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Baba’s Story – Nigeria is 50
By Abyna-Ansaa Adjei
60pp
Frangipani Books Ltd (Ghana)

‘Baba’s Story –
Nigeria is 50’ is a hardback publication, the latest addition to former
president Olusegun Obasanjo’s kitty of books.

Written by a
Ghanaian, Abyna-Ansaa Adjei, ‘Baba’s Story – Nigeria is 50’ is
ostensibly a book about Nigeria’s history, told from Obasanjo’s
perspective, and kicks off during his childhood days. He had a lot of
exposure to many Nigerian ethnic groups in the village of
Ibogun-Olaogun in Ogun State, we are told. He relates a number of
creation stories from various parts of Nigeria – such as the Oduduwa
myth (Yoruba), the Bayajida (Hausa) and the Eri (Igbo)–as told to a
young Obasanjo by his father and his older cousin, identified as
‘Brother Olu’.

We then proceed to
the arrival of the Europeans, with the ensuing slave trade and
colonialism. Humour is used to capture and sustain the interest of his
target audience, children–a ploy that does not cross over well with
adult readers. The author should have been mindful of the fact that
such a book, coming from a Nigerian statesman, would be read by diverse
age groups.

‘Baba’s Story’
(Obasanjo makes it clear from the first line that he should be
identified as Baba) gets very interesting with its account of the
political crises that rocked Nigeria during the pre-independence
period. The use of simple words and expressions makes this section an
easy read for youth of any age.

That said,
Obasanjo’s account of the civil war to young readers is quite shallow.
It ends up being more about how he emerged as the hero of the war and
how his army career progressed, thanks to the providence of his being
leader of the battalion that formed a resurgence. The book also leaves
much to be desired with its account of the different regimes that have
ruled the country. He can hardly restrain himself when he discusses the
demise of Sani Abacha: “Many stories are told of how he died! Some
people even say he was thrown into a bath of honey and red ants, and
the ants stung him to death!”

Reference is made
to the fate of the Ogoni Nine at the hands of Abacha’s junta, but
Obasanjo merely glosses over the June 12 elections and the subsequent
struggle – a critical period in Nigerian history. There is also mention
of other historical episodes like the murder of his boss, Murtala
Muhammed, in 1979. On what he describes as the failure of the late
President Umaru Yar’Adua to deliver PDP programmes, Obasanjo says this
was “partly because of his health, partly because of a lack of adequate
discernment on the side of his advisers and close aides and partly
because of himself.”

The quality of
‘Baba’s Story’ nosedives after the section on Goodluck Jonathan’s
ascension to the presidency. Among other textual quibbles, the
arrangement of images could have been better coordinated. Having a
double spread of images of former heads of state was excessive. And
with many pictures of Obasanjo himself, one is left wondering whether
the book is not more about him than the history of the country.

Obasanjo was recently quoted as saying, “I will never allow my
Yorubaness to impede my Nigerianness and I will never allow my
Nigerianness impede my Africanness.” Therefore, it is a wonder why he
chose a Ghanaian to write this book, despite the fact that young
Nigerians writers have emerged as a literary force globally. His
decision to publish abroad does not support the challenged industry of
Nigerian publishing.