THISDAY

Magnus Onyibe Releases New Book on Leadership

- Wale Igbintade

A new book aimed at getting leadership in Nigeria to be more considerat­e and inclusive of the views, opinions and concerns of those outside the corridors of power written by a developmen­t strategist, public policy analyst and media columnist, Magnus Onyibe, has just been released.

The book titled: "Leading From The Streets. Media Interventi­ons By A Public Intellectu­al (1999-2019)" is a compilatio­n of 77 articles written and published in the mass media by the author, spanning 20 years of the return to democracy in Nigeria, from 1999 to 2019.

Onyibe announced the book release in a statement signed by Tervel Kejih.

According to him, the book features essays that dwell on the core and relevant issues concerning the existence of Nigeria as a country and what needs to be done to make her flourish.

According to the statement: "The book serves as a vital lesson in civic engagement and history, provides an in-depth exploratio­n of how power has been wielded and sometimes misused in Nigeria between 1999-2019 which is during the reign of presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar'Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari; and the consequent impact of their leadership on the masses who depend on them for direction".

Some of the topics focused on in the seven chapters are, democracy and governance, politics and practice of politics, business and economy, leaders and leadership, and ethnic nationalis­m, separatism and religious insurgency, corruption and graft – the unending fight against it, and Nigeria's relations with other African countries and the rest of the world.

Every chapter of the book has an afterwards writers, including former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, (Rtd), Former Primate of Anglican Church, Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh, and Head Transparen­cy Internatio­nal, Nigeria, Mr. Auwal Ibrahim, among others.

As the ‘afterwords' writer, on the chapter: " Business, Economy and Developmen­t," the renowned accountant Mr J.K. Randle pointed out: "He (Onyibe) has adopted a prose style that is both elegant and incisive to the point that we are entitled to ask: what else is to be done to bend the ears of those whose responsibi­lity it is to make crucial decisions on our behalf? "

Also, the former Head of State, Gowon, noted in his foreword: "The book is more than just a collection of past articles but rather a compilatio­n as well as an expression of passionate intellectu­al effort aimed at getting leadership in Nigeria to be more considerat­e and inclusive of the views, opinions and concerns of those outside the corridors of power.

“This is in order to help guide policy makers in their work of policy formulatio­n for the good of Nigeria, Africa and the world at large."

He further stated: "In this book, Onyibe has made compelling contributi­ons and given sound ideas and possible solutions to many burning national and global issues".

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