An Akwa Ibom teacher, John Obot, who set a new Guinness World Record (GWR) for reading aloud for 145 hours had over 5 million online viewers worldwide.

Obot, the son of a journalist, by the feat, has erased the former record of 124 hours which was held by an Indian, Ryshai Isakov.

The chief programme director for the Reading Marathon, Dr. Udeme Nana in a press briefing on Wednesday, September 20, in Uyo, said Obot also had over 23,000 people who visited him physically to watch him read at the Watbridge Hotel and Suites, Uyo.

Nana, who is the founder of the Uyo Book Club, said the feat recorded by Obot was an inspiration to youths in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, and the world at large.

He said that the Uyo Book Club was very proud of Obot’s accomplishment, adding that it would rekindle the reading culture that has declined in the country.

He said: “Uyi Book Club was the pedestal upon which John Obot stood to read aloud for the whole world in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record in that category of reading aloud. The present record is held by an Indian, Ryshai Isakov, and his record stood at 124 hours.

“But our member John Obot has stretched that record by reading for 145 hours. In fact, if we add 53 hours that we assume were lost on the basis of the technical glitch he would have read for 198 hours.

“I am very excited that our boy was able to accomplish that feat. It shows the power of vision. It shows the immense power of determination. And it is a reflection of ‘I can do spirit’ of the typical Akwa Ibom person.

“Hilda Bassey did it and here we are John Obot has done it. He stretched himself physically and mentally. He stretched all aspects of his human dimension to be able to exceed the limits and accomplish the task that he set for himself.

“Members of Uyo Book Club are very proud of him. What he has done will encourage members of the club, motivate other youths, and serve as a key to the steps of anybody who wants to achieve an objective no matter how daunting that objective is.

“John Obot has become the reference point for courage and he will inspire generations of people in Akwa Ibom, of Nigerians and in fact the world.

“In the 10 days of that adventure, we recorded more than five million people who watched the read-aloud because it was on all social media platforms and people all over the world hooked.

“And then within the premises, in Citiview, we had three viewing centres in Watbridge Hotel where he read. We had visitors trooping in day and night to watch him. And it is on record that he had 23,000 physical visitors who came to physically watch him read.

“And that brings me to declare that the reading marathon is an aspect of intellectual tourism. Localities and states can be run tapping resources from intellectual tourism.” (The Nation)

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