Abubakar, Anyaoku task journalists to write books on Chibok girls, Boko Haram

Stories by Ibrahim Ramalan
With agency report

The former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, have asked journalists to write more books on burning national issues especially the Boko Haram insurgency and abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, to help Nigerians know what happened and fashion solutions on the way forward.

Specifically, General Abubakar said it is sad that three years after the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls no book has been written and none also has been written on the Boko Haram insurgency that started in 2002 but blossomed in 2009 after the killing of its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in Police custody.
General Abubakar and Chief Anyaoku spoke recently in Lagos, at the presentation of the book, ‘’Against the Run of Play: How An Incumbent President was defeated in Nigeria,’’ written Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, former spokesman to late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and chairman, Editorial Board of This Day.

General Abubakar, who chaired the event, told a galaxy of media guru, who came to honour Adeniyi that more books on Nigeria are needed. But for Adeniyi’s new book, the former head of state regretted that no book has been written on any of the previous presidential elections since 1999 as opposed to the series of books that have been written on the US presidential election held six months ago.
He also lamented that there are no books on the Boko Haram insurgency and the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls three years after. Averring that often times, foreigners write about us with their biases and understanding of what is happening in our country,
Abubakar said it will be good for Nigerians to tell their own stories.

His words: ‘’The book is coming at the right time given our understanding of what happened during the 2015 general election, which was a defining moment in our history. The two years spent in writing the book is worth it and I commend Segun Adeniyi for writing the book.’’
Noting that journalists have the duty to inform, educate people and change the way things are done in the country, he said: ‘’We need more books from Nigerian journalists. We are blessed with many talented journalists in Nigeria. Let’s tell our stories instead of allowing foreigners do so with their biases. The Bring back our girls group, two weeks ago, marked three years of the abduction of the Chibok girls. Up till now, there is no book on the Chibok girls. We need books on the Boko Haram insurgency and insecurity in the North East.’’

Apart from the books, General Abubakar urged journalists to exercise caution when reporting violence to avoid heating up the country and causing more bloodshed. ‘’Tell the story as it is to help national security and unity. Ensure that the story does not fan the embers of hatred and discord,’’ he charged.
Speaking in like manner, Chief Anyaoku said: ‘’Segun Adeniyi is one of the writers I enjoy reading. His treatment of issues are well-thought out and incisive. I commend him for writing this book and I call on journalists to write more. No book has been written on the Chibok girls.’’
Welcoming dignitaries, the author said he wrote the book to answer the questions of why and how an incumbent president lost an election in Nigeria, an election that it was not supposed to lose.

The dignitaries included former Minister of Communication, later Transportation, Cornelius Adebayo; Mrs Onari Duke, wife of former Cross River governor, Donald Duke; Senator Tunde Ogbeha; Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, Mr Femi Adesina, Dr Reuben Abati, Chief Akin Osuntokun, Mr Yinka Odumakin, Mr Dele Momodu, Ambassador Joe Keshi, Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi, Mr Gbenga Omotosho, Tunde Rahman, who represented Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Tony Uranta, Barr Vincent Ezenwa, who represented Mr Peter Obi and Tony Chiejine, who represented Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Rep EJ Agbonayima, who represented House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
Reviewing the 204-page book, Dr Okey Okechukwu said the book clarifies and reconciles various aspects of the Dr Goodluck Jonathan presidency and a team that managed to lose a game it ought to win.

According to him, the book showed that the Jonathan regime was its own worst enemy, adding that it took a lot of hard work to lose the election but not from the opposition. Specifically, he listed some of the reasons Dr Jonathan lost the election to President Muhammadu Buhari as: mismanagement of political forces, seeing former House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal as an enemy instead of as a power centre, fighting many PDP governors and leaders and forcing them to leave the party, obstacles mounted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a litany of unforced errors and spat with Rev Father Ejike Mbaka, a wave of conspiracies, and too much visibility for Mrs Patience Jonathan among others.

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