By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT—An octogenarian with first school leaving certificate, Mrs. Adaobi Whyte, has been commended for writing five incisive books.

The books are: Abuse of the Nigerian Child; Plight of Nigerian Women; Dr Peter Odili, Treading the Path of Destiny; Ndoni in Kingdom and Peaceful Co-existence; and How Africans Vandalize Africa, Focusing Nigeria.

Professor F. Chukwuma gave the commendation in Port Harcourt at the public presentation of Mrs Adaobi’s latest book, “How Africans Vandalize Africa, Focusing Nigeria.”

Describing the book as a dependable research material  for university students in the country and beyond on the challenges of Africa’s development, Professor Chukwuma said Adaobi should be lauded for not allowing her status as a primary school leaving certificate holder limit her passion for writing.

According to him, she “demonstrates good graphs of the challenges of the African environment, history, culture and challenges in the book,” and commended her for having written four other books before the current one, a feat he said, many university graduates were yet to achieve.

“At about 80 when most people would be feeling senile or vacationing and bothering less about the world, this great woman energetically and indefatigably thinks about society and her country. In the process, she tries to prick our conscience, asking us to think and do what is right for society and country first before us,“ he said.

While giving a synopsis of the book, Chief Whyte said it captured failure of the Nigerian state to effectively harness her God-given potentials.