Rotary Club donates 300 literature books to Abuja school 

Rotary Club of Abuja, Maitama, Thursday donated 300 Literature text books to the Government Secondary School (GSS), Garki, Abuja, to improve the reading culture among students.

President of the club, Rotn. Yusuf Alli, in his address, said the books given to the school after the needs assessment, were aimed at easing off the financial burdens of parents from purchasing the recommended textbooks.

Alli, who is also the Managing Editor, Northern Operations of The Nation newspapers, called on the beneficiaries to improve their reading habit and advised them to use social media positively.

He said: “We’ve conducted needs assessments and we discovered that the students are weak in English language and literature. So we decided to intervene. That is one. The second objective is about promoting reading culture. Nigerians no longer read, and it is an awakening mission that we have taken here today to encourage, promote and enhance the reading culture.

“The social media does not kill reading culture. In fact, most books are now online. What we have done is to sensitise, let them read so they can subscribe to any book of their choice online. If we talk of the Amazons, and so many publishing houses, they have their works online. All we need to do is just to mobilise, and tell them to take the best from social media and read.

“Look for the right Literature on social media and read to improve your focus, to improve your communication skills and also to be mentally alert. Reading is life, no other thing. If you don’t read, you are dead as a human being. So, instead of getting distracted with evils on social media, we want them to use social media positively. So, I don’t see how social media will affect the reading culture, it will rather enhance it. It makes writing and reading easier these days.

“We have given out 300 books to help the students, and the greatest beneficiaries of this are the parents. Some parents cannot afford some of these Literature books that we have provided. Our objective in Rotary is to do good all over the world; to help the needy and the rich in society. Wherever there is a gap, we try to fill the gap and that is all we have done today.”

Also speaking, the Governor of Rotary International Club, District 9125, Dr. Goddy Nnadi, who was represented by an Assistant District Governor, Rotn. Chuka Okoye, advised the benefiting students to take reading very seriously, adding that with reading, they could actualise their dreams.