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A Chronicle And A Clarion Call - A Review
Of Time To Reclaim Nigeria
By Abdul Mahmud*
Posted Fri Dec 16,2011
The trouble with writers is that they must trouble our already
troubled peace of mind. Please pardon the tautology. It seems to
be their lot to unleash their vision of the ideal society on our
already troubled planet. And in a social-political environment
where all the institutions of state have become, literally, the
enemy of the ordinary citizen, the inspired writer becomes the
voice of the dispossessed. He or she becomes the voice of reason
that guides and instructs us toward propagating social equity
and political redemption.
Chido Onumah’s Time To Reclaim Nigeria, is a timely book,
(please pardon the pun), that focuses on the disturbing paradox
of his nation -- that is blessed by so much resource, but also
cursed by so much suffering and injustice.
Time To Reclaim Nigeria’s
three hundred and twelve pages is structured into three parts
with eight chapters that comprise three appendixes and several
pages of truly reader-friendly index. Chido Onumah has also done
the reader a good turn by including the responses of so many of
his compatriots across the globe: aside the forward written by
Prof. Harry Garuba (of the University of Cape Town, South
Africa), the preface written by Prof Bioko Agozino (of the Dept.
of Sociology, Virginia Tech, USA), the introduction written by
Kwesi Pratt Jnr. (managing editor, The Insight newspaper,
Ghana), there are nine pages of blurbs from thirty four readers
of this book. This, I must say is a bibliographical record!
We are all familiar with the details of Nigeria’s embarrassing
situation, but the refreshing aspect of this book, TIME TO
RECLAIM NIGERIA, is that it not only chronicles and
denounces all the shenanigans and malfeasances of Nigeria’s
infamous political actors in the last ten years of the Fourth
Republic, it also calls for an urgent mending of the damaged
contract between the badly traumatized citizen and the
plundering Nigerian state.
Understandably, so much anger and gloom permeate the analytical
pages of Time To Reclaim Nigeria. The author, a
self-confessed revolutionary, however, does not shy away from
proffering a way out of the quagmire of the present dismal
picture of the nation. Chido Onumah also dares to dream an
alternative vision of a more just and equitable nation.
For those bitten by the bug of change, this book can’t but be a
magnetic force powering that desired objective. In this 312
paged book, the historical picture of gloom, a dreadful milieu
enveloped by poor leadership stare us in the face, is starkly
depicted and analyzed.
The most courageous thing about Time to Reclaim Nigeria
is that it does not mince words in the analyses of the daunting
challenges facing Nigeria. This is most likely going to make the
reader to conclude that this one work, driven not just by anger
but also a patriotic passion for a genuine transformation of
Nigeria, not the phony slogans of transformation being sold to a
terribly impoverished populace.
I must conclude this short review by reverting to the words of
two of the earlier illustrious readers of this very important
book. The Harvard Professor of Comparative Literature Biodun
Jeyifo says, “Without oversimplifying or idealizing things,
Chido Onumah always writes with the vision of a better, more
just and more humane Nigeria as the bedrock of his faith and his
optimism. His is an impassioned and urgent voice that we would
do well to listen”
This reviewer cannot but concur! Every reader of this book
either domiciled in Nigeria, or in the Diaspora, should also
heed the words of another perceptive reader, Professor Harry
Garuba of the Centre for African Studies, University of Cape
Town University, South Africa: “Home, they say is where the hurt
is; but home is also where hope nests. Time To Reclaim
Nigeria takes us through the hurt to the home of hope. If
you are reading this, it’s time to embark on this journey from
hurt to hope with Chido Onumah’s book as guide and compass.’
*Lawyer and poet, Abdul Mahmud
is ex-president, National Association of Nigerian
Students (NANS).his is the document referred to in the Witness
Statement on Oath of Clifford O. Koko
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