By Ayodele Abere.
Government at all levels have been advised to take Social Studies to its rightful place in Nigeria.
A Professor of Social Studies at the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Prof.Modupe Osalusi, advocated this while delivering the 64th Inaugural Lecture of Ekiti State University, held at the main auditorium of the Institution in Ado-Ekiti, with the topic; “SECURING THE INSECURE NATION, SOCIAL STUDIES TO THE RESCUE”.
Prof. Osalusi said proper information about the evolution, contents, nature and objectives of Social Studies are essential in giving credence to its relevance as a school discipline that is capable of addressing the current insecurity challenges in Nigeria.
The purpose of the inaugural lecture according to the lecturer, was for governments to be acquainted with the importance of taking social studies to its rightful place in Nigeria, stressing that any country that fails to recognise social studies is not getting it right. “Social studies education can assist in moulding attitudes positively to correct the hills of the society. We have negative attitude to life in Nigeria and that’s what is causing some of the problems we are having. Misappropriation of priorities by our leaders”. The professor opined.
She said adequate development could be achieved in Nigeria through inculcation of social studies contents in learners at all levels to correct the imbalance in attitudes and make citizens capable of participating in resolving problems facing the society such as issues of insecurity plaguing Nigeria within the shortest time.
Going further, Osalusi said Social studies as a unique discipline in the school curriculum is designed to address issues in the society. “What we are experiencing right now is that we have a situation where the subject is being taken like any other school subjects, not looking at the real objective behind it”.
“I have travelled to some countries around the world to attend conferences and so on. I saw what happened in U.S. They take social studies seriously. When any government is going to enact any policy, what they do is to send it to the Social Studies Association. They will analyze it, they will know the problem that is likely to emanate and how to solve it. They will analyze through research and send it to the government and the American government never takes that for granted and that’s why they are progressing”.
Professor Osalusi explained that thousands of people have been killed by bandits and multi billion naira properties destroyed, which according to her,, led to agitation for restructuring and calls by some regions for a referendum to divide and go their separate ways.
“Nigeria is blessed with abundant resources, human and material. Look at how our products are excelling in the US, UK and Canada. The opportunity was not created when they were here. In Nigeria, we produce millions of graduates in a year doing nothing. The universities are not well equipped, the lecturers are not well paid. The students are graduating and they are constituting problems. At least, they must survive. They turn to Yahoo Yahoo Boys, ritualists. It’s not because they are not interested in using their skills to develop their society, it’s because they have nothing to do.
“The lack of confidence in the leadership appears to be the reason why people engaged in self defense resulting in the procurement of AK 47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons now found in the possession of unauthorized people in the country”.
In her recommendations, the professor of note, said Social studies must be given the priority it deserves in the Nation’s school curriculum to holistically address insecurity issues in Nigeria and that experts should be made to teach Social Studies for proper implementation of its contents in producing learners with correct vision that could provide peace, oneness, peaceful coexistence among the citizens to avoid the danger of insecurity that has befallen the nation.
Also, Professor Modupe Osalusi recommended that, the Federal Government should endorse a mandatory training programme for Nigerian undergraduates in universities across the country on values and virtues imbedded in Social Studies as part of efforts in developing desirable attitudes in youths to check waves of insecurity and continued bloodletting in Nigeria.
In his own remark, the Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Professor Edward Olanipekun, said is quite worrisome especially when you look at the security challenges bedeviling the nation, he therefore advised Nigerians to be security conscious of their environments and that they should be willing to give necessary information to the security agencies to nip security problems in the bud.
The inaugural lecture had in attendance some traditional rulers in Ekiti State, dignitaries, academicians within and outside the State as well as friends and well wishers.