From Chinyere Obi-Obasi, books for FCT schools

ONE of the finalists for the 2011 NLNG Prize for Literature in the children literature category, Chinyere Obi-Obasi, has donated 1000 copies of her books to the FCT Universal Basic Education, for distribution to primary and junior secondary schools in the nation's capital.The donation, 500 copies each of her shortlisted children story, The Great Fall and another of her book, The Brave Driver, she noted, was to demonstrate her love for children. 'I am doing this because I am one of those interested in making Nigeria a better place and one of the ways to ensure that is by improving literacy which borders a lot on the reading culture.'Speaking further, she said that despite the presence of television and internet, some children still read, insisting therefore that unavailability of books or lack of access to it is the reason why most children don't read. 'These children are my target and the reason I am doing this, because the only solution to the reading culture is the availability of books. More so, I am doing this to inspire other people to realise the need to make books available for our schools because that is the only way we can encourage the coming generations to imbibe the habit of reading.'Mallam Adamu Noma, the FCT UBEB Director who received the books on behalf of the FCT schools was full of gratitude and praise for Mrs. Chinyere Obi-Obasi, 'This is a wonderful gesture. We are proud of you, madam. We are proud of you because there are people in this country who are rich enough to afford to purchase and donate a million copies of books to schools across the country, but never thought it necessary to do so,' he said, adding that more Nigerians should emulate the type of generousity that the author had demonstrated.Earlier in his remarks, Mr. Edwin Ohribhabor who led other members of ANA Abuja to witness the donation advocated for literature to be made compulsory in school syllabus. 'We are at a crossroad presently, to get the younger generation reading, we must consider making literature compulsory in our school syllabus, rather than optional as we have it today.' This, he said, would go a long way in boosting reading culture among young ones as pupils and students take serious anything on their syllabus because they know they must pass examinations.
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