Akume, Ododo, Ahmed, Eniola Bello, Others to Grace Olasunle’s Book Launch

James Emejo in Abuja

Eminent personalities including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo and immediate past governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed, are among dignitaries expected to grace the launch of two books written by Tunde Olusunle, an eminent poet, journalist and an alumni of the University of Ilorin.

The books- “Orisirisi: Vistas on Contemporary Politics in Nigeria” and “Toasts, Tributes and Wreaths”, will be publicly unveiled on October 9, 2024, at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

A statement by a member of the Book Launch Media Committee, Mr. Bolaji Afolabi, said while Akume is expected to chair the occasion, Ododo will act as the chief host, supported by other dignitaries.

Ahmed, who graduated from Unilorin about 40 years ago, is expected to lead a formidable alumni entourage of the university including Managing Director of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Eniola Bello; Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial Zone, Fatai Buhari; Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede and former Permanent Secretary, General Service Office (GSO), in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Olusegun Adekunle to the august event.

Other dignitaries include Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports Development, Tinuke Watti; Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigrations Service (NIS), Nana Nandap and Vice- Chancellor, Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Prof. Yemi Akinwumi.

Former Executive Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC), Dr. Victor Babatunde Adeniran; former Director, Policy, Plans and Research, Defence Space Administration Agency, Major Gen. Kayode Ogundele, and former Director, Research and and Development, Defence Industries, Kaduna, Brig. Gen John Obasa, (rtd) are also expected to attend the book launch.

Furthermore, Legal Adviser to Green Energy Limited, Olusegun Ilori; Managing Partner, Awomolo and Awomolo Chambers, Eyitayo Fatogun, SAN; Femi Atoyebi, SAN, of OM, Atoyebi and Partners, as well as Tunji Bamishigbin, attorney and film producer will also grace the occasion.

Others are pioneer Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, (FCCPC), Mr. Babatunde Irukera; immediate past Director-General, National Theatre, Prof. Sunnie Ododo and Secretary to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Franca Aiyetan, among others.

The statement added that Hakeem Bello, long-serving media adviser to Emeritus Governor of Lagos State and more recently, Minister for Works, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, and Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media, Tunde Rahman – both from Unilorin, will support the event.

It added that the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Ademola Hamzat, an alumnus of Unilorin will represent the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, while Secretary of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), AIG Rhoda Adetutu Olofu will also be in attendance.

Other respected attendees are newly promoted Commissioners of Police, Wilfred Tokunbo Afolabi and Saadat Ismail; former Director in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Director of Arts and Culture, Dr. Ronke Bello, and renowned petroleum engineers, Francis Osasona and Idowu Lawanson are expected to attend the event among others.

Olusunle is an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja. He has previously published three volumes of painstaking verse, notably Fingermarks (1996); Rhythm of the Mortar (2001), and A Medley of Echoes (2022).

Forewords to the various poetry volumes were written by Emeritus Professors Femi Osofisan and Olu Obafemi, both recipients of the Nigerian National Order of Merit, (NNOM), Nigeria’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

He previously authored two compendium of essays –“On The Trail Of History: A Reporter’s Notebook on Olusegun Obasanjo (2006) and Atiku: Perspectives on a Phenomenon (2023).