Let me begin by first thanking Jide Ojo for inviting me to review this collection of views and perspectives on this great country, Nigeria. I accept the challenge as a matter of opportunity to share in the joy of this young entrepreneur whom I got to know closely as a result of his deep commitment to work during the countdown to the 2007 elections in Nigeria.

As a contributor to mainly two Nigerian dailies in the last two decades or even beyond, I never knew that Jide Ojo was apart from his activism in the Civil Society Movement equally a prolific writer and a crusader on his own rights. It is though very easy to notice the fire brand that is in him the very moment I came in contact with him in 2005/2006.

It is therefore with enthusiasm and pride that I accepted the invitation to review this book at this memorable occasion of its public presentation with the belief that such documentations are necessary in filling the yawning gap that exists in contemporary literature in a country where education unfortunately, like all other serious sectors is facing untold crisis.

Hajiya Saudatu Mahdi,Jide Ojo,author of the book, and his wife Mrs Ojo and Prof S. Bogoro cutting the cake  to mark Mr. Ojo's 20 years  of Media advocacy during the presentation of his book: Nigeri, My Nigeria perspectives from 1990-2010 ,an event  which coincided was his wife's birthday in Abuja recently.

I believe that Nigeria, My Nigeria: Perspectives from 1990-2010 will provide the young ones especially and those who continue to ponder on why things are not working positively in Nigeria some idea into why the backwardness, why the stagnation. Before I make some insertions into my understanding of the spirit in this book, it will be relevant to first and foremost take a brief survey of its contents.

Hajiya Amina  Salihu at the book presentation

About the Book

It is written in 11 parts apart from the preliminary pages on dedication, list of Acronyms, acknowledgement, foreword, profile of the author and preface as well as chronicles and index at the end of the book. The book is published by Joe Tolalu & Associates

The work is basically a summation of views expressed in newspaper articles written by the author over a period of twenty years in his struggle to find a place within the Nigerian nation. The articles put together clearly set the pace in understanding the character and personality and the factors that have shaped the being of the author. Definitely the fire in Jide Ojo has a foundation in his strong belief in participatory approach to governance in a federal structure like Nigeria. This is easily captured in the form, context and content of the articles written and captured in this book.

Each of the 11 parts in the book treat different but at times similar issues. The articles are categorized according to their theme and or subject matter. The following attempts a brief exegesis of the book on part by part basis.

Part 1 treats governance issues and contains articles on views of the author on wide ranging topics mostly revolving around advocacy. Critical views on how to achieve acceptable census were expressed in this part of the book among many other issues of interest as perceived by the author.

One area that the author has paid much attention to is the nation’s prison system which has bred more criminality than serving as either reformatory or penitentiary for erring members of the society.

In another breadth and while commenting on the crisis in Plateau State in 2004 in the Guardian of May 31^st, Jide Ojo opined that the unconstitutional declaration of state of emergency in the state was to sacrifice the state governor and other democratic structures in order to appease the Hausa/Fulani oligarchy who threatened to make Northern Nigeria ungovernable. That Governor Joshua Dariye took sides with his own people against the Muslim settlers in Wase, Yelwa and Langtang.

As untrue as this claim was, the author was able to ventilate some measure of anger over what he perceived was an obvious national issue that needed more serious and mature political brinkmanship in dealing with. There are several other articles in this part that clearly expressed the views of the author on sensitive local, state and national issues and attempted to suggest the way out.

Part 2 contains opinion of the author on the legislature and the judiciary. Many articles here revolve around the efficacy, problems and prospects of the other two critical arms of government i.e. the legislature and the judiciary.

Some of the interventions here question the claim to equality before the law and the supremacy of the law as cardinal principles of democracy. Several questions were raised here. Do the citizens really have access to justice?

The parliament on the other hand was severally challenged to live up to its constitutional responsibility by ensuring that it maintains its dignity as an arm of government. The debate on constitutional amendment and third term ambition of former president Obasanjo was a focus of the author and clearly and severally called on the National Assembly to reject the amendment bill that sought for tenure extension. Thank God, the parliament did heed to this advice and it is now an issue in history.

Part 2 also pays attention to the question of integrity of the legislature and the judiciary. It is clear that certainly, all comments in this part as are found in others expressed the frustration of the author and the need to resolve basic simple issues in order to build a free and egalitarian society.

Part 3 deals with politics and elections. The manner in which Nigerian politicians have adulterated the meaning of politics from service to an economic enterprise is responsible for the cut throat completion. The winner takes all syndrome encouraged by the pattern of politics at play is also responsible for the low political morality in the society.

Elections are poorly conducted. The views of the people are no longer expressed through the electoral process. Money bags, Godfathers and other vices have since taken over and thus made elections a worthless exercise. This has resulted in apathy and total withdrawal of the people. The manner the state electoral commissions conducted the local government polls across the country left much to be desired. The issue of carpet crossing as an expression of immorality in politics was also a focus of attention to the author.

Part 4 consist of articles dealing with electoral reform. Commentaries bordering on analysis of the electoral bills, framework for conducting credible elections are advocated here. Memos to the ERC, the National Assembly were intended to fine tune the process of electoral reform so that the nation achieve a credible poll within the shortest possible time. Some of these issues were aptly captured in a piece published in the Nigerian Tribune on February 18 2010 captioned ‘Imperative of Constitutional Reform’.

Part 5 focuses on the economy. Issues raised here border more on budget and its analysis, the banking sector and financial management area. Critical issues of fiscal policy in relation to prudent management of Nigeria’s economy for the betterment of its citizens are aroused.  What is equally striking about this part is the critical view on the nature of budgeting in the country and the failure of the same governments who construct these budgets to base financial actions by the provisions of same budgets.

