By Henry Akubuiro
In my many years of reviewing books, I haven’t come across any collection of book reviews and reports by an author as voluminous as Bukar Usman’s My Literary Works: Reviews and Reports (Klamidas Communications, Abuja: 2022). At 1127 pages, this compilation can favourably compete with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. And it’s not just all about the size.
Bukar Usman, since his postgraduate days, has functioned as a civil servant, rising to the highest level and doubling as a patriot on account of his stewardship, showing a great love for the country. A humanist, philanthropist, folklorist, historian, public intellectual and author, Usman plays the role of a factotum to society and the world of letters. Here is a man who had the option to vegetate after his meritorious service in the civil service, where he retired as a permanent secretary in the presidency, but elected to serve the masses further by offering free intellectual steaks and broth to savour every now and then.
With over 30 books, most of them written after his retirement from public service in 1999, Usman has made it habitual to circulate his books in public and private domains. Being prolific also means there is always something to say about the author or his writings in the media. Needless to say, the media loves feasting on the works of Usman, for the novelty and depth of his ideas, and the things he does in the intellectual, cultural and educational sectors easily warm themselves into the media heart.
My Literary Works: Reviews and Reports is, hence, a bazaar of encomiums and an affirmation of the overwhelming reception his works have elicited in media and public spaces and the traffic of audience he commands in private channels. A good writer, with all his vast knowledge, can produce outstanding works yet nobody reads them. But Usman has made himself a beautiful bride whose works must be read, nay, garner feedback– feedback worth more than diamonds and gold for a scribbler.
My Literary Works … pays witness to a late bloomer’s subtleties. Though he served the federal government as a public servant, Usman’s books recounting his experiences and interventions on the government’s side of the social contract doesn’t betray a bellicose mind but one who saw the civil service as some pilgrimage, of which the pilgrim must return one day with something to justify the years spent.
A book in seven parts, this compilation begins with reviews done on his autobiographical works, including Hatching Hopes, My Literary Journey, and My Public Service Journey. Section 2 contains reviews on Usman’s books on public policy matters, which include Voice in a Chair: Issues in Democratisation and National Stability in Nigeria; Public Policy Formulation in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects; Issues and Challenges in National Security; Restructuring Nigeria: An Overview; plus Press, Policy and Responsibility.
The third section of the book contains reviews on Usman’s Biu Study Series (BESS), which include Girl-Child Education in Biu Emirate: The Early Years; Language, Disappearance and Cultural Diversity in Biu Emirate; and A History of Biu.
The fourth section of My Literary Works… contains reviews on Bukar Usman’s books on folklore, technology and democratic culture. These reviews dwell on Folklore and History: Twin Rivers of World Heritage and Language; Technology and Democratic Culture.
Included in the fifth section are reviews on Usman’s short story books, vis: The Bride Without Scars and Other Stories, The Stick of Fortune, and Girls in Search of Husbands.
In the sixth section, readers will find reviews on the author’s Treasury of Nigerian Tales (TNT) Series, which include A Selection of Nigerian Folktales: Themes and Settings; People, Animals, Spirits, and Objects: 1000 Folk Stories of Nigeria; as well as Gods and Ancestors: Mythic Tales of Nigeria.
The seventh section contains reviews in English of Usman’s Hausa and Ajani Folktales. These books include Marainiya Dan Wasu Labarai, Jarumin Sarki, Dan Agwai da Kura, Taskar Tatsuniyoyi, etc. This section also contains book reviews done by Bukar Usman himself on the works of others, plus articles done by Usman on landmark achievements, and readers’ reactions to the reviews of his works shared online. In all, there are 95 reviews in this book done by more than twenty distinctive reviewers.
Former Nigerian ambassador to Canada, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, in his Forward to the book, describes Usman as a member of “the new African intellectual”, who forgoes “the perks of elite privilege”, identifying with the masses.
In his introductory remarks, the author emphasises on the relevance of book reviewing and indexing, while highlighting the significance and implications of his collection of reviews, the first of its kind, for the book ecosystem in Nigeria.
Most of the reviews published in this book were originally done by journalists covering books and literature in Nigerian media, including Anote Ajeluorou of The Guardian, Okechukwu Uwaezuoke of ThisDay, Henry Akubuiro of The Sun, Yemi Adebisi of Daily Independent, Abubakar Adam and Yahuza Malumfashi of Daily Trust. Others were done by technocrats from other professions.
Every reviewer featured in this book has kind words to say about the author and his writings. Writing on “A Technocrat’s Testament”, a review of Hatching Hope, Okechukwu Uwaezuoke echoes: “Dr. Usman’s autobiography is a minefield of information on the civil service… the author through it has imparted useful hints on how to drink life to the lees on the readers” (p.48).
Former Ohaneze Ndigbo President, Amb George Obiozor, in his review of the same book, notes that the book is replete with lessons for academics, public servants and the general public. Also, it “should be read for its lessons in humility, integrity and sense of honour and history” (p.77).
Henry Akubuiro, in his review of Hatching Hopes, which he titles “Amid the Laughter of Hyenas: Triumph of Ambition”, submits that the well packaged offering “will inspire everybody with dreams to keep it real”, for “Glory will surely come at the end” (p.80).
Yemi Adebisi, the former Arts Editor of Daily Independent, in his review of the same book, titles it: “Bukar Usman: The Man, His Art and Timeless Legacy”, in which he states that the book is “very significant as a historical diary of note for generations as it relates the uniqueness of African culture, evolutionary trend from ancient to modern educational structure in Nigeria, friendship, family life, challenges of globalisation and essense of good leadership” (p.85).
*Due to the sheer volume of this book, the concluding part of this review will be published in another edition.