BY RITA OYIBOKA
THE Chairman, Delta State Library Board, Barr. Innocent Ogboru has charged Deltans to return to books and visit libraries as a path to personal and societal development.
He made this statement, yesterday, during a sensitisation road walk to commemorate World Book Day in Asaba.
The Theme was “Read Your Way”, while the walk commenced at the state Library headquarters at Maryam Babangida Way, brought together staff of the board, representatives from the Ministry of Education, and education-stakeholders.
The procession moved through Summit road, Anwai road, Okpanam road and Nnebisi road, catching the attention of commuters and residents with the distribution of fliers bearing messages promoting literacy, learning and library use.
Speaking with journalists after the exercise, Ogboru said the purpose of the event was to spark a mindset shift, particularly among young people and parents who have lost faith in formal education.
“The essence is to sensitise the public on reading culture, to improve reading and to tell our people that school is not a scam. There is a lot to gain if you study and go to school,” he said.
He lamented the growing trend of reading apathy and misinformation about the value of education, calling on parents to lead by example by visiting the library themselves and encouraging their children to do same.
As part of broader efforts to revive the reading culture, Ogboru revealed plans for a large-scale international book fair in the state. According to him, the fair will feature foreign authors and international publishers, with shipments of new books already being arranged.
“The Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori is working to ensure that it happens within a short time. Once it’s approved, we’ll hit the ground running. It’s going to be an international book fair, with authors from abroad attending and donating books,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Acting Director, Delta State Library Board, Mrs. Irikefe Edirin, said the road walk was held to educate the public on the importance of reading, stressing that “to become somebody in life, you must be an ardent reader.”
She emphasised that reading is not just for exams but also for leisure, self-improvement and staying relevant in a fast-changing world.
The Delta State Library Board said it will roll out more expansive programmes in coming weeks to deepen library services across the state.
