Youths in Cross River State have been urged to regenerate the spirit of reading to enable them compete with their contemporaries globally.
The charge was given by the CEO of Calabar Hospitality House, Mrs. Justina Ovat at the launch of the Calabar Book Club (CBC), breakfast meeting held Saturday in Calabar, Cross River State capital.
The Calabar Book Club which is a brainchild of Justina Ovat is aimed at inculcating and reinvigorating the spirit of reading amongst Nigerian youths.
“This idea was conceived right in my office. I discovered that people no longer like reading. People don’t even consider buying books any longer especially books that cost more than a thousand five hundred, it gets worse when it even cost up to five thousand Naira.
“We all know that reading is a tool for self and collective development. So the main aim of the Book Club is to bring together like minds to form reading sessions, review literary works and also use the forum to propagate and instill the spirit of reading in the society,” said the Convener, Justina Ovat.
Also speaking at the event, former Cross River Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, Attah Ochinke opined that reading is the bedrock of self development. He said the benefits of reading cannot be overemphasized, and should not be allowed to go down the drain. He thanked the Convener for setting up the book club, adding that “it will help inculcate the spirit of reading among Nigerian youths.”
Also, a legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, Barrister Leonard Anyogo said in a society where reading is gradually eroding the youths, it is expedient that the media is brought in to enable it pass the message to the circular world. He also thanked the Convener for conceiving such initiative and pledged his support to the Club to enable it actualise it’s vision.
The breakfast meeting which is its maiden edition also had in attendance the likes of the SA to the Cross Rver State Governor on Youth Development, Prince Goodwill Edward, his counterpart on Youth Mobilisation, Prince Mike Nku Abuo, Creative Director of Leyi Ush, Sandra Ushie, IT consultant and founder of Academix.ng, Iso Edim and a host of others.
Highpoints of the event was a debate session, a review of the book “As A Man Thinketh” by former Cross River Attorney General, Book reading by Sandra Uleyi as well as breakfast for attendees.
