Biography/Autobiography
The Education of a British-Protected Child By Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe’s characteristically eloquent and nuanced voice is everywhere present in these seventeen beautifully written pieces. From a vivid portrait of growing up in colonial Nigeria to considerations on the African-American Diaspora, from a glimpse into his extraordinary family life and his thoughts on the potent symbolism of President Obama’s elections—this charmingly personal, intellectually disciplined, and steadfastly wise collection is an indispensable addition to the remarkable Achebe oeuvre.
Festus Samuel Okotie-Eboh : in time and space (1912-1966)
It is fifty years since Chief Festus Samuel Okotie-Eboh, CMG, MP, Federal Minister of Finance, was assassinated by a group of soldiers rebelling against the constituted civilian government of Nigeria
DESMOND TUTU: NO FUTURE WITHOUT FORGIVENESS.
In No Future Without Forgiveness, Desmond Tutu argues that true reconciliation cannot be achieved by denying the past. But neither is it easy to reconcile when a nation “looks the beast in the eye.” Rather than repeat platitudes about forgiveness, he presents a bold spirituality that recognizes the horrors people can inflict upon one another, and yet retains a sense of idealism about reconciliation. With a clarity of pitch born out of decades of experiences, Desmond Tutu shows readers how to move forward with honesty and compassion to build a newer and more humane world.
“In its sober depiction and searing indictment of evil and in its never-maudlin advocacy of love, this is a masterpiece.”
-KIRKUS REVIEWS
DESMOND TUTU: recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, retired as Archbishop of Capetown, South Africa, in 1996. He is active as a lecturer throughout the world and recently was a visiting professor at Emory University in Atlanta.
“The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa has out the spotlight on all of us……..In its hearings Desmond Tutu has conveyed our common pain and sorrow, our hope and confidence in the future.”
- NELSON MANDELA
“In its sober depiction and searing indictment of evil and in its never-maudlin advocacy of love, this is a masterpiece.”
-KIRKUS REVIEWS
DESMOND TUTU: recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, retired as Archbishop of Capetown, South Africa, in 1996. He is active as a lecturer throughout the world and recently was a visiting professor at Emory University in Atlanta.
“The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa has out the spotlight on all of us……..In its hearings Desmond Tutu has conveyed our common pain and sorrow, our hope and confidence in the future.”
- NELSON MANDELA
YOU MUST SET FORTH AT DAWN: A MEMOIR by Wole Soyinka
Mr. Soyinka, masterfully uses his life as a running commentary for the state of political affairs in Nigeria since 1960. While the book does speak on a lot of serious issues there are many moments of hilarity such as when W.H Auden passes him off as an African Prince and the quest to recover an acient mask that led Mr. Soyinka to Brazil.
You Must Set Forth at Dawn is a book full of revelations, which in actuality brings into public glare the political animal in Soyinka and the extent to which he was steeped in national politics, which may led some political leaders to see him as meddlesome. While his dalliance with Biafra earned him a prison term and resulted in his book, The Man Died” he maintained some questionable affinity to General Babangida and loathed General Abacha. Indeed, it was said, that it was Soyinka who gave Gen. Abacha the moniker “deaf and dumb.”
Mr. Soyinka's style tends to be a little heavy on grammar but overall it is a great book, one that you will love to have bought.
You Must Set Forth at Dawn is a book full of revelations, which in actuality brings into public glare the political animal in Soyinka and the extent to which he was steeped in national politics, which may led some political leaders to see him as meddlesome. While his dalliance with Biafra earned him a prison term and resulted in his book, The Man Died” he maintained some questionable affinity to General Babangida and loathed General Abacha. Indeed, it was said, that it was Soyinka who gave Gen. Abacha the moniker “deaf and dumb.”
Mr. Soyinka's style tends to be a little heavy on grammar but overall it is a great book, one that you will love to have bought.
Morning by Morning by Ayo Banjo
This autobiography, Morning by Morning, takes on a cultural significance beyond its account of the author’s life and times. It is representative of the autobiography as a key document of modern Nigeria’s literary culture. The Nigerian autobiography is authorized by the educated middle class in the sense that its author, its subject and its readers belong to the same educated middle class. That class was the modernizing agent that shaped the emergent literary culture of Nigeria and became an organ of national development. So, the autobiographer’s personal account of his life and times is a valuable material for the professional historian.
The Crumbs off the Wife's Table By Hilda Ogbe
A white Norwegan woman who married a Nigerian in England during the World War II, here narrates the story of her life. Hilde Ogbe returned to Nigeria in 1956 and was naturalised in 1967. She subsequently establishes, and manages a silver jewellery company; studies astrology; and successfully treats sickle cell patients with local herbs and remedies.
Lest I Forget : Memoirs of a Nigerian Career Diplomat: By OLADAPO OLUSOLA FOWORA
Ironically, the recently released memoirs of Ambassador Oladapo Olusola Fafowora titled Lest I forget: Memoirs of a Nigerian Career Diplomat reflects a degree of forgetfulness and inaccuracy of recollection.
The Story Of My Life T. M. Aluko
The author is best known as a novelist. An engineer by training, serving as Permanent Secretary in the Western Region civil service, and retired Associate Professor of Public Health Engineering at the University of Lagos, he has previously written The Story of my Life. This new volume expands on his childhood, and writes his professional story from the viewpoint of a public servant who lived through eighteen years under British engineers, and the second half of his career as a co-formulator of policies with other Nigerians. The story spans childhood, university education from 1993, public service from 1943, further study and work in London, and public service, academic posts, and private sector consultancy up to 1988. T.M. Aluko is a novelist, and his post before retired was as Associate Professor of Public Health Engineering at the University of Lagos.
