Gowon, Osoba, Donald Duke, others present as Magnus Onyibe launches book in Lagos

Gowon, Osoba, Donald Duke, others present as Magnus Onyibe launches book in Lagos

By Jeffrey Agbo

Public policy analyst and development strategist, Magnus Onyibe, has launched his book, “Leading from the Streets: Media Interventions by a Public Intellectual” at Alliance Française, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The event was attended by eminent personalities, leaders and intellectuals.

Past and present leaders of Nigeria at both national and subnational levels were also present. Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, who led the country between 1966-1975 presided over the occasion as the chairman.

He set the tone for the day with a crisp but compelling welcome address in which he highlighted that the occasion was for the purpose of celebrating “the launch of a book that holds profound significance for our nation’s intellectual and political discourse.”

According to Gowon, Onyibe’s insightful analyses and proposed solutions on critical topics ranging from democracy and governance to business and economy, from corruption and graft to our nation’s relations with Africa and the global community, offer valuable guidance to policymakers and serve as a catalyst for informed debate and discussion.

Professor Eghosa Osaghe, in his role as the book reviewer, delivered an insightful critique of Onyibe’s work. His analysis shed light on its focus on the core and relevant issues concerning the existence of Nigeria as a country and what needs to be done to make her flourish. He emphasised that while the book is made up of seventy-seventy articles selected from the hundreds of media interventions which Onyibe wrote and published in the mass media between 1999 and 2019, the book is more than just a compilation of articles.

According to Professor Osaghe, the book is an expression of passionate intellectual effort aimed at getting leadership in Nigeria to rethink its approach to governance and nation-building, by embracing the practice of harnessing the goldmine of innovative ideas which reside in the public domain. Moreover, the book encourages us all to always do our best in all our endeavours since we all contribute to leadership whether we are school teachers, pastors, church elders, Imams, sports coaches, bricklayers, carpenters, mechanics, electricians, accountants, medical doctors, engineers, journalists, or academics. So long as what we do influence other people at some level, we are leaders.

Onyibe, the author, took to the podium to share his reflections and insights into the journey of crafting “Leading from the Streets.” He emphasised that at this critical time in the history of our beloved country wherein the cost of living has hit the roof due to the ongoing socio-economic and political reforms, practical lessons in the book would help us encourage one other with ideas on how to survive the prevailing hardships and also suggest ways in which all of us, leveraging on our street wisdom, can put heads together to figure out ways to move the country forward

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Among the distinguished guests were former governors Donald Duke of Cross River State, James Ibori of Delta State, Segun Osoba of Ogun State, and Nnamdi Okonkwo, GMD of First Bank Holdings PLC, and company secretary of UBA Plc representing the chairman, Tony Elumelu. The presence of the aforementioned personalities amongst several others too numerous to list here, highlights and underscores the cross-cutting relevance of Onyibe’s book on Nigeria’s socio-economic landscape.

The event also witnessed the convergence of past and present media personalities, including Julie Coker, Ruth Benamaisia-Opia, Sienne Allwell-Brown, Waheed Olagunju, Anthonia Amosun, Bisi Olatilo, Willie Sowho, and Patrick Oke, – who anchored the event as the compere. It was a show of solidarity by the world of broadcasting for one of their own because the author Magnus Onyibe was once a broadcaster with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).

In the course of the book launch, there was an enthralling panel discussion that featured Ayo Obe, Sam Omatseye, Bala Zarka, and Dakuku Peterside as discussants and was moderated by Professor Anthony Kila.

The panel focused on the theme “Tinubunomics: What is working, what is not working, why and the way forward,” offering incisive perspectives on pertinent socio-economic issues, with the audience also participating by making contributions and asking questions.

The event also provided a platform for some intellectuals who had already read Mr. Onyibe’s book to weigh in with the insight they garnered and what struck them most from the book. Dr. Reuben Abati and Professor Ralph Akinfeleye spoke in this regard with their contributions significantly enriching the discussion.

In recognition of their outstanding contributions to society, Leading from the Streets awards were bestowed upon six Nigerians namely Professor Wole Soyinka, Mike Adenuga, Allen Onyema of Air Peace, Aliko Dangote, Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, and Olisa Agbakoba during the ceremony.

In a moving conclusion to the proceedings, Helen Onyibe, wife of the author, delivered closing remarks that captured the essence of the day, expressing gratitude and highlighting the need for Nigerians to continue to support the government while not forgetting to contribute their bit in their little corners so that together, we will make Nigeria the country of our dream.