The public presentation of the book Tinubu: From Renewed Hope to Despair was a launch like no other – for two reasons. First, the launch came beset with all sorts of controversies. The book’s title alone was enough to draw the ire of those in government, particularly in an election period. It was supposed to have been launched at a ceremony billed to take place at Arewa House, Kaduna, on October 15. For some inexplicable reason, ABU Zaria, which owns Arewa House, scuttled the ceremony a few days before the event.
To compound matters, the launching committee could not lay their hands on any alternative venue in Kaduna. It looked as if unseen forces had directed all hoteliers and event-centre owners to stay clear of this book launch. That made the book singularly popular and aroused the interest of yours sincerely to look forward to where else the launch would take place. Fortunately, the editors chose to come to the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja. Somehow, the unseen forces did not interfere, and the launch went ahead on October 16.
Secondly, during the ceremony, the authors offered the book at the ridiculous fee of only N5000. Prof. Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, who made the announcement, explained that producing the book cost about N4000 per copy and that they added only N1000 to offset residual expenses, including transportation and venue hire. I was stunned by this candid revelation. I recall that in this year alone, I witnessed ceremonies in the same venue, where book prices at the launch ranged from the princely sum of N50,000 to the outrageous amount of N100,000 per copy.
But this is typical of the publishers, Centre for Democratic Development, Research and Training (Ceddert), whose primary aim was not profit but delivering an informed treatise to the public, at basic cost. The centre itself was established in the early 1990s by a group of high-minded professionals from ABU’s history department led by their mentor, the indomitable Dr Yusuf Bala Usman. Since his death in 2005, Professors Siddiq Mohammed, Alkassum Abba, Aliyu Sanusi, and a host of others, all in the mould of town-and-gown public intellectuals, have carried the banner of Ceddert even higher. Over the years, the centre has been quite prodigious in churning out well-researched papers on many social issues affecting the north of the country. I have particularly noted their contributions to the debate on the Almajiri and rural banditry issues.
The gathering that morning at the Yar’Adua Centre was like a festive affair, a meeting of old friends, many from the university days of the 1970s. I spotted Adamu Maina Waziri, the ABU SUG President during my time in the 1974/75 session and Dr Usman Bugaje, also an active student leader of the time. Also present were those known to be in the trenches as field politicians and civil rights activists. These included, among others, the SDP presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo; the ADC vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi; the PRP Chairman, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed; Dr Usman Yusuf; and Prof Jibrin Ibrahim, who gave a riveting keynote address.
As you would expect, many rousing speeches were made at the occasion. However, Prof. Mohammed put the contents of the book in perspective. Quoting from an earlier Ceddert press statement, he said: ‘There is nothing in this book that is not already in the public domain. The book examines the record of the Tinubu administration, interrogates its policies and assesses their implications for Nigeria’s economy, security, national unity and democratic development. Its purpose is to contribute to public understanding and stimulate informed debate. These are legitimate and necessary activities in any democracy.
‘If those in power disagree with our analysis or conclusions, they are free to challenge them with evidence, reasoned arguments and alternative explanations. They may publish their own assessments, organise public discussions or respond directly to the issues raised in the book. What they should not do is seek to prevent the public from hearing arguments they dislike. The proper response to criticism is engagement, not suppression.’
The book itself is divided into seven chapters, with each of the four editors taking one or two. As its compelling blurb explains, the book critically analyses President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policies, ‘examines the first three years of the administration against the promises that preceded it and the realities Nigerians experienced. The book interrogates the widening gap between policy intentions and lived experience, focusing on the consequences of economic reforms for household incomes, food prices, purchasing power, public debt, agriculture, industry and infrastructure.
Beyond the economy, the book examines concerns over national unity, federal character, regional equity and the changing geography of federal power. It considers whether the distribution of political appointments, federal institutions, infrastructure and economic opportunities is strengthening or straining confidence in Nigeria’s federal system.’
On reading the book, one is immediately struck by the thorough preparations undertaken by the editors. Their data collection from verifiable sources was meticulous. Their analyses are very profound. Their conclusions and verdict may seem brutal, but this does not detract from the book’s overall quality. The book is good reading material for those of us trying to make sense of how we came to be where we are now. It might even be more of a recommended read for those at the top levels of government.