In The Saddle: A Vice-Chancellor's Story by Ayo Banjo
In The Saddle, The Vice Chancellor's Story is the memoirs of Professor Ayo Banjo, the longest-serving vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan. The account encapsulates his experiences dating from 1979 when events leading up to his appointment started to unfold, culminating in his tenure as the university's first two-term vice-chancellor and his eventual retirements from the university in 1994.
The memoirs gave an intimate knowledge and deep understanding of the workings of the university over a period of fifteen years, 1979-1994. The book is a lucid and critical evaluation of events and personalities associated with the institution during this period. The intrigues surrounding the controversy over the cross on the campus; and the machinations of rival groups to foist their will on the university community are impartially highlighted.
the book, written in a distinctive narrative style combining the chronological and thematic approaches, is compulsory reading for educational administrators and university students and staff everywhere.
The memoirs gave an intimate knowledge and deep understanding of the workings of the university over a period of fifteen years, 1979-1994. The book is a lucid and critical evaluation of events and personalities associated with the institution during this period. The intrigues surrounding the controversy over the cross on the campus; and the machinations of rival groups to foist their will on the university community are impartially highlighted.
the book, written in a distinctive narrative style combining the chronological and thematic approaches, is compulsory reading for educational administrators and university students and staff everywhere.
The Making of Me : My odyssey in buisness by Dele Fajemirokun
This book is about Dele unbound: the story of a young man who had faith in himself and earnestly took hold of his life. A man who thrives on taking challenges and confronting odds.
Scoring all props and supports, crutches and life preservers, he decided to plunge into the sea of life. He strove to become a creator rather than an inheritor; to bequeath rather than to borrow
Skilled Migration: Canadian Experience: Myths and Realities the Good Bad and ugly by Alaba Ojapinwa
Alaba Ojapinwa is a skilled Nigerian-Canadian migrant.
He is a pharmacist who delves into writing whenever he gets a strong conviction to put his opinions and views down to serve as a conversation point to interested stakeholders.
Providing conversation starters from his own exposure, experience, and knowledge so people have a smooth experience as possible is his passion.
His first "The Heights That Great Men Reach" was inspired to engender this kind of conversation for future generations.
His third is in the works.
He is a pharmacist who delves into writing whenever he gets a strong conviction to put his opinions and views down to serve as a conversation point to interested stakeholders.
Providing conversation starters from his own exposure, experience, and knowledge so people have a smooth experience as possible is his passion.
His first "The Heights That Great Men Reach" was inspired to engender this kind of conversation for future generations.
His third is in the works.
From Grass to Grace: An Autobiography By Ayo Bamgbose
"From Grass to Grace is a summary of Emeritus Professor Ayo Bamgbose life's journey. Through various setbacks and unfavorable circumstances, predating his birth and to adulthood, that appeared destined to truncate his destiny. Ayo Bamgbose emerged strong and stood tall and still stands tall. In this autobiography, Ayo Bamgbose attributes the reversal of challenges and his overall success solely to grace. From Grass to Grace is a story of hard work, faith, humility and tenacity that culminated in laudable achievements".
A BREAK IN THE SILENCE : LT. COL. VICTOR ADEBUKUNOLA BANJO by F. Adetowun Ogunsheye
A Break in the Silence narrates the lifetime of one of Nigeria's foremost nationalists who never played to the gallery for sycophants to hail but was guided by personal convictions, patriotism, and intellectualism. The author chronicles late Lt. Col. Banjo's family setting; military career; involvement in the Nigerian Civil War; the terror unleashed on his family by the then ruling government; his trial by a Kangaroo tribunal and his spirited defense of himself and others; and his subsequent execution by lesser mortals than him.
The book, therefore, is aimed at 'breaking the enforced silence' imposed on the family by time, and deference to Victor's mother, who believed that her son was still alive and could not be so treacherously treated by those he pitched his tent with against all human calculations. Lt. Col. Victor Banjo's actions, which were thoroughly misunderstood especially the side he took during the Nigerian Civil War seem strange in history but his beliefs and speeches were like prophecies; they have come to pass and will continue to be relevant in Nigerian, African and world history. Though Lt. Col. Victor died unsung and unmourned, he is still remembered by those who knew him as a man without prejudices, who came to offer his outstanding conduct, the tenacity of purpose and enduring dreams to humanity.
About the Author, Professor Adetowun Ogunsheye hails from Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. She is the elder sister to late Col, Victor Adebukunola Banjo. She had her secondary education at Queen's College, Lagos and University education at the Cambridge. University, Great Britain, 1949-1952. She was the founding principal of St. Margaret Secondary School, Ilesha.
The author was the past president of the Nigerian Library Association, 1969-1971 and Nigerian Association of University Women, 1971-1975. Professor and Head of Department, Library Studies, University of Ibadan, 1972-1987 She is also the President of Ogunsheye Foundation. A geographer, educationist, and teacher, she is the first Nigerian Female Professor. A retired Professor has over fifty educational and professionalpublications to her credit. She also writes for children
The book, therefore, is aimed at 'breaking the enforced silence' imposed on the family by time, and deference to Victor's mother, who believed that her son was still alive and could not be so treacherously treated by those he pitched his tent with against all human calculations. Lt. Col. Victor Banjo's actions, which were thoroughly misunderstood especially the side he took during the Nigerian Civil War seem strange in history but his beliefs and speeches were like prophecies; they have come to pass and will continue to be relevant in Nigerian, African and world history. Though Lt. Col. Victor died unsung and unmourned, he is still remembered by those who knew him as a man without prejudices, who came to offer his outstanding conduct, the tenacity of purpose and enduring dreams to humanity.
