The African Regional Director of Scouting Movement, Mr Fredric Tutu Kama-Kama has said he is in the country to assist the Nigerian Scouting Association to overcome some of challenges which has hampered its operations in the last two decades.
Kama-Kama who arrived Nigeria last Monday in company of the Consultant, World Scouting Movement, Dr Wayne Davis, said the Scouting Movement is embarking on the education of over one hundred million young people across the world.
According to the African Regional Director, young people would be educated to become responsible leaders in their communities, their countries and for the betterment of the world through character development.
He noted that Nigeria being part of the World Organisation of Scout Movement, young people would be educated to become agents of change in the country especially as the dates for general elections approached, adding that the Scouting Movement during would educate the citizens of their civic rights.
He also stated that they would preach against violence and foster peace and unity in the country by sensitizing the people about the need to accept defeat and abide by the decisions of the majority.
He commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for its support during the extra ordinary session of the Scout Movement last July. “We know that Nigeria Scout Movement went through a difficult period. We are happy that in July last year at the extra ordinary general meeting, I was elected.
“We thank the government of Nigeria, the Minister of Sports development for the support extended to us and the support for that meeting. We are back now to look into the fundamentals of that meeting and how best to help scouting move forward in Nigeria.
On the blueprint to resuscitate the scouting movement in Nigeria, Mr Kama-Kama stated that despite the fact that it is the sole responsibility of the leadership of Nigerian Scouting Movement to fashion out the way forward, it can still rely on the vision 2023 of the World body and adapt it to the Scouting Movement in Nigeria.
“Having said that, we have in the world we have the mission of Scouting and today we are talking of vision 2023, whereby we want a scout movement to be the biggest educational movement of the young people in the world that can reach 100,000 young people that can be leaders of change in their own community.
“Based on this background, you need to look at what the reality is today in Nigeria and based our on our directives and policies at the world level you can adapt those polices to help the Scouting Association of Nigeria.
He said “scouting is an education movement for young people. So scouting is to help young people become responsible citizens and develop character to serve the community for their betterment and creating a better world.
“If you read our Constitution, the scout movement is a non political movement, but since we are non political it doesn’t mean that we don’t do politics or don’t involve in politics. Our role in politics when it comes to election is the Scout Movement is an educational movement, so we need to sensitize the people for the election and I think that is our major role and we don’t take sides.
“We work with all people for peace and unity of the country and the world. So we have the role of educating the young people so that they can play role as citizens of the country to vote.”
