Anyaoku, Kukah, Okauru, Others Praise Mojeed's The Letterman

A former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, the Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah and a former Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Ifueko Omoigui Okauru, have commended the Editor-in-Chief of PREMIUM TIMES, Musikilu Mojeed, for his new book, The Letterman: Inside the 'Secret' Letters of former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo.

There have also been praises from the likes of Toyin Falola, renowned professor and the Frances and Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin; Dan Agbese, respected columnist and writer, who was also the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Newswatch, a foremost and trailblazing investigative magazine; and Kadaria Ahmed, founder/CEO at Radio Now 95.3FM Lagos, television host, and former editor of NEXT newspaper.

The Letterman, a 492-page, 25-chapter narrative non-fiction, curated 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 defining of the story of his country, Nigeria and the larger African continent.

A number of the letters, which were written to dignitaries in Nigeria and around the world, have never been publicly seen, and would be presented to the public on Thursday, December 1, in Abuja.

However, some of those who had seen and reviewed the publication ahead of its unveiling, commended the work whose chronicle unfolded 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.

Anyaoku, in his commentary, 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.”

Kukah, wrote: “In the book, The Letterman, Musikilu Mojeed introduces a new genre in presidential history and recordkeeping. No single Nigerian, has captured and traversed the memories of Nigerians like President Obasanjo. Straddling generations, famous for his role in the civil war through accepting the instruments of surrender of the Biafran army, noted for having the longest period of service as Nigeria’s Head of State and President, complex, forceful or brash, he stands out as the only person to have put down almost his every thought in writing.

“The Letterman takes the reader through President Obasanjo’s complex, intricate, even serpentine mind, captured by the contents of his no-hold-barred letters. The author has offered readers a precious piece of recorded history that will stand the test of time and occupy a special place in Nigeria’s rather barren