About the Author, Professor Adetowun Ogunsheye hails from Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. She is the elder sister to late Col, Victor Adebukunola Banjo. She had her secondary education at Queen's College, Lagos and University education at the Cambridge. University, Great Britain, 1949-1952. She was the founding principal of St. Margaret Secondary School, Ilesha.
The author was the past president of the Nigerian Library Association, 1969-1971 and Nigerian Association of University Women, 1971-1975. Professor and Head of Department, Library Studies, University of Ibadan, 1972-1987 She is also the President of Ogunsheye Foundation. A geographer, educationist, and teacher, she is the first Nigerian Female Professor. A retired Professor has over fifty educational and professionalpublications to her credit. She also writes for children
A PROMISED LAND THE PRESIDENTIAL MEMOIRS BY BARACK OBAMA
A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from a young man searching for his identity to the leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.
Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.
Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.
A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.
This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.
A Month and a Day: A Detention Diary By Ken Saro-Wiwa
This is the extraordinary and moving account of Ken Saro-Wiwa's period of detention in 1993, and is also a personal history of the man who gave voice to the campaign for basic human and political rights for the Ogoni people. It was fear of his success that made Saro-Wiwa the target of the despotic Nigerian military regime. Arrested on 21 June 1993, ostensibly for his part in election-day disturbances, he describes in harrowing detail the conditions under which he was held. He writes of his involvement with the Ogoni cause and his instrumental role in the setting up of the movement for the survival of the Ogoni people.
Conversations with Myself By Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela is widely considered to be one of the most inspiring and iconic figures of our age. Now, after a lifetime of taking pen to paper to record thoughts and events, hardships and victories, these precious and previously private documents have been gathered together into one incredible volume that offers an unprecedented insight into his life.
Conversations with Myself draws on Mandela's personal archive of never-before-seen materials to offer unique access to the inner world of an incomparable world leader. Journals kept on the run during the anti-apartheid struggle of the early 1960s; diaries and draft letters written on Robben Island and in other South African prisons during his twenty-seven years of incarceration; notebooks from the post-apartheid transition; private recorded conversations; speeches and correspondence written during his presidency – a historic collection of documents archived at the Nelson Mandela Foundation is brought together in a sweeping narrative of great immediacy and stunning power. An intimate journey from Mandela's first stirrings of political conscience to his galvanizing role on the world stage, Conversations with Myself illuminates a heroic life forged on the front lines of the struggle for freedom and justice.
While other books have recounted Mandela's life from the vantage of the present, Conversations with Myself allows for the first time unhindered insight into the human side of the icon.
About The Author
Nelson Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on 18 July 1918. He joined the African National Congress in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party's apartheid policies for many years before being arrested in August 1962. Mandela was incarcerated for over twenty-seven years, during which his reputation as a potent symbol of resistance to the anti-apartheid movement grew steadily. Released from prison in 1990, Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was inaugurated as the first democratically elected president of South Africa in 1994. He is the author of the international bestseller Long Walk to Freedom
Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous By Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
In Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has written a primer for those working to root out corruption and disrupt vested interests. Drawing on her experience as Nigeria’s finance minister and that of her team, she describes dangers, pitfalls, and successes in fighting corruption. She provides practical lessons learned and tells how anti-corruption advocates need to equip themselves. Okonjo-Iweala details the numerous ways in which corruption can divert resources away from development, rewarding the unscrupulous and depriving poor people of services.
BATTLELINES: ADVENTURES IN JOURNALISM AND POLITICS By Olusegun Osoba
Here’s a fascinating account of highlights of Olusegun Osoba’s life story. From his boyish pranks in the railway town of Osogbo, to the inner city of Lagos, where he attended secondary school and began his career as a journalist, to his sojourn in Ilorin and Ibadan, it is a journey driven by vision and enterprise. From his entry into the world of ideas-politics of Obafemi Awolowo’s Unity Party of Nigeria to his days in the Social Democratic Party’s politics of his hometown, Abeokuta and home-state of Ogun to the confounding intrigues on the national stage, the book takes the reader into the promise of the All Peoples Congress and Osoba’s stimulating world of networks and contacts.
From the divine deliverance from the evil plots of the Abacha dictatorship to the governance of Ogun State, it is an absorbing account of how his life as a pressman, politician, and statesman intertwines with people in different places. It is a book that unearths Osoba as he has never been before. It is as much a story of love, hope, and achievement as it is a narrative of human foibles, of jealousies, persecutions, and setbacks. It is a chronicle of plots and betrayals, of high-mindedness and pettiness; documentation of history with revealing insights. It is an unusual account told by an engaging reporter. Racy and exciting, it is a book you will not put down in a hurry.
