This compilation contains three lectures delivered by Professor Wole Soyinka on recent developments in the Nigerian polity which call for well-informed critical analysis. And, true to the very nature of the great writer, these essays are nothing short of intelligence, eloquence and profundity.
The Nigerian state is bedevilled by various scourges: the constant thirst for – and abuse of – power by governments and individuals alike, is posing a great threat to freedom more than ever before in the country; Religion is in a perpetual supremacy contest with Nationhood; and ‘Rituals’ – the latest being the Nigerian Centenary Celebration – have come to be very effective in concealing the reality of decay going on around. And where is the average Nigerian in all these? Obscured and the so-called heroes among them? They have been dismissed and shouted into anonymity by the very ones who are supposed to lend them their voices.
A follow-up to the earlier volume, Soyinka is just as cutting and acerbic, as he takes on his bêtes noire in ‘The Republic of Liars’; and as usual, he pulls no punches.
“Basic education, sometimes known as Home Upbringing matters, and nurturing remains a dedicated undertaking. Internet accessibility is no substitute. Like the lyrics of that ancient Lagosian song ‘Eko gb’ole o gb’ole’, the Internet accommodates robbers and indolent in equal, non-discriminating measures. The fact however remains that facts do remain facts, and one incontestable fact is that at no time did WS make any pronouncement, public or private, that invited any of these posturing mutants to come and “play with him”, least of all on a bicycle that even he has never considered his, only borrowed for a term, liable to be reclaimed or relinquished by either contracting party.” Taken somewhat aback by the unexpectedly viral response which accompanied his decision to keep his promise to destroy his American Green Card, if Donald Trump was elected president, Soyinka – with the help of a few other contributors to this volume – takes on his trolls – online as well as off.
The tussle between Power and office is historically notorious, even banal, and the comeuppance for the later, Office, is well deserved if it becomes negligent and irresponsible, thus opening itself to legitimate challenge from any source, even seemly powerless
“While our own ‘dear native land’ must claim credit from inspiring the sub-series The Republic of Liars within the general series of interventions… There are challengers and even-champions – elsewhere, seeking to wrest the laurel of lies from our own inspirational nation.
Within these pages, I present my chastening paracletes and their industry – from the world of sophisticates of modern intellection.”
In February 2013, the arch-conservative Pope Benedict XVI made a startling announcement: he would resign, making him the first pope to willingly vacate his office in over 700 years. Reeling from the news, the College of Cardinals rushed to Rome to congregate in the Sistine Chapel to pick his successor. Their unlikely choice? Francis, the first non-European pope in 1,200 years, a onetime tango club bouncer, a passionate soccer fan, a man with the common touch.
Why did Benedict walk away at the height of power, knowing his successor might be someone whose views might undo his legacy? How did Francis – who used to ride the bus to work back in his native Buenos Aires – adjust to life as leader to a billion followers? If, as the Church teaches, the pope is infallible, how can two living popes who disagree on almost everything both be right? Having immersed himself in these men’s lives to write the screenplay for The Two Popes, Anthony McCarten masterfully weaves their stories into one gripping narrative. From Benedict and Francis’s formative experiences in war-torn Germany and Argentina to the sexual abuse scandal that continues to rock the Church to its foundations to the intrigue and the occasional comedy of life in the Vatican, The Two Popes glitters with the darker and the lighter details of one of the world’s most opaque but significant institutions.
THE LIBRARY OF CONTEMPORARY THOUGHT is a groundbreaking series where America’s finest writers and most brilliant minds tackle today’s most provocative, fascinating, and relevant issues. Striking and daring, creative and important, these original voices on matters political, social, economic, and cultural, will enlighten, comfort, entertain, enrage, and ignite healthy debate across the country
Witness to Justice is a personal account of the author’s time on ‘The Judicial Commission for the investigation of Human Rights Violation’ to which he was appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo in June 1999. An incisive look at the systematic devaluation of human life that took place in Nigeria during the years of military rule, along with the culture of impunity that emerged over that period.
Animal Farm is George Orwell’s brilliant political satire and allegorical fable about the corrupting effects of power. Published in 1945 it is, to this day, one of the most famous and influential works of fiction ever written.
When the old Major, a highly respected white boar, gathers his fellow farm animals to preach about freedom, rebellion and the evils of man, he incites a revolution that has been brewing for years. The animals drive out their drunken farmer, Mr Jones and create their own society which promises equality for all. Two scheming pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, appoint themselves leaders and what begins as a supposedly equalitarian community descends into an increasingly violent and hierarchical society permeated by lies and corruption.
A classic! Find inspiration in some of history’s great military victories as others have for over 2,400 years. Sun Tzu was the most famous military scientist, and one of the ablest commanders, in ancient China. Asian warlords, and modern leaders as dissimilar as Mao Tse-tung and General Eisenhower, have used his principles to change the shape of the world. Interpreted here by General Tao Hanzhang, one of the architects of the Communist Revolution, Tzu’s advice on timing, maneuvering, flexibility, and knowledge of the enemy’s leaders, strengths, and weaknesses is as powerful today as when it was first issued.
A compassionate conservative soldier-statesman, Babangida, in or out of office is not likely to be ignored in any honest attempt to understand the great economic and political challenges which beset Nigeria and Africa in the last decades of the twentieth century. Consequently the journey to Nigeria’s future greatness or demise must necessarily take its bearing from the Babangida years.
Did you know that Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to complete the Boston marathon in 1967, was almost pulled off the course before she could finish the race? And that Mae Jemison, an astronaut, was inspired by a Star Trek character to pursue her passion in science?
Behind every successful woman is the fascinating story of how she got to the top. And throughout history, trailblazing women have opened doors for those who followed. Based on the rich collection of interviews and documentaries from MAKERS, this book introduces pioneering women from all walks of life. Readers will get to know these women’s hopes, dreams, challenges, and accomplishments in chapters filled with personal stories, historical information, inspiring quotes, and much more. They will learn about the women’s movement and its impact today, and about common experiences women have.
Most importantly, they’ll be inspired to follow their dreams and become MAKERS themselves!
When he stepped down in January 2017 as the fourth United States director of national intelligence, James Clapper had been President Obama’s senior intelligence adviser for six and a half years, longer than his three predecessors combined. He led the U.S. intelligence community through a period that included the raid on Osama bin Laden, the Benghazi attack, the leaks of Edward Snowden, and Russia’s influence operation during the 2016 U.S. election campaign. In Facts and Fears, Clapper traces his career through the growing threat of cyberattacks, his relationships with presidents and Congress, and the truth about Russia’s role in the presidential election. He describes, in the wake of Snowden and WikiLeaks, his efforts to make intelligence more transparent and to push back against the suspicion that Americans’ private lives are subject to surveillance. Finally, it was living through Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and seeing how the foundations of American democracy were–and continue to be–undermined by a foreign power that led him to break with his instincts honed through more than five decades in the intelligence profession to share his inside experience.
Clapper considers such controversial questions as, Is intelligence ethical? Is it moral to intercept communications or to photograph closed societies from orbit? What are the limits of what we should be allowed to do? What protections should we give to the private citizens of the world, not to mention our fellow Americans? Are there times when intelligence officers can lose credibility as unbiased reporters of hard truths by inserting themselves into policy decisions?
Facts and Fears offers a privileged look inside the U.S. intelligence community and, with the frankness and professionalism for which James Clapper is known, addresses some of the most difficult challenges in our nation’s history.
