Inspiring Today’s Children, to Secure our Future Tomorrow!

Platform Guests, Parents, Ladies, Gentlemen and of course the Graduating Classes of [2022].

From the Beginning of this academic school year, the Claudius A. Cooper Institute enrolled xxx Students
comprising xx girls and xx boys for the two graduating class combined. Today, we have xx graduates, xx girls and xx
boys.

I get it, I know what it’s like for kids without opportunities. At the ages of the kids graduating from
kindergarten today, I wasn’t in school. I was caught up in the civil war, I got lost from my mother for almost a year.
For me as a kid, it was traumatizing and very difficult. When I got reunited with my parents in 1993, I didn’t begin
school immediately as I couldn’t speak English. Moreover, my parents had to focus on paying the school fees of my
older siblings. Things were difficult at that time. Therefore, I had to go through home tutoring by my father for
almost two years. I started school when I was already 10yrs old in 1995.

There were many times when I was lonely and I felt like I didn’t fit in, especially, when I looked around and
saw all my peers in school. I used to be so afraid to speak outside because my friends would tease me. So, I was
withdrawn for sometimes, I was by myself most of the time. When I finally had the opportunity to go to school, It
was like I won a lottery. I was so… excited, to wear a school uniform and a pair of black shoes. My parents were so
surprised of my performance, I graduated Kindergarten in a year. As a matter of fact, that is the only grade school
graduation I experienced. I just sailed and soared through elementary and junior high school. I spent 7 years in total
from kindergarten through high school and I completed before many of my peers that once mocked me. I entered
college on white ballot, meaning, I didn’t have to sit entrance exams at UL since I went division 2 in WAEC at the
time. I didn’t stop there.

I became the 2nd in my family of 10 children to graduate with a Bachelor and subsequently a master degree.
Even though I was almost the last to attend school. I was blessed, I had my sister Mrs. Bendu M. Salue-Miller, who
was my role model, she is my mentor, supported and motivator also my brothers. There’s a strong and mighty force
that keeps pushing me to achieve more, to make an impact not only in my own life but in the lives of others, even if
i feel tired, I can’t resist it. I must work hard to get there very soon.

Let me speak to you on what I titled: Inspiring Today’s Children, to Secure our Future
Tomorrow!

Your story and situation might not be like mine. Maybe yours different, you may not have adults in your life to
give you the support you need. Maybe the breadwinner in your family has lost their job or does not have enough to
provide you the support you will need. Maybe you live in a neighborhood that you don’t feel safe, or have friends
that are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right. But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life,
is not an excuse for you neglecting your studies or having a negative mindset about school. There’s no excuse for
you becoming wayward, abusing substance (drugs), getting pregnant at a teenage or dropping out of school.
There’s no excuse for not trying.
 Where you are right now, doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one has written your destiny for
you, because in this life, you write your own destiny. God has given us all the authority and freewill to lead our own
lives. That’s why I’m calling on you all to set your own goals as you move to the next level in school. You goal can be
as simple as it can, like doing all your homework, spending time reading a book every day, or standing up for a child
who is abused, been teased or being bullied in school because of who they are or how they look, because you
believe, like I do, that all children deserve a safe learning environment. Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to
commit to it. I want you to really work at it. I know that sometimes you get that sense from TV reality shows and
movies on our smartphones that you can be rich and successful without hard work. There are chances that you
won’t be like any of those, not every homework assignment will be relevant to you, you will not like every subject
or connect with every teacher you will meet. As a matter, you may get bad grades over and over, or even fail, it
doesn’t mean you are dull or dump. It only means, you must try harder. As many times you keep trying will be the
reason behind your success. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, I still do that every day. Just find someone that you
trust and ask your questions for guidance.

There’s this quote from Mark Twain that states, ‘’ A man who does not read books has no advantage over a
man who cannot read them’’. This is to say that, education is a privilege, therefore you should eagerly embrace it.

Teachers

As a teacher, your role in a student’s life goes beyond providing a great education. You’re a leader, role model,
coach, advisor and facilitator of positive growth. Since students spend so much of their time in your classroom, it’s
up to you and your fellow educators to make school a positive and inspiring environment where children can do
their best work and be their best selves.

Parents, teachers, let us all prioritize our children’s development by providing all the support we can provide
in terms of moral, financial, conducive and safe learning environment, competent teachers, quality materials and
teaching methods. There’s also the need to consider additional support for our girls and boys to reduce drop-out
and poor performances. Like teaching Life Skills and having other extra curriculum activities are important. Studies
show that girls stay out of school due to poor sanitary facilities including access to sanitary pads, how can we
ensure our girls don’t face this challenge.

When we achieve all, we can to keep our children in school, we will be achieving be fulfilling the Sustainable
Development Goal (SDGs) 4, that calls for ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong
learning opportunities for all. We will be implementing Article 11 (1, 2,3 ) of the African Charter on the Rights and
Welfare of the Child, which highlights that, Every child has the right to education, We will also be accomplishing the
our own development agenda as a country, the pro-poor agenda for prosperity and development.

Thank you for listening, Congratulations! May God Bless us all!