Close encounters with death
Growing up/Lagos life
Good times, bad times at the Daily Times
Lessons from the Civil War
The Herald years
Crusading journalism at the Sketch
Second sojourn at the Times
The Customs lady who stole my heart
Awo, our unforgettable hero
Awolowo and his team
Large-hearted M.K.O Abiola
The annulment of June 12 elections
The unkindest cut
Dark days under Abacha
Governance and resource management
Obasanjo, Ogun state, and the 2003 elections
Official torment in Ogun state
The emergence of All Progressive Congress
Epilogue
Addendum
Index
From the divine deliverance from the evil plots of the Abacha dictatorship to the governance of Ogun State, it is an absorbing account of how his life as a pressman, politician, and statesman intertwines with people in different places. It is a book that unearths Osoba as he has never been before. It is as much a story of love, hope, and achievement as it is a narrative of human foibles, of jealousies, persecutions, and setbacks. It is a chronicle of plots and betrayals, of high-mindedness and pettiness; documentation of history with revealing insights. It is an unusual account told by an engaging reporter. Racy and exciting, it is a book you will not put down in a hurry.
Close encounters with death
Growing up/Lagos life
Good times, bad times at the Daily Times
Lessons from the Civil War
The Herald years
Crusading journalism at the Sketch
Second sojourn at the Times
The Customs lady who stole my heart
Awo, our unforgettable hero
Awolowo and his team
Large-hearted M.K.O Abiola
The annulment of June 12 elections
The unkindest cut
Dark days under Abacha
Governance and resource management
Obasanjo, Ogun state, and the 2003 elections
Official torment in Ogun state
The emergence of All Progressive Congress
Epilogue
Addendum
Index
Accidental Public Servant By Nasir El-Rufai (Paperback)
This is a story of Nigeria, told from the inside. After a successful career in the private sector, Nasir El-Rufai rose to the top ranks of Nigeria's political hierarchy, serving first as the privatization czar at the Bureau for Public Enterprises and then as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja under former President Olusegun Obasanjo. In this tell-all memoir, El-Rufai reflects on a life in public service to Nigeria, the enormous challenges faced by the country, and what can be done while calling on a new generation of leaders to take the country back from the brink of destruction. The shocking revelations disclosed by El-Rufai about the formation of the current leadership and the actions of prominent statesmen make this memoir required reading for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of power politics in Nigeria. For many Nigerians, the Accidental Public Servant (APS) will be a gripping story about politics, power, friendship, ambition, greed, fear, betrayal, leadership and love, all set within running the affairs of government. It will provide insight for many with little knowledge of the pretences that passes for governance and for others, it will be an affirmation of legends told and heard– made personal by knowing the characters as intimately as citizens can know their leaders from afar.
For a long time to come, it may be impossible to discuss the book and its contents without discussing the author. Perhaps there is no removing the man from the book and the book from the man but after the emotions ebb and the shock of oxygen igniting exposed secrets abates, the book will still hold value and lessons for historians, political scientists, policy wonks and people who want to understand Nigeria once upon a time, the better to appreciate where Nigeria is. Books are hard to review because every story is personal in its telling and in its interpretation. There is no topic today more delicate, complicated, emotional, scary, polarizing and energizing as the 2015 general elections and the book is a gift for all Nigerians who wonder why progress is slow and dream of doing things differently. By sharing his story in order to ‘make the case for public service’ there are clear lessons for anyone thinking of public service and how to navigate the problems and opportunities with governance and politics in Nigeria.
Despite the 489 pages, there are still topics and issues which could have benefitted with more analysis, more insight from an insider who co-held the reigns of power and lots of questions have been and will continue to be raised by the book. And this is precisely why this book will endure and hopefully encourage more honest discussions about public office. As the gloves come off and attacks on the book and the author commence, a common complaint will be that those who come to equity must come with clean hands. But if that were the only way to look at books that document a personal narration of history, then none would be eligible to write. The balance between sharing for posterity and upholding codes of silence is a delicate one which few have to straddle and decide for what purpose they want to keep silent. If we do not have the opportunity for honest discussions about what takes place in government, Nigeria and Nigerians will be worse off. If there are three sides to every story: my side, your side and the truth, then between the telling of ALL, the truth will emerge.
Excerpts from the Book:
“President Obasanjo chose Umaru Yar’Adua whose ill-health, among other challenges, was known already constituted a serious impediment to the possibility of any inspired and energetic leadership. The view of many well-informed Nigerians is that Yar’Adua and his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, emerged for no other discernible reasons than being ‘weak’ governors sympathetic to the ‘Third Term’ project and therefore handpicked as payback.
“The subsequent electoral imposition of Goodluck Jonathan as president in 2011 via military occupation and rigging has been unhelpful in raising leadership quality. Jonathan went into a presidential contest without a campaign manifesto, boasting of no experience, merit and any track record of previous performance other than wearing no shoes to school and his ‘good luck’".
“The political brinkmanship got so bad that Obasanjo had to visit Atiku’s residence unannounced to plead for Atiku’s support. Upon arriving at his deputy’s residence, he reportedly knelt before Atiku and begged the Vice-President to remain onside, thus guaranteeing the support of the 17 PDP governors. In return, Obasanjo had to agree to retain Atiku as his running mate (he was rumoured at the time to be considering an alternative)”
What are People saying about the Book?
"Just the first few pages of the book and I can't stop. The book starts hard....tough! The story of the Nigerian government from a perspective inside of government is sure to be hot; well, I think this one is explosive! I am reading and relating with what is going on now in the Nigerian government and whoa....!!!!"
"The sample is really exciting. The narration in the book has really exposed many Nigeria's dark secrets.”
“If there are three sides to every story: my side, your side and the truth, then between the telling of ALL, the truth will emerge.”
