Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe has identified reading culture as key to the expansion of the frontiers of knowledge in the country.
Buni, who is the Caretaker Extra-ordinary Convention Committee National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), made the remark at a book launch titled, “the Paths that Take Us”, authored by Aliyu Baba-Ari, on Saturday, in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor was represented by retired Brig.-Gen. Abdulsalam Dahiru.
The governor, who decried the decline of reading culture in the country, enjoined all Nigerians to imbibe reading culture to promote knowledge and education.
“It is very difficult nowadays to see someone reading a book. I commend the author for his doggedness, resilience and sacrifice that made him succeed in expanding the frontiers of knowledge.
He urged the author to continue to strive to ensure that he toed the paths of great scholars by writing many more books that would serve as a source of encouragement to others, especially the younger generations.
Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Abubakar Mamu, retired Permanent Secretary of the defunct Federal Ministry of Power and Steel, emphasised the need for every Nigerian to contribute toward addressing security challenges facing the North East.
Mamu said that the book would increase public understanding of the current socio-economic and security challenges bedeviling the North East and placed them in a better position to help address it.
Also, the mother of the author, Mrs Yalwa Fatima Baba-Ari, said she was very proud of her son and the book he wrote.
“The book written by my son is a firsthand account of what has been happening in the North East in the last decade. We experienced losses, disappearances and so on.
“He was very close to my late son Squadron Leader Bello Baba-Ari, who died in 2018 during Nigeria independence anniversary day rehearsal by the Nigerian Air force.
“They were so close and all the missions that he took, he revealed some to him even though there are restrictions,” she said.
On his part, the author, Aliyu Baba-Ari, explained that it was inspiring to write the book out of desire, to tell the story of the North East by the people of the region.
“Like I keep saying, we need to tell our stories by ourselves. We don’t need to wait for someone else to tell our stories on our behalf.
“I decided to write the book to tell our stories and I assure you many more books will follow to give an account of what has been happening in the region.
“We need to create this public outrage about what has been going on for too long in the North East and it is only by creating more awareness that will help the government to do more than what they are already doing,” he said
He appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to strive toward reducing the number of out-of-school children in the northeast “even if it was one child you take from the street.”
In attendance were former Interim National Secretary of APC, Alhaji Tijjani Tumsah, Emir of Fika, represented by AVM Alkali Mamu, former First Lady, Maryam Abacha among others. (NAN)
