Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola has said most Nigeria youths have never been to a library.
Aregbesola spoke after inaugurating a library complex built at the Akure Muslim College by children of the first indigenous Chief Imam of the Ondo State capital, the late AbdulSalaam Alake.
The former Osun State governor decried the attitude of the younger generation for not making judicious use of the library to enhance knowledge.
He said modern education system was practically impossible without the library.
During the launching of a book, titled: Imam AbdulSalaam Alake: His Life and Legacies, Aregbesola noted that the soul of education in any part of the world is a functioning library.
He said: “Modern education system is practically impossible without the library. Unfortunately, our children don’t even know what a library is.
“Teachers only have enough time to introduce to students the subject; the actual learning will be drawn from the library resources and personal research.
“Education, both secular and religious, is important to man. Religious education helps man to develop his personality and grow in the knowledge of and build his relationship with God.
“Religion without morality will lead to disaster. Religion with morality leads to spirituality. If you are spiritual, you cannot hate any other person, regardless of what they do.”
Daughter of the late Chief Imam, Dr. Munirat Ogunlayi, said the library was built as part of the family’s efforts to contribute to the development of the society.
“Our dream is for the library to be a reference point in Ondo State, if not in Nigeria. We’ll like to implore and work with the school and the Ministry of Education on proper management, including deploying a professional Librarian to handle the proper management of the library and instituting a system of conducting annual audit to ensure books and items are always in place.
“Accountability was a great quality of the industrious and hardworking sages we are all celebrating today. They only ate from the sweats of their labour. We look forward to the stakeholders at all levels working with us to sustain my father’s legacy when it comes to accountability.”
