… As Club hosts Nigeria in Book Reading Conference; unveils Official Festival Logo
Ndifreke Jacob, Uyo.
The indifferent and apathetic culture of people to reading will soon be a tale of the past as Uyo Book Club, a fast rising assemblage of book lovers has taken action to ensuring the daily intellectual depth and needs of people is enriched and sustained.
The Club started by Mr Udeme Nnanna in Uyo and expanded swiftly to Ikot Ekpene and Eket with the vision of exposing people to rich intellectual contents and resources is set to make a historic feat in country and Africa.
In what seems to be addressed as history making, the Uyo based Book Club is prepared to host the first ever book clubs conference in Nigeria and Africa come September, 2021.
Unveiling the official logo for the event tagged, National Book Clubs and Reading Promoters Conference, ‘Uyo 2021’, at Williams Shakespeare hall, Watbridge Hotel and Suites on Tuesday, the Patron of the Club, Barr. Ekong Sampson who doubles as Chairman Local Organizing Committee noted that arrangements are in top gear to host participants from all over the country for the event.
The LOC Chairman performing the unveiling of the logo said, the logo signpost ‘Uyo 2021’ and will bring Nigeria to the peaceful city of Uyo as a diplomat.
Sampson who revealed the club has invested millions of naira to purchasing more books for the library ahead of the event, noted that ”the book is a global citizen that speaks all languages, doesn’t belong to any political party or need passport to go to anywhere in the world, that’s why the book is strong and bipartisan”; called for support and cooperation from all book lovers.
Earlier, the Club founder, Dr. Udeme Nnanna in his remarks expressed appreciation to the LOC Chairman and members of the club for joining forces to drive the book club and put things in place to ensure Uyo host Nigeria.
He said, ”this is the first ever book reading conference that will be held in Nigeria, or anywhere in West Africa, Africa. It is significant because it’s coming to Uyo and it’s not in Ife or Ibadan. It is not in any locality in Nigeria.
It is important that Akwa Ibom people embrace this vision, because when our people are exposed to books, the sensibility of our people will become refined and when the sensibility of people are refined, they help to make for development and sustainable growth of human societies that’s why this book launch have become very important.”
Commending the club for a job well done, Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey represented by his Special Assistant on New Media, Mr Darlington Udobong, registered the unalloyed support of the State house to ensuring information about the conference gets wider publicity and support.
In the same vein, the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet represented by Mr Ikpe Effiong commended the initiators of the club for conceiving the idea of reawakening the reading culture of our people.
The Education boss explained that reading culture cannot be separated from education no matter the level one gets to in life, noting that the club has placed itself as a platform of positive engagement for people of all strata.
In his goodwill message, Chairman Nigeria Bar Association, Uyo Branch, Barr. Ememobong Nicholas ‘Aguda’ applauded the club for taking the pains to bring back the reading culture among the people.
He pledged the Bar’s resolve to ensuring intellectual investment and deposit in people championed by the Uyo book club is given a rousing support.
Also speaking, Abom Tony Esu, the Patron Raffia City book club thanked the founder, patron of the club for an excellent idea conceived and pursued with diligence. He hinted that Raffia City book club has keyed into the vision of reading and set up a well furnished facility for book lovers in the city to use.
Meanwhile, the conference will hold in Uyo from Thursday 16th – Saturday 18th September, 2021.
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