SPEECHES

Remarks
Charge d’Affairs
Robert E. Gribbin
Embassy of the United States

Book Donation

September 20, 2007
Gombe

• His Excellency Alhaji Danjuma Goje - Sarkin yaki - The Executive Governor of Gombe State.
• Mrs. Aishatu M. B. Ahmad, Commissioner for Education, Ministry of Education
• Other distinguished dignitaries.
• All protocols observed.

It gives me great pleasure to be here today to donate books to four schools in Gombe State. 

Support for education is a high priority for the American government, and represents a significant aspect of our foreign assistance around the world.

I personally feel that education is vital to cultivating and sustaining any society.

Education is also encouraged, indeed obligated, by the teachings of Islam.

In the incisive words of the Prophet Muhammad – Peace Be Unto Him – “Knowledge is incumbent on everyone, male and female, from the cradle to the grave.”

Children are the future and promise of every nation, and they are clearly the promise of Nigeria.

Education inspires children to learn, explore and discover the world.

At the same time, children learn the importance of self-respect, dignity and service to their community.

It is our generation’s responsibility to ensure that all children, girls and boys, are given the opportunity to contribute to the development of this great nation.

The American Government is committed to supporting Nigeria’s goal of providing quality education to every Nigerian child.

As the African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child”.

In our partnership with the Northern Nigerian State Governments, much has already been done to improve the education of the thousands of students.  

Now, the American Government will continue to support education by donating books on a large scale to sixty schools in Northern Nigeria including four schools in Gombe State and eight schools in Borno State.

In addition to the donations today books will be donated to schools in Borno, Kano, Katsina, Niger, and Sokoto.  Some donations have already taken place and other donations will take place over the next several months.  

Over eleven thousand volumes will be donated – that’s over two and a half tons of books!

Today is the second such book donation, and it is my pleasure to present these educational materials to the principles of the invited schools on behalf of the American people.

The following four schools will receive the books:

Bangu Primary School
Special Education Center, Gombe
Government Day Secondary School, Gelengu
Government Girls College, Doma

Each set of books consists of 198 titles and focuses on: 

• The African American Experience.  This collection contains books focusing on the African American Experience.  This collection is intended for students in junior secondary schools.  A second set contains biographies of key African Americans in U.S. History.
• Secondary Ambassador Collection.  This collection contains over 100 books and items for teachers and is a combination of US history, geography, biographies, science, fiction and sports.

The books are published by Scholastic Press in the United States and are all in English.   

I trust that these books will be put to great use for the benefit of the students of these schools. 

I would like to take this opportunity to give you three words of advice:

READ!  READ!  READ!

Thank you.