About the Author:
Nasir El-Rufai is a prominent Nigerian leader who in the past served as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja as well as Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises. As a prolific opinion columnist and public policy advocate, El-Rufai has become well known as one of the country's most outspoken voices on issues of governance, leadership, transparency, and social justice. El-Rufai studied at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, University of London, Harvard Business School, Arthur D. Little School of Management in Massachusetts, Georgetown University School of Foreign Services in Washington, D.C. and the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He holds a first class honours degree in Quantity Surveying (1980), a Masters Degree in Business Administration (1984), a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science (1985), a Bachelor of Laws (2008), Master of Public Administration (2009), and has attended several programs on Privatization and Leadership. In 2005, he was conferred D.Sc (honoris causa) by the University of Abuja, Nigeria. Before entering the public service, El-Rufai ran a successful consulting practice, El-Rufai & Partners, between 1982 and 1998. He also held management positions with two international telecommunications companies, AT&T Network Systems International BV and Motorola, Inc. In October 2001, he was conferred a national honour, OFR (Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) by the Federal Government of Nigeria. El-Rufai lives in Abuja, Nigeria, and is happily married with children.
This is a book to present as a gift to your Boss, Friends, Colleagues, Business Partners and Family, to always be in their good book.
For a long time to come, it may be impossible to discuss the book and its contents without discussing the author. Perhaps there is no removing the man from the book and the book from the man but after the emotions ebb and the shock of oxygen igniting exposed secrets abates, the book will still hold value and lessons for historians, political scientists, policy wonks and people who want to understand Nigeria once upon a time, the better to appreciate where Nigeria is. Books are hard to review because every story is personal in its telling and in its interpretation. There is no topic today more delicate, complicated, emotional, scary, polarizing and energizing as the 2015 general elections and the book is a gift for all Nigerians who wonder why progress is slow and dream of doing things differently. By sharing his story in order to ‘make the case for public service’ there are clear lessons for anyone thinking of public service and how to navigate the problems and opportunities with governance and politics in Nigeria.
Despite the 489 pages, there are still topics and issues which could have benefitted with more analysis, more insight from an insider who co-held the reigns of power and lots of questions have been and will continue to be raised by the book. And this is precisely why this book will endure and hopefully encourage more honest discussions about public office. As the gloves come off and attacks on the book and the author commence, a common complaint will be that those who come to equity must come with clean hands. But if that were the only way to look at books that document a personal narration of history, then none would be eligible to write. The balance between sharing for posterity and upholding codes of silence is a delicate one which few have to straddle and decide for what purpose they want to keep silent. If we do not have the opportunity for honest discussions about what takes place in government, Nigeria and Nigerians will be worse off. If there are three sides to every story: my side, your side and the truth, then between the telling of ALL, the truth will emerge.
Excerpts from the Book:
“President Obasanjo chose Umaru Yar’Adua whose ill-health, among other challenges, was known already constituted a serious impediment to the possibility of any inspired and energetic leadership. The view of many well-informed Nigerians is that Yar’Adua and his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, emerged for no other discernible reasons than being ‘weak’ governors sympathetic to the ‘Third Term’ project and therefore handpicked as payback.
“The subsequent electoral imposition of Goodluck Jonathan as president in 2011 via military occupation and rigging has been unhelpful in raising leadership quality. Jonathan went into a presidential contest without a campaign manifesto, boasting of no experience, merit and any track record of previous performance other than wearing no shoes to school and his ‘good luck’".
“The political brinkmanship got so bad that Obasanjo had to visit Atiku’s residence unannounced to plead for Atiku’s support. Upon arriving at his deputy’s residence, he reportedly knelt before Atiku and begged the Vice-President to remain onside, thus guaranteeing the support of the 17 PDP governors. In return, Obasanjo had to agree to retain Atiku as his running mate (he was rumoured at the time to be considering an alternative)”
What are People saying about the Book?
"Just the first few pages of the book and I can't stop. The book starts hard....tough! The story of the Nigerian government from a perspective inside of government is sure to be hot; well, I think this one is explosive! I am reading and relating with what is going on now in the Nigerian government and whoa....!!!!"
"The sample is really exciting. The narration in the book has really exposed many Nigeria's dark secrets.”
“If there are three sides to every story: my side, your side and the truth, then between the telling of ALL, the truth will emerge.”
About the Author:
Nasir El-Rufai is a prominent Nigerian leader who in the past served as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja as well as Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises. As a prolific opinion columnist and public policy advocate, El-Rufai has become well known as one of the country's most outspoken voices on issues of governance, leadership, transparency, and social justice. El-Rufai studied at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, University of London, Harvard Business School, Arthur D. Little School of Management in Massachusetts, Georgetown University School of Foreign Services in Washington, D.C. and the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He holds a first class honours degree in Quantity Surveying (1980), a Masters Degree in Business Administration (1984), a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science (1985), a Bachelor of Laws (2008), Master of Public Administration (2009), and has attended several programs on Privatization and Leadership. In 2005, he was conferred D.Sc (honoris causa) by the University of Abuja, Nigeria. Before entering the public service, El-Rufai ran a successful consulting practice, El-Rufai & Partners, between 1982 and 1998. He also held management positions with two international telecommunications companies, AT&T Network Systems International BV and Motorola, Inc. In October 2001, he was conferred a national honour, OFR (Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) by the Federal Government of Nigeria. El-Rufai lives in Abuja, Nigeria, and is happily married with children.
This is a book to present as a gift to your Boss, Friends, Colleagues, Business Partners and Family, to always be in their good book.
