Books should make us move, spur us into action – NCCE boss challenges readers

The Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has challenged Ghanaians to put into action the ideas they come across in books.

Josephine Nkrumah said the essence of reading is not just about knowledge acquisition but rather the application of it.

“Books should make us move; books should spur us into action and if they’re not doing that, then sadly, we haven’t attained the maximum objective for writers and for readers as well,” she said.

The private legal practitioner disclosed this at the 2018 AIBF Literary Awards organised by the Accra International Book Festival (AIBF) last Saturday.

The event organised brought together writers and readers from Ghana and Nigeria. It was chaired by the Chairman of the Ghana Folklore Board and former Vice-Chancellor of the Tamale Technical University, Professor Abdulai Salifu Asuro.

Some writers and readers seized the opportunity to share their reading experiences with the teeming audience.
But the NCCE boss cautioned that the “idea of reading is not just to gain knowledge but more importantly to translate that knowledge into action.”

In a rather frank message, Ms Nkrumah said work done by readers would be zero if they cannot translate the ideas they come into contact with into action.

“So, today as we sit here, exchange ideas; we share our knowledge about what is available on the market, what our challenges are. I want us all to read at least one book a month. Whether it is fiction or non-fiction. Sometimes it can even be the Bible or Quran,” she said.

To Ms Nkrumah, it does not matter what the reader is reading at a particular time. “The important thing is you’re reading and the reading should inspire you to do something.”