By Timothy Ifeoluwa
The Army Day Secondary School Sobi, 22 Cantonment Barrack has won the ‘Best Reading Competition Award for the 2018 Kwara Reader’s Day.
The two-day event which was sponsored by the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) took place at the state library on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Speaking, the Chairman of Kwara State Library Board, Isaac Kolawole said “The annual reader’s day is a day specially set aside to encourage improvement in the reading habits of pupils and students in our primary and secondary schools.
“It will definitely help you to improve your reading habit in the sense that you will be able to read fast and more fluently. It will also help to eliminate shyness.
“As you become a fast reader, you also learn to understand, digest and assimilate what you are reading with maximum concentration.”
According to him, the library is a reservoir of knowledge to help our children to access information needed for development in all areas of life.
“I want you students to see this programme as a helpful exercise that will undoubtedly have an impact on your future educational endeavour. It is therefore not an exercise in futility”.
The Royal Father of the day and the Oloro of Oro-Ago, Oba Johnson Olanrewaju Dada said he chose the event among several activities lined up for him because of the importance of literature.
“What you are celebrating today should be a culture we ought to imbibe if we want to grow in knowledge and not to remain stagnant.
“I enjoin the state government to ensure reading culture is revived in our schools by reintroducing reading, debates, spelling competitions especially in primary and junior secondary schools.
The monarch also called on the government to ensure that the state library is well equipped with books and other technical aids that will enhance learning.
He commended KWIRS and the board of the library for organizing this programme as a reminder to all to revive the culture of reading books”.
Other schools that won prizes were; Bishop Smith Memorial Secondary School (Best in debate) and Fair Play Memorial Secondary School, Oro-Ago (Quiz).
