Social commentator and lawyer, Okoi Obono-Obla has, at a book launch in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area, told youths to understand “it is not only in politics that” they can make it.
Obono-Obla was speaking at the launch of “Okagbeng And The Mermaid”, a compelling fictional work written by Stephen David Eteng. He opined that other than confine themselves to picking the crumbs politics offer, youths must begin to think up better ways of working hard and earning a decent living. Stephen Eteng, by writing and publishing his work, he said, has shown clearly that he belongs to a generation that can inspire other young people to achieve greatness.
Reviewing the book, a Commissioner in the CRS Civil Service Commission and renowned historian, Dr. Otu Abam Ubi, described the novel as “an impeccable, fantastic and well written novel”. He went on to commend the writer for taking time to write an “articulate fictional work that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best works of art that Nigeria can offer”. Specifically, Ubi said Eteng’s delivery “in firm, crisp and comprehensible grammar is a delight”, while hoping that at some point in the not too distant future, the book will be a prescribed text for secondary schools in Nigeria.
Earlier in his remarks at the well attended occasion, the author, Stephen Eteng, informed the gathering that the book is his contribution to literature and hoped that a lot of people will make time out and read the work.
Present at the occasion were the ‘Okpebri’ of Ugep, Obol Cornelius Edet, renowned professor of Sociology, Oka Obono, Daniel Ubana of the Federal Character Commission, among others.
