Launching of the book, from left, Oba Adedokun Abolarin; Commissioner for Education Ondo State, Femi Agagu; former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; author, Dr Lasisi Olagunju and MD/EIC ANN PLC, Mr Edward Dickson.
It was, indeed, a celebration of a man of honour going by the array of personalities who graced the public presentation of the book titled: ‘Cowries of Blood: Essays on Herdsmen, Banditry and Nigeria’s Endgame Politics’ written by columnist and Editor, Saturday Tribune, Dr Lasisi Olagunju.
The book is a compilation of some of the articles of his weekly column, Monday Lines, in the Nigerian Tribune.
Some of the personalities present at the book presentation were the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; governors’ representatives: Secretary to the Osun State government, Mr Wole Oyebamiji; Chief of Staff to the Oyo State governor, Mr Segun Ogunwuyi; Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Dr Femi Agagu; Ogun State Commissioner for Information, Mr Waheed Odusile; Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr Gbenga Omotoso.
The event saw Oba Adeyemi, who was chairman of the event, emphasising again that only true federal system of government could save Nigeria from its present socio-political problems.
The Alaafin lamented that the January 1966 coup and the counter-coup six months later, which was staged to revenge the killing of Sir Ahmadu Bello, brought about the fractionalisation of the country along ethnic lines.
He recalled Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s constant preaching of the need for the nation to run a true federal system of government.
For the various ideals of Chief Awolowo, the Alaafin said it would take 100 years to have a person like him.
The Alaafin said: “Are we happy with the Nigeria of today? Where are we going in this country? If we continue with the way we are going at the moment, then we cannot achieve anything.
“We should return to true federalism; we can’t enjoy the plans our forebears have for us if we don’t return to true federalism.”
The Alaafin continued: “In the political firmament of this nation, it may take 100 years to have a person like Obafemi Awolowo. He said where a nation is composed of different tribes and different religions, the best constitution will be federal system of government. All leaders, when they assume power, are captivated by the use of that power and they do not know what they are doing.”
Speaking further, Oba Adeyemi said the nation needed to be salvaged and required a leader in the mould of German Otto von Bismarck.
Historically, Bismarck is known to have manipulated European rivalries to make Germany a world power, and introduced progressive reforms, including universal male suffrage, the establishment of the first welfare state in order to achieve his goals. Through a series of wars, Bismarck unified 39 individual states into one German nation in 1871.
“This nation needs a leader like Otto Von Bismarck. He welded together 30 confederates into one German nation. The fact is that the German nation faced two World Wars but Bismark brought Germans together to make them a world power,” Oba Adeyemi said.
Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, in his remarks, praised Olagunju for his prolific writings, profundity of his prose and penchant for speaking truth to power.
Fayemi said he and his wife, Bisi, were avid readers of Olagunju’s Monday Lines for his ability to enlighten the reader and constantly engage readers along his line of thought.
Earlier, the chairman of the planning committee, Dr Festus Adedayo, said the whole idea of coming out with the book was to document permanently the articles of Dr Olagunju, which touch every aspect of governance in the country.
In his review of the book titled, “There is a Place Called Hell,” Professor Toyin Falola of the University of Texas at Austin said some intriguing questions are raised in Cowries of Blood about the effectiveness of leadership in the country, taking into account the perennial collapse of its security infrastructure.
Professor Falola, who was represented by Mrs Dupe Olubanjo, said: “After observing how far apart the political leaders and citizens are on the issue of nation-building, the sheer insincerity of the political class and the haplessness of the ordinary Nigerians become quite glaring.
“The leaders are competent pretenders, and with their helpless victims of concocted and new-fangled narratives, the wreckage of the country has continued in surprising proportions. “Everyone is aware that Nigeria is circumscribed in security dysfunctionality. Nigeria’s security architecture is infiltrated by people whose nationalist loyalty is divided by their conviction that the country does not serve their ethnic or class interests. Their plan to cause havoc in the country is motivated by the awareness that Nigeria’s political system is too weak to fight back.
“However, Olagunju is concerned, and so is everyone, but he has done more than remain silent about his concerns, as this book shows that ideas need to be harnessed.
“His focus on the Nigerian condition cannot but be observed because he is a citizen of the country, and by that reality, he is placed in close proximity to experience the said problems, either directly or through the people he knows,” Professor Falola said.
The second review was done by a performance poet and arts enthusiast, Mr Akeem Lasisi, where he dissected each of the articles in the book, while revealing that the author used his column, Monday Lines, to express frustration at some policies of government, and even applaud where necessary.
In his own remarks on the occasion, Dr Olagunju revealed that the book was just a compilation of articles in his Monday Lines column, which he started writing in 2011. He appreciated the support of the chairman of African Newspapers Nigeria Plc, Dr Tokunbo AwolowoDosunmu, who wrote the Introduction, as well as the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Obadiah Mailafia, who wrote the Foreword, before he passed on two months later. Dr Olagunju also thanked those who had supported him in the course of his career as a journalist.
He admitted that writing a weekly column could be very tiring as events occur very fast, but that was the only way to voice his concerns over the state of the country. He said the book was the first in the series as he had written over 500 articles, which could not be compiled in a single edition.
A former governor of Osun State, who made Dr Olagunju his chief press secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in his remarks, said he was fortunate to have him by his side during his tenure as governor “because he taught me how to navigate the media landmines. “There was no time I had a one-on-one discussion with him that I didn’t tell him to compile his articles in book form.
“He is a great man and one of those I continue to associate with even after I left office till date,” Oyinlola said.
Also present at the event were the Managing Director/Editor in Chief, ANN Plc, Mr Edward Dickson, who represented Dr Awolowo Dosunmu; Dr Yemi Farounbi, General Manager of Vanguard Newspaper, Mr Gbenga Adefaye; Nigeria Guild of Editors President, Mr Mustapha Isa; former member of the House of Representatives, Mr Dakuku Peterside; Consultant, ANN Plc, Dr Segun Olatunji; former Managing Director/ Editor in Chief, ANN Plc, Reverend Sam Adesua; former Editor, Nigerian Tribune, Mr Akin Onipede; Chief Gani Kayode-Balogun, who represented the Aare Ona Kakanfo, Iba Gani Adams; former Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Chief Bisi Adesola.
(Nigerian Tribune)