By Tessy Ezeh
The Enugu State Commissioner of Education Professor Ndubueze Mbah in a grand ceremony held at the Ministry of Education conference hall was installed as the State headquarters commissioner for scouting in schools.
The Deputy President of the scouting association, Professor O.O. Anowor in his address said that scouting is about education, morality and character and helps in modelling students and their mission is to introduce scouting in all schools.
In his speech, the state scouting commissioner, Pastor Henry U Anigbo stated that in the past it was called The Boys’ Scout but now called Scouting Association Nigeria which is a movement comprising both males and females.
He said that there is a scout library in Enugu and statutorily the Honourable Chief Judge of the state is in charge.
He further stated that the Boys Scouts started on 23rd November 1915, founded by Powell which aimed at bringing order and decency to the system adding that immediately after Independence precisely on the 15th February 1961 the Scouts in Nigeria had a conference and the Nigerian Scout association started growing.
In his response, the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Professor Ndubueze Mbah thanked the team and said that he understood the Boys Scout as an honourable institution and that institution will be a strong ally to the Ministry of Education and this alliance will be pivotal to accomplishing the education reform agenda of the state which the governor defines as CATCH THEM YOUNG adding that the catch them young programme targets children from the age of three and begins to instil in them civic values
Prof. Mbah said the ministry of education needs collaboration in the civic education capacity of the organisation and promised to be in partnership with them.
In a vote of thanks ,the Permanent Secretary, Mr Patrick Ochi thanked the team for the honour and privilege of the investiture and promised that the ministry would partner with the scout movement and that the ministry would write letters to the schools and inform them to reserve one day in a week for social activities which scout will be among.
The high point of the ceremony was the presentation of the certificate and regalia to the Honourable Commissioner of Education.
