Recall that this column, philosofaith, in its piece of Saturday, November 2, 2024 called upon some eminent Nigerians to write their autobiographies in order to state the facts of their service to the country’s nationhood history and constitutional development. Titled “Time to have IBB, Abdulsalami, others’ memoirs,” the piece was inspired by the exclusive interview General Yakubu Gowon granted to the Daily Trust newspaper, which was published in its specially packaged edition of Saturday, October 19, 2024.
Barely two years after the publication of this piece, three elder statemen: General Yakubu Gowon, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, and General Abdulsalami Abubakar who were all former heads of states in Nigeria, individually responded to the call by this column. Each has written and made public his own autobiography. Besides signifying the fact that the powerful men of yesteryears still listen to low-priced suggestions of newspaper columnists (some of them as ordinary this writer), their respective responses demonstrate the often ignored ‘powers’ of newspaper opinions.
In that remarkable interview, Gowon cleared the air about some false claims that pertained to the outbreak of the Nigerian civil war in 1967 and the ‘No Victor, No Vanquish’ declaration that ended it in 1970. The Aburi declaration was one of the issues about which General Gowon gave details and explanations of all that transpired as he re-counted the lies told by the Biafran warlord, Colonel Chukwuemeka Ojukwu.
The call for autobiographies from elder statesmen was hinged on the fact that memoirs, besides correcting existing misinformation, also avail younger and unborn generations with the opportunity to learn from the true-life experiences of older generations. Excerpts from the piece under reference include a paragraph that reads, “Although General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida had granted several interviews to broadcast and print media houses, interviews and biographies are not autobiographies (or memoirs). We are aware of Dan Agbese’s “Ibrahim Babangida: The Military, Politics and Power in Nigeria.” This column hereby appeals to General Babangida, with every sense of humility and patriotism, to fulfil the promise he made in past interviews that he would write and make public his memoir. We urge General Muhammadu Buhari and General Abdulsalami Abubakar to individually write their memoirs.”
In another paragraph of the piece, this writer wrote, “Posterity would remember them for putting down documented facts that would make it difficult for mischievous persons and groups to wrongly re-write the genuine story or history of an event, place or people.” The piece ended with an Arab saying, “That which is memorized shall (one day) vanish; and that which is written shall (forever) remain indelible.”
While General Babangida launched his 420-page memoir titled “A Journey in Service” on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, 31 years after he stepped aside down from office; General Gowon officially launched his long-awaited 881-page autobiography, “My Life of Duty and Allegiance” at the International Conference Centre in Abuja on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. With a good retentive memory at over 90 years of age, Gowon recounts in the book many of the critical decisions made during the 30-months Nigerian Civil War. The third of the military generals to make public their autobiographies in recent times is General Abdulsalami Abubakar who launched his autobiography, “Call of Duty: My Autobiography” on June 13, 2026 at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja.
Now that we have, at least, three new arrivals on our shelves or on the shelves of the libraries in our universities and other public institutions, the question is: What happens to the books next? That’s the next challenge and it’s all about how to get these books to be read by those they are meant to serve most; our young boys and girls. If they do not read these books, one of the basic aims for which these elder statemen were encouraged to write the memoirs would have been lost. Putting the decline in reading culture among today’s young people, the Gen Z, into context; one would not mince any words to insinuate that many of those we expect to read these autobiographies would miss out.
Several factors account for the abysmal reading culture among young people. This may include the widespread use of smartphones, social media platforms, online games, and video streaming services has reduced the time young people spend reading books. Unfortunately, Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is now the newest resource in information technology cannot provide some personal information and experiences shared in autobiographies by their authors. Similarly, the education system that places greater emphasis on passing examinations than on cultivating a lifelong love for reading is also an influential factor. As a result, many students only study textbooks and notes required for exams. Indeed, some of us whose main assets in life is volumes of books, journals, encyclopaedias, and other reading materials are already getting worried of what becomes of this valuable asset called books after we have returned to Allah, our creator.
To reverse the trend in poor reading culture, the government needs to improve school libraries and resuscitate public libraries by providing current books and digital resources. Parents could also help by creating reading habits at home. Some twenty years ago, I used to provide a book or novel during every school vacation for all my children to read, one after the other. That was how I made them to read Ben Carson’s “Gifted Hands’ and “Think Big” also by Ben Carson. However, I found it difficult with the digital-age children that came after the advent of mobile phones to get them attracted to the books in my room.
Since the previous call by this column has not been answered by some of those mentioned in the earlier piece, it’s still germane to quote a paragraph from the former which reads, “The others who Nigerians would like to read their memoirs include Generals Aliyu Gusau, Ishola Williams, T. Y. Danjuma, David Mark, and Col Lawan Gwadabe (rtd). We encourage traditional rulers, too, like the Sultan Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar, the Etsu Nupe Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, the Oba of Lagos, Obi of Onitsha, and the Oba of Benin, to each write their memoirs. Nigerians are eager to also read the memoirs of Professor Attahiru Jega, Malam Mohammed Haruna (Ya-Kudu), and Malam Kabiru A. Yusuf; a man who had in recent times helped others including Alhaji Aminu Dantata, through his Trust Tv programme, to record their autobiographies.” May Allah (SWT) guide us to leave an intellectual legacy behind for humanity to benefit from, Amin.
