By Patricia Amogu
Dr Hassan Sule, Director, FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), says plans are being made to make Peace Club part of extra-curricular activities in schools within the FCT.
Sule disclosed this when the Three C’s Met, an institute that engages in mediation, negotiation, counselling, and conciliation, paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja.
According to him, education is not only about offering children the opportunity to explore their potentialities, but also about helping them to build on core foundational values including discipline and ethics.
“Inculcating discipline and ethics, building their psyche about the society, and doctoring their mindset on avoiding bias on religion, tribe, and culture, will foster understanding that we are all Nigerians.
“We are looking to actually streamlining into the education system as a club for now, as an extra-curricular activity.
“We will write formally and follow adequate procedures to get it into the system,” he said.
The UBEB director added that plans were also being made to ensure sustainability, to see that peer mediation and the Peace Club initiative is completely absorbed into the system even in future administrations.
Founder/Principal Partner at the institute, Mr Chijioke Nnanna-Ibeku, who led the team, praised the board for a job well done.
Nnanna-Ibeku said the board had offered the institute a platform upon which to run the Peer Mediation programme in schools.
“We are here to say a big thank you for your support and for the resources you have given us to build this programme on, to ensure that there is no generational gap in the practice of mediation.
“Mediation has come to stay. Our aim is to make sure these children relate peaceably across the borders of religion, culture, tribe, and race, especially in Nigeria.
“As much as within the practice of mediation can get, we hope that when these children grow up and get into positions of authority, they will know how to manage issues and prevent rancour degenerating into disputes and conflicts,” he said.
Nnanna-Ibeku observed that If children were well taught at their formative years, the society would be sure to have a peaceful and accommodating environment in the future.
He explained that the institute’s mantra is “there is no better time to practice mediation than now”.
Nnanna-beku, therefore, called on stakeholders and other sectors to form partnerships with the institute and make peace the foundation upon which Nigeria should thrive and explore its rich potentialities. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
=========
(Edited by Chidinma Agu/Emmanuel Yashim
