It has been an exciting experience so far. When we started out in 2015, meetings of Uyo Book Club were held at Dr Udeme Nana’s residence. The Club hosted visitors like the former Chairman of the State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Elder Patrick Albert, South South Editor of Premium Times, Mr Cletus Ukpong and the multiple international award winning investigative journalist, Mr Ibanga Isine. We held the Club meetings weekly, every Saturday, in the years the Club met at Dr Nana’s residence, all the books on display were from his personal collections. The Club had cause to move house to the E-library in Uyo when it hosted Eunice Atuejide, author of “The Girl who Said She Can”.
When the great journalist, one of the founders of NEWSWATCH magazine and one time International Editor of the year, Ray Ekpu accepted an invitation to read with the Club, a need arose to search for a bigger and more auspicious venue.
Fortunately, the Club met a lover of book reading and a writer, Rt. Hon. Barr. Ekong Sampson who owns a 4 star hotel in the heart of Uyo. He agreed to host our august visitor and thereafter gave the Club permission to use the “Shakespeare’s hall” in the hotel whenever it was necessary for the Club to meet. Since 2019, the Club has been meeting once a month; every last Saturday of the month. For his deep interest in books and support for the vision of the Club, he was installed as the first Patron of the Club. In between, the Club has organised.