Then Spoke the Thunder By Peter Enahoro (Hardcover)
Nigeria and Africa's foremost and respected journalist, Peter Enahoro finally came out with his long awaited autobiography, a 750 page treaties. The book is his personal account and reflections on the crisis of leadership in Nigeria, garnered over 50 years as a journalist in Nigeria and Africa, both as editor (and later Administrator) of The Daily Times and publisher of Africa Now Magazine.
A Fulfilled Life of Service By Arthur Mbanefo
In packaging this book, the publishers have exhibited excellence in craftsmanship. The cover page showed one of the finest pictures of the graceful Chief. That picture reminds me of Odu’s extreme kindness which many would discover once they associate closely with him. The Book is an exposé of Odu’s innermost persona- a kind hearted man. The face of charity, of a generous Odu. It is as if the picture were saying softly, “so how can I be of help?” The serenity in those eyes exudes love and charm. Then the colour contrast and separation blends with this image of beauty.
Footprints and Footnotes - An Autobiography By Ladipo Akinkugbe
With the opportunities offered for service in various capacities in public life the author addresses seminal and critical issues in health and higher education over the past four decades.
The racy and engaging rendering of Akinkugbe’s story attests to his facility of language and a robust intellect that combines sustained scholarship with disarming modesty.
Never Look an American in the Eye By Okey Ndibe
Okey Ndibe’s funny, charming, and penetrating memoir tells of his move from Nigeria to America, where he came to edit the influential—but forever teetering on the verge of insolvency—African Commentary magazine. It recounts stories of Ndibe’s relationships with Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and other literary figures; examines the differences between Nigerian and American etiquette and politics; recalls an incident of racial profiling just 13 days after he arrived in the US, in which he was mistaken for a bank robber; considers American stereotypes about Africa (and vice-versa); and juxtaposes African folk tales with Wall Street trickery. All these stories and more come together in a generous, encompassing book about the making of a writer and a new American.
Year of Publication: 2017
210 pages
Year of Publication: 2017
210 pages
A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt: An African Memoir By Toyin Omoyeni Falola
"Toyin Falola has given us what is truly rare in modern African writing: a seriously funny, racy, irreverent package of memories, and full of the most wonderful pieces of poetry and ordinary information. It is a matter of some interest, that the only other volume A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt reminds one of is Ake, by Wole Soyinka. What is it about these Yorubas?"
-Ama Ata Aidoo
"A splendid coming-of-age story so full of vivid color and emotion, the words seem to dance off the page. But this is not only Falola's memoir; it is an account of a new nation coming into being and the tensions and negotiations that invariably occur between city and country, tradition and modernity, men and women, rich and poor. A truly beautiful book."
-Robin D. G. Kelley
"More than a personal memoir, this book is a rich minihistory of contemporary Nigeria recorded in delicious detail by a perceptive eyewitness who grew up at the crossroads of many cultures."
-Bernth Lindfors
"The reader is irresistibly drawn into Falola's world. The prose is lucid. There is humor. This work is sweet. Period."
-Ngugi wa Thiongo'o
A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt gathers the stories and reflections of the early years of Toyin Falola, the grand historian of Africa and one of the greatest sons of Ibadan, the notable Yoruba city-state in Nigeria.
Redefining the autobiographical genre altogether, Falola miraculously weaves together personal, historical, and communal stories, along with political and cultural developments in the period immediately preceding and following Nigeria's independence, to give us a unique and enduring picture of the Yoruba in the mid-twentieth century. This is truly a literary memoir, told in language rich with proverbs, poetry, song, and humor.
Falola's memoir is far more than the story of one man's childhood experiences; rather, he presents us with the riches of an entire culture and community-its history, traditions, pleasures, mysteries, household arrangements, forms of power, struggles, and transformations.
-Ama Ata Aidoo
"A splendid coming-of-age story so full of vivid color and emotion, the words seem to dance off the page. But this is not only Falola's memoir; it is an account of a new nation coming into being and the tensions and negotiations that invariably occur between city and country, tradition and modernity, men and women, rich and poor. A truly beautiful book."
-Robin D. G. Kelley
"More than a personal memoir, this book is a rich minihistory of contemporary Nigeria recorded in delicious detail by a perceptive eyewitness who grew up at the crossroads of many cultures."
-Bernth Lindfors
"The reader is irresistibly drawn into Falola's world. The prose is lucid. There is humor. This work is sweet. Period."
-Ngugi wa Thiongo'o
A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt gathers the stories and reflections of the early years of Toyin Falola, the grand historian of Africa and one of the greatest sons of Ibadan, the notable Yoruba city-state in Nigeria.
Redefining the autobiographical genre altogether, Falola miraculously weaves together personal, historical, and communal stories, along with political and cultural developments in the period immediately preceding and following Nigeria's independence, to give us a unique and enduring picture of the Yoruba in the mid-twentieth century. This is truly a literary memoir, told in language rich with proverbs, poetry, song, and humor.
Falola's memoir is far more than the story of one man's childhood experiences; rather, he presents us with the riches of an entire culture and community-its history, traditions, pleasures, mysteries, household arrangements, forms of power, struggles, and transformations.
How To Be A Nigerian By Peter Enahoro
This famous little book is one of the funniest to come out of Africa. First published in 1996, it continues to be in demand. The Nigerian author turns a humorous and ironic eye on his fellow compatriots. The book is described as a guide for Nigerians and expatriates on the conduct, deportment, comportment, bearing, deameanour, mien, carriage, actions, the misdoings, misconduct and misbehaviours of the Nigerian adult male and female. Sprinkled with anecdotes and cartoons, the book addresses the Nigerian essence.
