By Jonathan Ugbal and Maxwell Effiong
Senator Sandy Onoh (PDP, CR Central) has chided Governor Ben Ayade of and his deputy, Professor Ivara Esu over the state of the library complex headquarters in Calabar.
According to Onoh, the experience of Cross Riverians especially as it regards the State Library complex is not one that befits the status of its leaders who hold the highest titles in the academia; Professors.
“We are experiencing a lot of contradictions in our society, the library in Cross River State may not even exist any longer but we have two professors at the helm of our government, may God help us,” Onoh, who was also elevated to the status of Professor recently lamented during his interaction with attendees of the review of Chinua Achebe’s ’There Was A Country’ by Emeritus Professor Kalu Uka last Saturday.
The review was organized by the Calabar Book Club which also saw the launch of the School Library Project.
And, Onoh who decried the values that were now popular among the young ones that bright minds were not making money like those who don’t read, shared a story of how he encourages his son to read when he complains that moneybags are not always necessarily avid readers.
The lawmaker urged the youths to be inspired by his story; one who graduated top of his class and is doing well in the larger society.
Onoh who said he had no idea a book club existed in the State until the Chairman of the club’s Board of Trustees, Attah Ochinke invited him, donated a quarter of a million to the club’s project.
The event drew notable personalities such as former Attorney General of Cross River State, Eyo Ekpo; Clergyman and former aide to Governor Liyel Imoke on religious matters, Pastor Okpo Ene, Professor Ayara Ndem Ndiyo and Dr. Liwhu Betiang of the University of Calabar as well as the General Manager of Sparkling FM Calabar, Effiong Nyong among others.
And, Professor Ayara in his interaction pledge to partner the club to move from just promoting reading culture to knowledge sharing where the good and bad sides of a book are reviewed in order to mold young minds to impact positively on the society.
He commended the School Library Project of the club even as he hoped that; “it will not be another way of trying to build a dumping ground for some of our old books”.
Further expressing his fears, he averred that: “not too long from now that what we call books and our generations may be known as book age, as the form of books, the content of books and the quality may be changed.”
According to him, the best way to promote a reading culture was to make book reading interactive as the world is moving to a time where books will be viewed the way the stone age is currently remembered.
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