By Henry Akubuiro
Dr. Ethel Okere used one stone to kill two birds. The audience had books, wine and smiles. For veteran journalist and Director, Imo State Orientation Agency, it was a rare book reading in the Imo State capital, Owerri, mixed with birthday celebration.
Venue was the Umueze Hall of the upscale Rockview Hotel in Owerri, last Friday, seething with dignitaries from private and public lives, who had come to see Dr. Ethelbert Okere read from his latest novels, Rebel Cattle and Ogbanje Currency.
On hand to listen to the reading were dignitaries, such as the former Imo State Governor, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim, who served as the chief host; the Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Declan Emelumba; the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Prof. Boniface Nworgu: Prof Valin Obinna of Imo State University and Prof. Frances Chukwukere, his colleague in the university.
A public intellectual, Dr. Okere (63) had, before now, authored creative works, such as The Last Order and Democracy by Military Tank, aside other works of nonfiction.
The audience listened with rapt attention as Dr. Okere read excerpts from the book, which offered a telltale sign of their contents. Intermittently, there were gesticulations and vocal reactions to the narratives, depending on the emotions being communicated by the author.
Dr. Okere wasn’t the only one who offered the audience an intellectual porridge, though he was the cynosure of all eyes. In his review, the publisher of National Newsbreak newspaper, Gele Agbani, said Rebel Cattle, an allegorical novel, captured the crisis between animals and their human masters, which, 76 years ago, the British novelist, George Orwell, had experimented with his popular novel, Animal Farm.
Agbai observed that this particular allegory told the story of rebellion mounted by the cattle against their herders in a setting in Benue State, Nigeria which has suffered the highest farmers/herders clashes, resulting in the death of several indigenes of the state.
In Okere’s fiction, the reviewer recalled that the narrator named Musa, one of the rebellious cattle, insisted that he and his colleagues would no longer trek from Maiduguri in the North to Port Harcourt in the South.
Said the reviewer: “Musa insisted on being treated by their master like animals in the whiteman’s land are treated. In the wihteman’s land, animals do not live a nomadic life; they are kept in a ranch, fed properly and given medical care whenever the need arises.
“Every entreaty made by Abdullahi, Musa’s master for him and other cattle to trek from Benue State to the south was resisted, resulting in Abdullahi hiring a truck to ferry the animals back to Maiduguri.
“Dr. Okere displayed mastery as he presented the story in a free-flowing lucid prose which holds the reader’s attention and keeps him in suspense till he finishes reading the novel.”
Reviewing the second book, the reviewer said The Ogbanje Currency mainly “focuses on the depreciating value of the country’s currency, Naira, which dances naked in the face of other currencies, especially the dollar. Many people confess that they procure far less these days with the same amount of Naira they spent even last year.
“Like an Ogbanje child, which does not come to stay, the Naira vanishes immediately it comes into one’s hands without purchasing things of much value for the owner.”
Addressing the gathering earlier, the former Governor of Imo State, Dr, Ikedi Ohakim, urged Nigerians to listen to Musa. Like Abdullahi did in the book, Ohakim told the cattle owners in the country to consider the cries of Musa and his demurring colleagues, even as he vowed to make “the book of the moment” travel beyond Imo State.
”This is the book of the moment. Nigerians must listen to Musa, Musa has cried, Musa has been lamenting. Musa emaciated, but Abdullahi and so on didn’t listen,” he said.
The former state governor also lamented the depreciating value of the Naira which had made it become an” Ogbanje currency”. He regretted that many Nigerians had been compelled to beg due to the high inflation rate in the country.
He advised Dr. Okere to publish another book during his next birthday. Other guests who spoke on the occasion commended the author for being prolific. Prof. Francis Chukwukere, in his remarks, iterated that the culture of reading literary works should be imbibed by all.
Commending the author, he said, “Dr. Okere has opened a new vista in this part of the world where the pursuit for money seems to have taken preeminence. With the reading of the novels, there is no doubt that people here would begin to appreciate literary works.”
Dr Okere, in an exclusive chat after the reading, said there was an urgent need to bring the culture of book reading to Owerri. “It’s high time we started reading our books. Here, authors are concerned with public presentations, which is different from book reading.
“When an author reads to the public, it creates an additional excitement to the readers. It’s like telling a folktale to your children or young ones around you. There is an indescribable thrill that comes from hearing from the author himself. I am glad those who attended today’s reading were excited. It was something different from what they were used to. I am going to work on more outings like this in Imo and elsewhere.”
Also in attendance were His Royal Highness, Eze Eme Njoku of Nguru-Umuowa Autonomous Community in the Ngor-Okpala LGA, Chief Chinedu Asinu-Anosike(CONA); Engr. Augustine Okere, Dr. Chinyere Ujunwa-Okere, Dr. Chuks Osuji, Prof. Eugene Opara, and Bishop Athan Azubuike, a Special Adviser to the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma.
