The Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (C & LTC) must be repositioned now
According to available records, the C<C, the first of its kind in Africa, was founded with the name Outward Bound School (OBS) in 1951 by a Briton, the late Dr. Alec Dickson, in Victoria, Southern Cameroon; when Southern Cameroon was part of Nigeria. The training Centre was officially given a legal status and recognized by […]
According to available records, the C<C, the first of its kind in Africa, was founded with the name Outward Bound School (OBS) in 1951 by a Briton, the late Dr. Alec Dickson, in Victoria, Southern Cameroon; when Southern Cameroon was part of Nigeria. The training Centre was officially given a legal status and recognized by government by an ordinance published in the extra-ordinary Gazette No. 45 of 10th August, 1960. This legal instrument of recognition was later modified by decree No.38 in December, 1989. Since then, the citizenship and leadership Training centre has had to grapple with the challenges of further recognition, expansion and repositioning to contribute its quota to national stability, growth and development through character moulding and development of the Nigeria citizenry.
Nigeria today is in dire need of citizens and leaders who are morally upright and ethically disciplined. The Training Centre, when well repositioned, is capable of producing a pool of well trained and fully prepared citizenry out of which patriotic, effective and accountable leaders would eventually emerge. The Training Centre helps its trainees to unravel their, otherwise, unexplored and untapped potentials as well as acknowledge their individual weaknesses and appreciate the collective good that usually results from team work and cooperation. This, the Centre believes, is the true praxis of producing patriotic citizens and leaders of integrity. Sadly, though, the C<C has suffered serious neglect from successive governments through paucity of funds, infrastructural decay and lack of motivations of the work force.
Despite all these, the training Centre has continued to help in training and reforming Nigerians of all backgrounds. In the last few years, for instance the Centre has contributed to the training of about one thousand two hundred (1200) ex-militants of the Niger-Delta. Apart from that, the centre has been participating actively in the peace building process in the aftermath of the ethno-religious crises on the Plateau. This the Centre is doing in collaboration with the Institute of Governance and Social Research (IGSR) founded by the highly regarded Professor J. Isawa Eliagwu, additionally, the Centre is also collaborating with the Plateau state Government in training the personnel of the newly formed security outfit called Operation Rainbow. Indeed, the positive impact of the activities of the C<C is all too evident to be ignored.
Many organizations and institutions in Nigeria have been taking advantage of the outstanding training offered by the C<C. For example the training is compulsory for all students of Human Kinetics and Physical and Health Education (PHE) in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The Training is also mandatory for all senior prefects in all Unity Schools across the federation. Many other private Schools have also been taking advantage of this life changing training.
Other notable beneficiaries of the C & LTC’S training are the Nigeria Army, The Air-Force, The Navy, The Nigeria Police, Immigrations, Customs, Prisons, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), The National Agency for the prevention of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) etc.
Too much of this neglect is at our disadvantage. The government, institutions and individuals who have benefitted from the training must act now. More interest should be shown in the affairs of the Centre. This could be done through a general assessment of the present infrastructural inadequacies with a view to renovating and adding new ones, the establishment of more offices in all states of the federation and the reawakening of the training and re-training of the directing staff. The implementation of these few recommendations would mean then that the training is taken closer to Nigerians, the existing units (offices) are subsequently strengthened to cope with the anticipated number of trainees and the man power is prepared to cope with the demanding tasks ahead. It is worthy of note, the recent visit of the Senate committee on Women Affairs, Social and Youths Development and the subsequent pledge of the committee chairman, Senator Helen Esuene, that the senate will bassist to reverse the fortunes of the Centre must be commended.
May be, just maybe, Nigeria would have been spared the security threats posed by the Boko Haram menace which is now threatening the very foundation of the unity of the country if its founders and their adherents were beneficiaries of the C 7 LTC’S training where they would have been ethically conscientized on moral values.
Aremu Kareem Tayo, 67, Aina Street, Ojodu- Lagos, Email- [email protected]