Commemoration Of 2021 Commonwealth Day
By Cliffsimeon Akalonu
Commonwealth of Nations is a product of history with 54 sovereign countries that voluntarily accepted to commit to the shared values and vision enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter.
The celebration of 2021 Commonwealth day Observance was recently held in Abuja, Nigeria, themed “Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating and Transforming.”
Delivering a note, the Hon. Minister for state Education, Dr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said that, the attainment of independence, to co-existing as sovereign entities in modern Commonwealth with Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II as the symbolic head for generations is quite phenomenal, unique and worthy of note.
He said that the theme for this year’s commemoration underlies all Commonwealth activities for the year and motivates member nations to key into the commitment to be mutually supportive, promote good governance, trade, equality, peace, and empowerment of vulnerable groups using their knowledge and natural resources.
Thus, the quest for the expansion of quality education to take care of the vulnerable groups using all forms of innovation demonstrates the theme.
To commemorate the Day, State Ministries of Education has sensitized the education institutions within their purview to prepare accordingly, Nwajiuba said.
He also said, “the spectacle of young people using various costume and make-up to represent the 54 countries that constitute Commonwealth is a true reflection of creativity and connectedness”.
This observance exposes students to learn about the 54 commonwealth countries, their dressing, mannerisms, national flags, languages and respective historical past for quality presentation.
The Commonwealth theme song, poetry recitations, dance drama, cultural dance and other exhibitions are all subtle ways to explicate the significance of Commonwealth in pooling the collective resources and knowledge of member countries in mutual cooperation to deliver transformed changes in trade, investment, human rights, democratic governance, quality education, digitized learning and most importantly, the issue of women and girl-child empowerment for sustainability.
Dr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba who is also a member Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid19, urged the general public including students, “While you are here and as you go, you must not forget that Covid-19 is real and its preventive measures must be adhered to. Try to wash your hands as often as possible, use hand sanitizers, use your face mask and maintain physical & social distancing to ensure your safety, that of your family and others”.
