Monday, September 26, 2011
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, has described the Golden Book project embarked upon by The Sun Publishing Limited as “a bold initiative.” He said the book would give Nigeria an opportunity of telling our own story to the outside world.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim (L) receives a copy of Nigeria’s Golden Book, a publication of The Sun Newspapers from the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of the company Tony Onyima during a visit to the SGF in Abuja recently

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While commending The Sun management on the upcoming public presentation of the book, Anyim assured Nigerians of the “principled commitment of the present administration to promote good governance through the transformation agenda.

“I will like to express my deep appreciation to you for the kind invitation, and sincerely convey my best wishes to you on the successful completion of the publication which will, no doubt, serve as a useful guide in our march to nation-building”, Anyim said in a letter to The Sun.

Anyim, a former Senate president, is one of the many distinguished Nigerians invited to the public presentation of the book scheduled for tomorrow at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

Titled ‘Nigeria’s Golden Book’, the 512-page work narrates the nation’s history with some freshness.

From the 1914 amalgamation through independence and the post-independence crisis, to various leadership challenges to current democratic dispensation, the book truly tells Nigeria’s story with an eye on the future. President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Dr. Yakubu Gowon differently wrote foreword to the book. Describing it as “a truly rich trove on Nigeria’s developmental history”, President Jonathan noted that the book “charts a course for the future; a future of hope, peace and progress”.

In his foreword, Shagari observed that “in content and character, Nigeria’s Golden Book, a worthy and highly commendable initiative by The Sun Publishing Limited, bears an unflinching testimony to the nation’s ground-breaking achievements of the past 50 years.” On his part, Gowon described the book as “a priceless companion to those who seek deeper knowledge about Nigeria, chroniclers of history-journalists, writers, researchers and historians as well as those who might desire it for general use”. Reflecting on the content, Obasanjo wrote that “as you go through the pages of this work, it will be a good time to reflect on the transformative capacity within the human mind and the transformational leadership required for progress in Nigeria. We can tap into this reservoir and build the leadership for progress. The time to start is now.”

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar has accepted to chair the occasion while Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, Governor of Ondo State will deliver the keynote speech. Senator (Dr) David B. Mark, Senate President, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, Governor of Kano State, Mr. Peter Obi, Governor of Anambra State, Mallam Sule Lamido, Jigawa State Governor are guests of honour. Mr. Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah, Managing Director/CEO of Capital Oil and Gas Industries, Chief Chika Okafor, Chairman of Chicason Group of Companies and Dr. Obinna Uzoh, Chairman of Gocuz Group are official presenters of the book. His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubukar 111, the Sultan of Sokoto and His Royal Highness, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe (Agbogidi), Obi of Onitsha are the royal fathers of the day.

Explaining the reasons for the book, Onyima said at 50 “we feel that the true Nigerian narrative deserves to be packaged, not only for the imperatives of the present, but more importantly, for the demands of posterity”. He further said that “this modest endeavour will help to achieve, at least, two purposes to reposition the country so it can take its deserved place in the comity of nations.

And secondly, so that Nigerians will have the chance to pursue their full measure of happiness”. As the nation steps unto its journey to the next 50 years, Onyima called on the leaders at all levels to “explore and exploit the riches of this great nation” for her progress.http://odili.net/news/source/2011/sep/26/509.html