Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State has tasked parents with enhancing reading culture among the younger generation.
He stated this on Monday via a press statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communication, Emmanuel Bello, while congratulating Asogha Wunuji, the winner of the just concluded Readathon contest.
Wunuji, an indigene of Taraba State, set a new Guinness World Record by reading aloud for 166 hours, beating the previous record of 124 hours and becoming the longest reader on the planet.
Describing the feat as a testament to the strength of willpower, the governor, who had earlier met Wunuji at the Government Lodge, Wukari, said he knew the competitor would make it.
He said: “I saw the determination in his eyes and knew instinctively that he has what it takes to go for it.”
Kefas noted that Wunuji’s victory should serve as a source of encouragement to young people that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.
He urged young people to always support each other as a victory for one belongs to all of them and emphasised the need for teamwork, as Wunuji’s friends did at the contest.
He added that the reading competition aligns with the free education policy of his administration.
Kefas, who stressed that libraries are a component of effective learning, admonished parents to ensure their wards imbibe the reading culture, affirming that books are clear paths to success and a veritable compass for life.