It was the final round of the examination for the 2021 'One day Governor' for Abia State. The winner will be Governor for 24 hours. The 2nd runner up will be the Deputy Governor and the 3rd Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
She was among the top 20. It was her turn to answer the question that will qualify her for the top 3.
"𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫? 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦?".
The girl froze on her feet. She looked this way and that way. Perfect silence. She didn't utter a word. The question was repeated. She shook her head.
The panel of jurors wanted to disqualify her.
I motioned to her to come. She stepped closer to me on the judges' seat.
I asked her if she did not read her textbooks in school. She was an arts student. I asked her if she did not read her literature books as well. She shook her head.
No, their books were never supplied to their schools!
Everyone stared in horror. How on earth did they learn in school WITHOUT books?
And the girl could not remember any book she had read the class before? Or the one before?
You say it is not her fault? It is the school's fault? What about her parents? Why didn't they make sure their kid had books?
Couldn't they have bought just one book in a whole year for her?
I am still in shock.
Lots of people 'believe' that kids these days read or study too much. They read for hours in school and hours at home, when in reality they haven't actually read ONE book the whole 365days of a year!
Ok so you are not a kid and you are not in school and you think it is ok to go from month to month without reading any book to improve yourself.
All you do to grow yourself is read other people's posts, a few articles, watch short clips and listen to a couple of podcasts.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH!
Cultivate a reading culture. 'Study to make yourself approved' is applicable not just to your spiritual life but to every aspect of your life. You must study to build capacity.
The young girl was competing to be Governor for one day and that vital question became one of the factors that would qualify her.
If you are a parent, I want you to ask your kids
"𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫? 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦?".
Do not stop at that, buy them books. Not just their textbooks. Buy literature in different spheres of life. Supervise their reading. You are equipping them for life.
If you are not a parent, that's OK.
But the answer to this same question may be the key to that door you have been trying to open. The lessons learnt from that book may be the point you will make in that conversation that will stand you out as an authority.
It may be the keypoint in that impromptu speech or the answer to that interview question, that will qualify you for that global position.
Though you may not be an aspiring Governor, but as a leader, you are as important to the people in your sphere of influence as a Governor.
So I ask you reading this writeup that same question, plus another one.
𝟏. "𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫? 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦?".
𝟐. "𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫? 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦?