A Chief Lecturer in Mass Communication, Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, Udeme Nana, has published two new books, adding to his growing scholarly legacy.
One of the publications, “Success Secrets of Cristiano Ronaldo” is dedicated to notable football talent, Cristiano Ronaldo, whom the author describes as an iconic professional and a role model for sportsmen and women and all who seek sustainable growth and success in their endeavours.
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The other Book, Musings of Yesteryears’, a Collection of poems is dedicated to an accomplished retired technocrat in Akwa Ibom State, Sir Sunday Udo Akpan.
According to Dr. Nana, “Success Secrets of Cristiano Ronaldo” was published to commemorate the 40th birthday of the global football icon, whose life has inspired many youths to develop their talents in football.
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According to the author, “Musings of Yesteryears”, is a collection of poems dedicated to Sir Sunday Udo Akpan, one of my early mentors who sponsored the typing of the manuscript and encouraged me when I was a teenager.
Dr. Nana, who is also the founder of the widely popular Uyo Book Club, a literary initiative that has now spread beyond Akwa Ibom State, stressed the transformative power of reading, urging people to be more intentional about it.
He explained that reading plays a critical role in the acquisition of knowledge, promotes focus, attention span and provides full in-depth and insights needed to navigate life’s challenges.
He warned that neglecting reading could result in a gradual erosion of intelligence and relevance, stressing that individuals who fail to read risk falling behind in a fast-changing world. “Those who don’t read are endangered species who are on the cusp of losing touch with current realities and risks cognitive decline, he said.
He advised young people to remain focused, consistent, and committed in their pursuits, noting that despite early setbacks in his own academic journey, including failing his WAEC examinations due to peer distractions, he did not allow the situation to wear him down.
“Yes I failed in my very first experience of taking external examinations but I picked up myself and made good at another chance,” he said.
Joseph Ushie, a professor of General Stylistics and Literary Criticism at the University of Uyo, who introduced ‘Musings of Yesteryears’, described it as a powerful work which revealed the richness and depth of the author when he was a teenager.
“Let me affirm that Udeme Nana’s Musings of Yesteryears’ is truly a work of poetry that reflects the author’s thoughts and perception of the world around him while still in his formative years, yet the creative and imaginative prowess and the level of sophistication in the use of English displayed here are far deeper, far more mature and valid for all time than the works of many adult writers,” Professor Ushie observed.
He pointed out that the collection explores political corruption, social injustice, moral decline, economic exploitation, and the decay of pre-colonial cultural institutions.
The former Dean of Arts in the University of Uyo drew attention to Udeme Nana’s celebration of nature noting that “these poems whose thrust is on the environment would qualify the poet for classification as a nature poet in the mould of the European Romantic Poets but with a slight difference.
In his words, “the Romantic Poets emphasis was largely on deep ecology, which translates to love of nature for nature’s own sake, while Udeme Nana’s work is more inclined to anthropomorphic eco – writing, which means the work concerns itself with the environment in so far as environment relates to , or conduces to humankind’s survival and pleasure.”
While acknowledging that the issues raised may not trigger immediate governmental response, Prof. Ushie maintained that the literary work explains the civic value of the work and rendered a public service by documenting our societal challenges and calling attention to the values we risk losing.
Similarly, Friday Okon, a professor at the Department of English, University of Uyo, lauded Udeme Nana’s poetic voice as one deserving national recognition for his initiative to get Nigerians to embrace the culture of reading.
The erudité professor said “thanks to Udeme Nana, Uyo Book Club is alive, Raffia City Book Club, Abak Book Club, Eket Book Club, Oro Nation Book Club and Ibiono Ibom Book Club are alive as testaments to his legacy”
He said the poetry book “attempts to wake us up to the need to take reading more seriously, to encourage the culture of reading in our children and to regard reading as the greatest resource.”
Prof. Okon also pointed to the time frame of the poems, noting that they reflect a period when diligence and intellectual engagement were more widespread among the youth, while urging the current generation to build resilience against peer pressure and, like Mr Nana, seek mentorship and inspiration from those more experienced and enlightened.
He lauded the scholar’s mature political consciousness that undergirded the creation of the contents of the book by the author at a youthful age adding that it would become one of the respected scholar’s lasting legacy.
As Udeme Nana continues to champion a re-awakening and promotion of the culture of reading among Nigerians, his life and work serves as a powerful reminder of the value of books in shaping minds and societies, Mr Okon noted
He called on students, parents, educators, and leaders to join in the drive to revive the culture of reading as a tool for personal development, civic responsibility, and collective progress. He noted that democracy thrives best in societies where a majority of the citizens can read, understand that their destinies are in their hands.
Dominic Umoh writes from UYO., Akwa Ibom State.
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