Premium Times editor-in-chief Musikilu Mojeed will on December 1 release his debut book The Letterman: Inside the ‘Secret’ Letters of former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo.
The 25-chapter narrative non-fiction, published by Premium Times Books, will be unveiled at a ceremony in Abuja.
The book curates some of the most significant and historical letters written and received by former President Obasanjo, which compellingly tell the story of his life, as defined by and is defining of the story of his country, Nigeria and the larger African continent. A number of these letters, written to dignitaries in Nigeria and around the world, have never been publicly seen.
The 492-page (465+ 27 initial pages) book is a product of seven years of assiduous research, whose chronicle unfolds from the time of Obasanjo as general officer commanding the third marine commando and his wartime efforts, through his tenure as military head of state between 1976 and 1979, his continental liberation struggles and political activism from the 1970s to 1999, his civilian presidential term from 1999 to 2007, as well as his post-presidency era.
“These letters essentially tell a story that is as deeply personal as it is painstakingly national, and global,” Ololade Bamidele, who coordinated the production of the book, said. “This tour de force of historical writing situates Musikilu Mojeed as a witness and skillful raconteur who deftly manages to braid far-flung pieces into a magisterial whole that unveils the attitudes, worldview, relationships, emotional complexity and stewardship of this enigmatic global statesman, through the correspondences he exchanged with others.”
Emeka Anyaoku, a former secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations, who wrote the foreword to the book, said, “I believe that the Olusegun Obasanjo letters will find a prominent place in the chapters of Nigeria’s contemporary history as informative insights into the national affairs of the country when they were written. I, therefore, recommend this book, The Letterman, by Musikilu Mojeed to the reading public.”
“I am deeply pleased to release this book,” Mr Mojeed said. “It is my own modest contribution to knowledge and I pray it is well received. This effort is a product of a seven-year interesting voyage into the world of Obasanjo’s letters. I hope what I found and shared in this book provides additional understanding of the Obasanjo persona.”