My Dialogue With Nigeria By Alani Akinrinade
Alani Akinriade: My Dialogue With Nigeria pulls together the innermost thoughts and view of Lieutenant General Ipoola Alani Akinrinade, former Chief of Defence Staff and pro-democracy activist, on True Federalism in Nigeria and how to archive unity that is equitable and beneficial to all Nigerians.
Audacity of Hope, The: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama.
Senator Obama has written a book of transforming power. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to the Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans.
Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Speeches by Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill was the most eloquent and expressive statesman of his time. It was as an orator that Churchill became most completely alive, and it was through his oratory that his words made their greatest and most enduring impact. While the definitive collection of Churchill's speeches fills eight volumes, here for the first time, his grandson, Winston S. Churchill, has put together a personal selection of his favorite speeches in a single, indispensable volume. He has chosen from his grandfather's entire output and thoughtfully introduces each selection. The book covers the whole of Churchill's life, from the very first speech he made to those of his last days. It includes some of Churchill's best-known speeches as well as some that have never before been published in popular form. Today, Sir Winston Churchill is revered as an indomitable figure and his wisdom is called upon again and again. Reading these speeches, from the perspective of a new century, we can once again see Sir Winston Churchill's genius and be moved and inspired by his words.
Conscience and History – My Story, by Peter Odili (Hardback)
HOW IT ALL STARTED: THE PLOT - THE GREAT GANG UP I, DR. Peter Otunuya Odili, became the elected Governor of the new Rivers on the 29th day of May, 1999, after a well contested and won election against a strong opponent Chief Ebenezer Isokariari who was the then immediate past Secretary to the State Military Government under Gen. Sani Abacha regime.
Read Peter Odili’s expose on his 2007 presidential adventure in a must read Autobiography entitled ‘‘ Conscience and History – My Story”.
Read Peter Odili’s expose on his 2007 presidential adventure in a must read Autobiography entitled ‘‘ Conscience and History – My Story”.
Educated: A Memoir Hardcover by Tara Westover
Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far if there was still a way home.
BEN NWABUEZE: HIS LIFE, WORKS AND TIMES - AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. VOLUME 3
The autobiography is a fantastic interesting narration of his journey through his life as a Professor of Constitutional Law, Activist, and a front line Patriot. Now in his 80s, he devoted his strong belief in Nigeria in volume 3 and titled it “My Life and Work in the Search for a New Better and United Nigeria”
The books are written in a smooth conversational style that arrests the reader until he gets to the last stage. Law Lecturers, Legislators, Government officials, Policymakers, Students of history and the general public will find the book very useful.
The books are written in a smooth conversational style that arrests the reader until he gets to the last stage. Law Lecturers, Legislators, Government officials, Policymakers, Students of history and the general public will find the book very useful.
Ayinla Omowura: Life And Times Of An Apala Legend By Festus Adedayo
This book is a narrative of the life and times of one of the most profound and unarguably, one of the most original Yoruba musicians of post-colonial Nigeria. Murdered in a barroom brawl in Abeokuta, Ogun State in 1980, Ayinla Omowura, forty years after his untimely passage, has refused to die, both in the consciousness of the people of southwest Nigeria, even elsewhere, as well as in the hearts and on the lips of the people.
The book plots the graph of Omowura’s youth, his musicality, family, the fatality of his early departure, and events that led to his death. From the lens of family, friends, his songs, and relics of people who interfaced with him while alive, a narrative is constructed here about the short life of music and society that Ayinla lived. He was a lay scholar, an ombudsman, autodidact, and carrier of the cultural burden of his Yoruba people. Having tasted life in pre and post-colony, the latter being a time when there was beginning to appear noticeable conflicts between traditional life and modernity, Ayinla taught with his music that the latter could only exist if the values of the former are embedded into it.
Having lived a rough life at youth and now, thrust to the top of society by fame and cash in his later life, Ayinla never recovered from the conflict this posed. He didn’t really realize the enormous roles expected of his catapult to the top of high society. This, in part, was responsible for his early tragic exit.
The book plots the graph of Omowura’s youth, his musicality, family, the fatality of his early departure, and events that led to his death. From the lens of family, friends, his songs, and relics of people who interfaced with him while alive, a narrative is constructed here about the short life of music and society that Ayinla lived. He was a lay scholar, an ombudsman, autodidact, and carrier of the cultural burden of his Yoruba people. Having tasted life in pre and post-colony, the latter being a time when there was beginning to appear noticeable conflicts between traditional life and modernity, Ayinla taught with his music that the latter could only exist if the values of the former are embedded into it.
Having lived a rough life at youth and now, thrust to the top of society by fame and cash in his later life, Ayinla never recovered from the conflict this posed. He didn’t really realize the enormous roles expected of his catapult to the top of high society. This, in part, was responsible for his early tragic exit.
AWO – The Autobiography Of Chief Obafemi Awolowo
Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1909-1987) was the leader of Nigeria's Action Group party and the first indigenous Premier of Western Nigeria. He campaigned heavily for developmental change and implemented free primary education and child healthcare policies across the Western Region. Awolowo began work on this autobiography in 1957, at a time when Nigeria's request for self-government had been refused. The work was completed in 1960, the year Nigeria gained its long-awaited independence. Accordingly, this autobiography is dedicated to a 'new and free Nigeria', with the trust that its people will enjoy 'a more abundant life'. This determined, self-made leader here describes his youth, education and politics. He writes of his hope that this tale of stubborn perseverance can become 'a source of inspiration' in itself, and indeed, this account will fascinate anyone with an interest in Africa, the history and politics of Western Nigeria, or a love of insightful political autobiography.
