ABC Sectariat inaugurates another ABC school club

The Attitudinal and Behavioural Change Secretariat on Thursday, 21 May inaugurated the Ahmaddiyya Muslim Secondary School ABC School Club as the third Agents of Change Pilot Schools Club for the Western Area.  (Photo: Cross section of the Ahmadiyya pupil)

Mr. Ibrahim Kabiru Mansaray, Principal for the Junior Secondary School in his welcome address welcomed each and everyone present at the inauguration.

The Principal noted that the coming of the ABC as the brain child of President Koroma is not only timely for the school system, but also for the country at large.

“In a world characterized by violence, gang and drug culture, this intervention is of total relevance” he said, praying that those that have taken up the clarion call to preach against negative attitudes and behaviours will succeed to make a positive impact in the nation.

The Chairperson for the inauguration, Ms. Manja Kargbo, in commending the good strides the ABC is making in changing the attitudes and behaviours of young people told the gathering that she is very passionate about young people.

Ms Kargbo told the pupils that their abilities to reach their highest peaks in their lives depend on their aptitudes and attitudes, stressing that, “your altitudes depend on your aptitudes and attitudes” she noted.

She said that, people can say and do so much but if they fail to change their attitudes, nothing is done. Adding that people talk a lot of negative things about Sierra Leone, failing to realize that we are what Sierra Leone is.

The Chairperson told members of the ABC Club that she hoped that they are the ones who are going to set the brightest examples for their colleagues to copy from them.

In his address, Mr. Abdul Karim Sesay, the Principal for the Senior Secondary disclosed that the Secretariat is not a stranger to Ahmaddiyya, adding that it is clear that the activities of the Secretariat has influenced a lot of positive behaviours in the country.

The Principal reechoed that a million miles journey begins with a single step, “therefore, the journey to the promise land of socio-economic prosperity for Sierra Leone begins with the right attitude and positive behaviour” he noted.

He mentioned that Ahmaddiyya Secondary School as a learning center is zealous to install positive attitudes in the pupils for them to be well integrated into the society, and to efficiently and effectively contribute to national development.

“The behaviour of an individual in his socio-cultural environment is determined by the implied presence of another individual,” he stated, adding that he is confident that members of the ABC Club will continue to serve as agents of change.

Mr.Sesay also mentioned that, corruption, gangsterism and other vices are as a result of dominant negative behaviours, adding that prosperity does not survive in the midst of negativity.

He also said that, as teachers and administrators, it is their responsibility to match up against the challenges to discourage negative behaviour in a bid to embark on positive socio-economic development.

“Members of the ABC are accordingly Attitudinal and Behavioural Change emissary” he stressed, promising that his school will continue to work in close collaboration with the Secretariat to reach out to others in order to curtail negative behaviour.

The National Coordinator and Second-in-Command of the ABC, Nanette Thomas in her statement noted that;respect, discipline, integrity, transparency and accountability were considered as great values in Communities, Schools and other agents of Socialization in the country before.

Adding that, those positive norms and values have battered over the years as manifested by both young and old in their different areas of interactions.

“It is evident in our schools today; extra school charges, lack of standards and values, examinations malpractices,  sexual harassment, professional misconduct and many more are the orders of the day” she stated.

Madam Nanette noted that negative attitudes and behaviours are affecting the progress of our country to an extent that Sierra Leone was regarded as a failed state.

She told the pupils to put their education first and other things last, stating also that the Secretariat is concerned with the high prevalence of teenage pregnancy especially within the ages of fourteen and seventeen. Adding that, the Secretariat is against, “after BECE (Basic Education Certificate Examination) answer belleh” and “sexually transmitted grades” she mentioned.

The National Coordinator also mentioned that being fathers and mothers at early ages will limit the higher educational chances of the pupils, and thus threatens the prosperity of the nation.

She told the gathering that the Secretariat has trained sixteen Agents of Change Pilot Schools in the country, noting that, these Agents of Change or Peer Educators are expected to inject positive attitudes and behaviours in their schools, siblings and communities.

Madam Thomas disclosed that the ABC has joined forces with other agencies to condemn negative influences such as gangsterism, cultism, grand supremacy, violence and drug abuse in our school going children.

She told the pupils that the Secretariat is encouraging them to be law abiding, respectful, focused and determined to their school work so as to contribute positively to the Agenda for Prosperity.  She stressed that prosperity does not come like rain, but one needs to search for it through hard work and committment.

She added that readiness and willingness are the two things they should bear in mind in effecting change, stating that they should use the truth to achieve individual and national greatness.

The National Coordinator used the forum to call all and sundry to change their thinking and behaviour to move this country forward, “let us change our mindset to move this country to a better Sierra Leone” she further called.

Admonishing members of the ABC Club, she told them to take the leading role in influencing and injecting positive attitude and behaviour to their peers, stating that they will be taking part in radio and television discussion programmes, inter-school visitations and competitions.

Mr. Brima Turay, the keynote speaker and inaugurator of the club members who also doubles as the Deputy Director School Broadcasting and Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Education Science and Technology in his address maintained that because of negative attitudes and behaviours, people who could not have suffered in Sierra Leone suffered greatly during the country’s civil war.

He noted that President Koroma thought it wise to establish the ABC Secretariat because there are a lot of negativities in the country, “the negativities of our times have cost us a lot, there is now time for us to change help contribute towards the development of Sierra Leone” he stressed.

Adding that, school pupils are the ones that would change our past and present for a better Sierra Leone, as the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, he disclosed that the ministry is suffering a lot as a result of the negative attitudes and behaviours within the school system.

“If pupils of this school have decided to champion the course against negative attitudes and behaviours posterity will judge you” he said, stating also that the course they are fighting is not for their individual benefits but for the country as a whole.

He told them that the ABC Secretariat has provided a very good vehicle for the school and appeal to the club members to drive this vehicle towards positive attitudes and behaviours, telling them that their altitudes depend on their aptitudes and attitudes.

The guest speaker told the other school pupils to be part of the club so that in the future they too will be proud that they contributed to change the attitudes of people in this country, “I will advise you to take this club as your life” he stressed.

After the inauguration which went with presentation of ABC badges, the President for the ABC Club, Mohamed Sesay thanked God and the ABC Secretariat for granting the school the opportunity to be part of the drive for positive attitudes and behaviours in the school system and the country at large.

He promised the Secretariat that members of the club will work ardently to ensure that the good dreams of the Secretariat are met.

Members of the club staged a short play depicting negative attitudes and behaviours in the school system projected by pupils, school authorities as well as parents and the ripple effects on pupils.

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