Every right thinking person knows that the leadership deficit we see all around us cannot be divorced from the phobia for reading that has assumed epidemic proportions in our society.
To say that there is a direct correlation between readership and leadership is to state the obvious. Reading is a vital activity that helps an individual imbibe traits, habits, attitudes and knowledge that combine to make him a better person. Even before the advent of reading and writing in our society, each community had an organized way of inculcating desirable norms and values into their young ones. By so doing, they equipped these youngsters with the requisite wisdom to handle any leadership position or any other responsibility they were given. In my part of the world, the tortoise featured prominently in these informal instructions. We saw tortoise in various roles and taught by skilled story tellers, how not to fall into the snares he fell into as he tried to deploy all kinds of tricks in his dealings with others.
Many people who were groomed with such tales will testify that they have grown with the consciousness of the lessons learnt from these stories delivered deftly during the moon circus, round the Harmattan bonfire and other auspicious moments in those good old days.
The point I am trying to make is that stories have a huge place in the upbringing of children. There seems to be a gaping hole in the mind of a child that only good stories can fill. Even as adults, we are captivated by good stories. That is why our film industry is thriving. Thousands of Nigerians have complained bitterly about the low quality of films we churn out in Nollywood but the speed with which millions of copies of the same films are bought does not seem to lend credence to these reports. Yes, the complainants have a good case but we just love stories naturally and these stories make impact in our lives one way or the other.
Literature is the aspect of the school curriculum designed to feed the minds of the scholars with good stories carefully crafted by creative minds either as prose, poetry or drama. Literature not only gets learners to enjoy good stories but also shows them how to write and present them. It is a field of study that exposes learners to characters from all over the world, showing their good and bad sides and highlighting traits that one should learn from them.
As a child in junior secondary school, I remember reading a play titled ‘This is our chance’ by Ene Henshaw of blessed memory. We were made to act it, memorizing the lines. That play remains indelible in my mind till today and made me fall in love with plays. The character of Bambulu stuck and made a great impact in my young mind. So did Brother Jero’s character in Wole Soyinka’s play, Trials of Brother Jero. Some poems we were made to memorize and perform also made their marks. The experiences we had in the literature classes fired a zeal to find books and devour them. That is why some people finished reading dozens of pacesetters, mills and Boon, James Hardley Chase, African Writers series and so on while still in the secondary school. It is important to state that it was not just about adding more titles to your collection. Each new book you read opens your mind to new vistas of reality you never knew existed, thus making you a more enlightened person.
This is a far cry from what we have today. The society has degenerated to the point that teachers are afraid of any book that is above a hundred pages. They prefer pamphlets which they can hurry over and get on to other things. It is so bad that a university student has to be cajoled, coerced or forced to read a text he has been forced to buy. When teachers are afraid of reading, who will inspire the students to read?
The teacher of today finds it difficult to go that extra mile to introduce some kind of excitement into the instructional package to lure the learners into the spirit of the written word. It is only when the teacher emits that spark and learners contact it that a zeal for reading is born and the student begins to quest for more. To this extent, it may be safe to say that teachers are guilty of wanting the writer dead. Who else?
The educational environment should be structured to promote reading and writing. The way our schools appear suggests that nothing good can come out of the main activities they are known for; reading and writing. To confirm this view, the learners see the products of these institutions hopelessly roaming the streets, some regretting wasting their years reading and writing. My point is that the political leaders must show the younger generation that reading pays. When people see that those who read habitually have something to show for it, they will be encouraged to make reading a habit.
Year after year, all we hear from our leaders is that the reading culture is going down but no one is doing anything to reverse the trend. One wonders whether these people understand the import of this ugly scenario. If our people, especially the youngsters are not reading, it means we have failed as their parents and teachers. It means they have derailed. It means their minds will be occupied by retrogressive thoughts and rustic ideas. Former governors Muazu of Niger state and Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers state are two leaders I know who took the revival of the reading culture beyond political gimmickry. Most other leaders only remember reading culture when they are making political statements that are forgotten as soon as they get down from the podium.
There are people who have the calling to write creative literature. They cannot experience fulfilment unless they write. These people are like individuals possessed by some spirits that impress it upon them to write even if no one buys or read their works. The Nigerian state just overlooks this set of people and feigns ignorance of their existence. These are the people that shape the thought patterns of their generation and those following. There must be a conscious effort to ensure that the writers of this generation are preserved. The government should consciously look into the plight of these people in the face of dwindling interest in reading and writing in this society.
When the governor declares his support for a beauty pageantry that costs the state some millions and refuses to honour a quiz contest, that governor is an enemy of education. Let there be reading campaigns that will attract big prizes. There is nothing wrong in giving car prizes for excellent performance in drama, poetry or other performances based on books read.
Encourage writers by buying up good books they have written and distribute them to school children. The former governor of Niger state earlier mentioned used to collect manuscripts from writers in his state, which he published. Needless to say, such writers will be greatly encouraged to bring out their best. Undoubtedly, political leaders fall into the second category of those who want writers dead.
The third category is made up of those who will never buy any book by local writers from year to year.
I believe we all have a duty to keep our writers alive by doing whatever we can to make our society a reading one.
Nnenna Ihebom