Gowon: The Biography of a Soldier-Statesman By J Isawa Elaigwu
In 1966, a soft-spoken 32-year old man emerged from relative obscurity and humble background to become Nigeria's Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. His name was Lt Col (later General)Yakubu Gowon. He emerged as the compromise candidate following the political crisis that engulfed the country after the July 1966 military coup that had led to the assassination of the country's first military Head of State, General Aguiyi Ironsi. At the end of the Civil War in 1970, General Gowon's doctrine of 'No Victor No Vanquished' greatly endeared him to many, and he was variously dubbed 'Abraham Lincoln of Nigeria', 'a soft spoken but dynamic leader' 'a real gentleman' and 'an almost faultless administrator'. However, after he was overthrown in a military coup in July 1975, long knives were drawn out for him, with the hitherto friendly press and public crying 'crucify him', and now variously vilifying him as 'weak' and of managing a purposeless administration that had led to the 'drifting' of the nation. In this book Professor J. Isawa Elaigwu attempts a scholarly political biography of someone he believes has rendered great services to the Nigerian nation despite his weaknesses as a leader. He rejects the notion that Gowon's nine years in office were 'nine years of failure' as the General's ardent critics posit, arguing that if it is possible to identify a number of thresholds in his administration, it is also possible to identify the approximate point in time when the strains of his administration became visible to observers and the public in general. He poses and methodically seeks answers to a number of fundamental questions: Who was Yakubu Gowon? Why and how was the reservoir of goodwill and credibility which he had accumulated by the end of the Civil War expended? What image of Nigeria did he have when he came into power? And did he ever achieve his objectives? The book, first published in 1986, has been revised and expanded for this edition
Samuel Ladoke Akintola: In The Eyes Of History By Hon. Femi Kehinde ESQ
Femi Kehinde’s Samuel Ladoke Akintola: A Biography and Postscript is a credible addition to the historical reconstruction of that “fierce and howling storms,” again apology to Mr. Awolowo. The storm swept off peace from the prosperous and hitherto peaceful Western Region and eventually became the fire that burnt into ashes Nigeria’s first, and I dare say, only successful practice of an appropriate system of governance fit for her plural peoples – federalism.
Divided into nineteen chapters, the book, which apparently set out to be a biography of one of the most misunderstood, yet most formidable politician in the history of Nigeria, unwittingly became the rendition of the history of Nigeria’s immediate post-colonial government and the most incendiary political turmoil that engulfed Nigeria shortly after the lowering of the Union Jack. Scholars have posited that the years between 1962 and 1966 could unarguably be said to be the most politically tumultuous for the Western Region. Nigeria eventually partook of the turmoil, with the overthrow of the First Republic by the military and since then, in the words of John Keats, things have fallen apart for the country as the centre has found it difficult to hold.
The 19 chapters of the book are divided into themes like, the growing up years of the young Ladoke, Ogbomosoland, the people and society, Mr. Akintola as teacher and youth activist, his early political career, his voyage into politics and sojourn at the federal parliament, his time as Premier, the crisis in the Western Region, among others.
Divided into nineteen chapters, the book, which apparently set out to be a biography of one of the most misunderstood, yet most formidable politician in the history of Nigeria, unwittingly became the rendition of the history of Nigeria’s immediate post-colonial government and the most incendiary political turmoil that engulfed Nigeria shortly after the lowering of the Union Jack. Scholars have posited that the years between 1962 and 1966 could unarguably be said to be the most politically tumultuous for the Western Region. Nigeria eventually partook of the turmoil, with the overthrow of the First Republic by the military and since then, in the words of John Keats, things have fallen apart for the country as the centre has found it difficult to hold.
The 19 chapters of the book are divided into themes like, the growing up years of the young Ladoke, Ogbomosoland, the people and society, Mr. Akintola as teacher and youth activist, his early political career, his voyage into politics and sojourn at the federal parliament, his time as Premier, the crisis in the Western Region, among others.
Destiny Anchored On Faith (The Story Of Gen. Oladipo Diya) By Oluranti Afowowe
Destiny Anchored on Faith: The Story of Gen. Oladipo Diya is an insightful discourse on the issues and events which characterised the involvement of Gen. Diya in the political process of Nigeria. This book presents the chronicle of events that forced the General to offer himself as the sacrificial lamb for the preservation of the integrity of the Nigerian Armed Forces; the consolidation of the corporate existence of Nigeria; and more importantly, the advocate of fairness, justice and equity for all ethno-religious groups in Nigeria.
It is an account of audacious efforts of a first-class Military officer, unrepentant nationalist and uncompromising intellectual who unknowingly found himself within the intrigues and conspiratorial web of self-centred political contractors. At the cost of his life, he chose to combat the pervasive, insidious and dehumanizing political machinations that characterised the later years of the Abacha regime.
It is an account of audacious efforts of a first-class Military officer, unrepentant nationalist and uncompromising intellectual who unknowingly found himself within the intrigues and conspiratorial web of self-centred political contractors. At the cost of his life, he chose to combat the pervasive, insidious and dehumanizing political machinations that characterised the later years of the Abacha regime.