobi, speaking on behalf of other Obas in the Division when the officials of the Lagos State Agency for Mass Literacy visited the traditional rulers as part of its advocacy campaign, said that the laudable initiative will be supported.
“We appreciate the initiative of the Lagos State Government and commend the Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, for given community people in Ikorodu Division the opportunity to be educated and after their literacy programme, they would also be empowered with vocational trainings.
“You have come to ask for our support in Ikorodu Division and the entire traditional institutions have given there blessings and we will continue to support the initiative. .
“We thank the government for supporting the ministry in implementing this initiative. We, as a Division, will continue to support it.
“Our advice for our people is that they should take advantage of the programme since it is free and our traditional heads and head of communities should also liaise with the officials of the agency to know how the programme can benefit their people and also let them know whatever the shortcomings are”.
Also speaking, His Royal Majesty, Oba Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, charged officials of the agency to liaise with traditional rulers, community heads and others in various communities to know where they can get more centres.
Mrs Kemi Kalesanwo, the Director of the Lagos State Government Agency for Mass Education, who led other officials of the agency to the traditional rulers, said that his visit was part of the advocacy and sensitization programme of the agency to make people in the community be aware of the initiative.
“This is a continuation of our advocacy and sensitization towards mass literacy in our communities. We started the programme before the outbreak of the pandemic and now we are continuing”, she said.
“We are here to solicit for the support of the traditional institutions in Ikorodu division because of the critical roles that you are playing and we are well aware that our message will get across to various people through our palaces”, she solicited.
“Through the agency, we teach adults who do not believe that they can be literate again. We give them a second chance at being educated and the programme is free. The programme is for just nine months.
“Not only that, we also engage them in vocational studies for them to be economically empowered.
“We have many centres across Ikorodu division and any interested individual can attend any of the centres close to their homes.
“Part of the reasons we are visiting today is also to know how to have more centres and we know that we can achieve that through our traditional rulers”
