From Henry Chukwurah, Abuja
Federal and state governments have been urged to re-introduce the teaching of civic duties and history in primary and secondary schools in the country.
The call was made at a media breakfast meeting organised by the Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE-Nigeria) and partners in Abuja to mark 10 years of the non-governmental organisation.
Participants reasoned that re-introduction of the two subjects would help to build a dependable and politically enlightened populace needed for improved democratic system.
Although they noted remarkable improvement in the conduct of elections in the country, most speakers agreed that there was still much work to be done and stressed the need to sustain the growth of democracy and democratic values in the society.
Also, the meeting decried increased rate of electoral violence and harped on the need to discourage politicians and Nigerians generally from bloodletting during elections.
Participants also urged for improved use of the card reader which, in their assessment, has drastically reduced manipulation of votes and other electoral malpractices.
Earlier, the acting executive secretary of ACE- Nigeria, Mma Odi, urged for urgent rebuilding of “the pipeline of activism” in the country.
She warned that virile activism was under threat because most of the nation’s activists are within the age bracket of 40 to 50 years and may not have vibrant successors in the face of dwindling active student unionism in tertiary institutions.
Odi, who gave a long list of awareness programmes carried out by ACE-Nigeria, paid glowing tributes to its first executive secretary, the late Emma Eliazu, and appealed to the media to partner the organisation in the task of making the society better for overall development of the nation.