By Our Reporter
Rt. Hon. Orok Duke, The Cross River State representative on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has said he was launching five books on November 5,including the one that tell his painful childhood experiences during the Nigerian Civil War.
Making this known in Calabar, Tuesday, the former lawmaker said the books comprise three prose works and two poetry collections covering the Civil War, family history, Calabar’s changing identity, societal challenges and personal experiences.
He described the book, Welcome to Uyo: The Nigerian Civil War Through the Eyes of the Calabar Child, 1967 to 1970, as his magnum opus, explaining that it was inspired by events he witnessed as a child.
He recalled that his mother, a teacher, was posted to Uyo during the war, taking the family to a town that received large numbers of people displaced by the conflict.
According to Otuekong Orok Duke, the presence of refugees exposed residents and children to the harsh realities of war, including hunger, death and the suffering of people forced to abandon their homes.
Duke said he witnessed the death of people and the loss of classmates, memories that remained with him over the years and eventually inspired him to document the experience.
He also recalled the grim situation at the time, including numerous deaths and burial grounds established within the premises of the then Teachers Training College in Uyo.
The author said children who lived through the conflict experienced emotional and physical hardship that deserved greater recognition, adding that documenting their experiences would help preserve an important part of Nigeria’s history.
He disclosed that the cover of the book featured a photograph of his family taken during the war, noting that those familiar with him might recognise him among the children pictured.
Another book, “Three Generations of the Okerekes in Calabar, Before, During and After the Civil War,” examines how the conflict and other historical developments shaped family life and the wider Calabar community.
Duke said his third prose work focused on contemporary Calabar and its surrounding communities, while the two poetry collections contained tributes, reflections on societal problems and other experiences.
he said the Abuja event would attract academics, journalists, literary enthusiasts and other stakeholders, with former the presidential spokesman and journalist, Dr Reuben Abati, among those expected to review the publications.
According to him,the books were designed not only to preserve his personal memories but also to encourage Nigerians to document their family histories, community experiences and struggles for future generations.
“Until the lion writes its own story, every story about the hunt will glorify the hunter,” he said, urging Nigerians to take charge of their historical narratives rather than depend solely on accounts written by outsiders.
