Writers Can Correct Nigeria’s Rot -Amaechi

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, has tasked writers to check bad governance and correct ills of society through their works.
The governor, who gave the charge while declaring open the sixth Port Harcourt Book Festival yesterday in Port Harcourt, observed that unlike writers in the past, current Nigerian writers had been blinded by profit motives, instead of using their works to make the country better.
“Literature is all about reality. Outside writers like Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe that responded to society, who else among the current writers are doing that today?” he asked.
He stated that no writer had probed the ills associated with the N2.3 trillion expended on the oil subsidy and pointed out that since pecuniary needs had blinded most of the current Nigeria writers, it would be difficult to correct ills and reform the country.
The Rivers State governor stressed that society must stand up and demand good governance from its leaders, and disclosed that the state government was not relenting in its quest to revive the reading culture and arts, with the building of a N3 billion Creative Village along the Chief G.U. Ake Road in Port Harcourt.
He also said a world class theatre to be named after the first black Miss World, Agbani Daerego would be unveiled in December.
Earlier, key note speaker and former Education Minister, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili said it was high time Nigeria tapped from its huge literary resource.
Ezekwesili who spoke on the theme “Literature and the Creative Economy”, posited that while creative economy would lead to a quantum leap in Nigeria’s economy, it required discipline and commitment from the leaders and citizenry.
The one time Vice President of the World Bank in Africa stressed that the best resource was one that resided in the people and as such literature and creative arts remained the antidote to oil economy.
Also, Vice Chancellor of University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Joseph Ajenka lauded the Rivers State Government for initiating the festival and pledged the university’s commitment to foster creativity in the state.
Festival Director, Mrs Koko Kalango said this year’s festival was a prelude to the Port Harcourt Book Capital celebrations next year, hence, the need to re-christine the festival from Garden City to Port Harcourt Book Festival.

L-R: PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, President Goodluck Jonathan, Founder, Edwin Kiagbodo Clark Foundation, Chief Edwin Clark, his wife, Bisola, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and the keynote Speaker/President, Rainbow Push Coalition, Rev. Jesse Jackson, at the launch of the Edwin Kiagbodo Clark Foundation in Abuja last Monday.