The author views the erratic growth pattern in the economy and the failure of government to accomplish critical projects as fallout of the inability to implement budgets by governments. This view is not unrelated to the question asked in one of the articles as to ‘the 2010 Budget of Stimulus or Deceit?’

Education and related issues form the cannel in part 6. This part deals primarily with the analysis of the crisis in the educational sector and suggestions on the way out. The author was non repentant in his belief that government can of course provide free and qualitative education to all Nigerians. The crisis in the sector is so endemic to the extent that like several other commentators, the author believes that the way out is for the state to declare state of emergency in the educational sector. Reasons for this are everywhere and unless the reality is confronted head on, the future of Nigeria and Nigerians is certainly doomed. No to tuition fees, the meaning of delinquents are interventions that define the state of the rot and the urgent need to stop it.

Closely related to education is the issue of health services, facilities and policy. In part 7, Jide Ojo critically x rayed the issues around the well being of Nigerians. Health is wealth he argued as is the common parlance all over the place.

The interventions here deplore the poor state of the nation’s health facilities and calls for urgent solutions which will make Nigerians access affordable and efficient health care facilities. A situation where Nigerians rush to neighboring countries of Ghana, even Benin Republic and Togo in search of medical care is most unfortunate.

Today, the bulk of visas that are issued by the Egyptian Embassy to Nigerians are on medical reasons. Similarly is the case with the Indian Mission not to talk about how many well to do citizens are flown to European hospitals and others in the Middle East. The sentiments expressed by the author in the various pieces here clearly depict the trajectory of failures of the Nigerian policy circles.

Part 8 is a short one. It is basically an assessment of journalism in the country and proposals on how to right some of the wrongs that impede on the efficiency and efficacy of the critical profession.

Part 9 deals with global affairs as perceived by the author. It analyses the vexed question of leadership on the continent of Africa, what is missing and the need to do more so that Africa can equally provide the much needed leadership globally in different spheres of life.

The sit tight syndrome of African leaders as exemplified in many countries. In Uganda, in Nigeria as attempted by Obasanjo and several others are at focal point of discussion. The author at a point did question the efficacy or otherwise of the conflict resolution strategy of the Organization of African Unity in view of the multiplicity of very devastating conflicts that confront the continent. The view here was that it needed to do more if the crises across the continent were to abate.

Section 10 is on security. The part views the Nigeria’s security sector and addresses issues of terrorism, road accidents as well as food security. The objective here is an assessment of the nation’s security sector in general. The need to eradicate hunger as the most important component of security, the irresponsible killings in the name of God or land in several parts of the country was also a big issue which caught the attention of the author and the message is clear. Stop the killings. At some point, Jide began to sermonize on the need for people to live together and in peace.

Talking further on security, the author cautioned people to stop using mobile phones especially when driving as a measure of reducing accidents on the high way. To cap up his views on security, the author is of the view that the state in Nigeria is playing ostrich with the issue of terrorism and cautioned that it is dangerous.

Part 11 was probably deliberately put there to cap up the views of the author on sensitive issues. It deals with labor, sports, religion and society generally. The objective of the chapter according to the author is to critic on ranging matters of family, labor, sport and the National Youth Service Scheme which I guess is one of the most critical turning point in the life of the author because as a Youth Corp member, he was an award winner and that did contribute immensely in shaping the thinking and thoughts processes of the author of this carefully put together book.

Several challenges facing the country were identified. In the area of fire service and fire management, road accidents, among many other topical issues. Next millennium and the church, the worth of character and titlemania to me are articles that relate the author to some high moral values as a person.

Preventing labor crisis, salvaging Nigerian sports and a return to good sportsmanship are pieces that say the character of the author as far as sports are concerned.

The book is completed with the author’s media engagement serially arranged from when he started public commentaries in the later part of 1990 to the present day.

Conclusion:

I want to submit distinguished ladies and gentlemen that the spirit behind the putting together of this book by the author may not be unrelated to his burning desire to interpret the Nigerian situation as a first step towards evolving strategies of resolving them. I also want to assume that the intentions as contained in each of the articles over time are honest and brought out to expose the problems of the society with a view to correcting them

I find the book very interesting not just because it is a combination of works and commentaries done on several issues at different times over a long period of time. One of the interesting characters of the book is in the ability of the author to keep record and carefully articulate issues raised on similar or related issues over time in different state of conditions to come up with a book about twenty years after the author began writing.

I also find the book very interesting because substantial articles are a reflection of the condition that the author found himself as a member of the Nigerian federation. Subjectivity is a central character in intellectual discourse and writing. It is difficult to divulge any individual from the influences of time, limit and space in his thinking, perception, understanding and even management of issues.

Importantly however is the fact that the agitation in the articles, the concerns expressed on several local, national and international issues as well as the solutions proposed no matter how strong or weak vindicates the author as a proactive personality whose vision and mission in life is not to come, see and go but come, see and act so that things may work right.

My summation of Jide Ojo’s work is that he is successfully exposing to humanity his frame of mind and the mirror from which he sees the world today. If history is therefore an unending dialogue between the past, present and future, then, we must accept that the world will be a better place when we make others see and possibly understand our views on issues.

Let me congratulate this hardworking gentleman for this wonderful literature released for the good of mankind. I believe this is not going to be the last but a beginning of other good things to come.

I recommend this book to all and sundry. It is a must read because it is a collection of views on courage even if one will disagree with some or all of the issues raised and the framework of analysis.

Dr. Kabir Mato ; PhD (ABU),Institute of Legislative Studies,University of Abuja, Nigeria