In less than 10 months of Fayose's assumption of office the authorities of the state university honoured him with a degree of Doctor of Public Administration. Not very long after this great, Ekiti State descended into one of the most chaotic states in the Nigerian Federation and Mr Fayose has more or less become a wanted man for reasons not unconnected with his crudeness in the management of men and resources!

Nigeria's shameless sycophants will go to any length to exploit a situation to their financial advantage. President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua may have become aware that there are those who would not hesitate to conclude that he is the greatest leader Nigeria has ever seen, even when disputations over his election have yet to be resolved! It is therefore a mark of native wisdom on his part to dissociate himself from "premature" books that some "authors" may want to write about him. "... President Yar'Adua wishes to make it categorically clear that he has not authorised anybody to write a book on him or his tenure in political office. The president does not believe in such exercises ..." (The Guardian, 4 August 2007).

Ordinarily, there should be nothing wrong if an author wants to write a book about the president or any political figure whatsoever. What should be detested is the hagiographical portrayal of an actor who may have committed his or her own share of sins! An honest and critical analysis of an actor or an issue should be a welcome contribution to human knowledge.

Democracy and intellectualism are inseparable components. We now live in a democratic society in which demands of openness and debate should enrich our intellectual lives considerably. One often visits major book stores in Europe and America to see if there are current books on Nigeria, books embracing exciting "epics" like the "third term" debacle and the feud between former president Olusegun Obasanjo and his erstwhile deputy. This may have been because one has become accustomed to a highly intellectual environment where book stores are frequently flooded with new books on contemporary and historical issues by a variety of authors who provide different perspectives on similar topics. The prospective reader decides on what to read and what not to read, what to believe and what not to believe. In fact many people choose to buy books on the basis of reviews they have read in recognised journals and newspapers.

Nigerian pseudo-biographers hardly contribute to human knowledge. There is hardly anything refreshing in their accounts about the actors they choose to write about. In fact, pseudo authors are not interested in the number of people that get to know about their works. Their books are meant to be launched with expectations that hefty donations would come from individuals who may not even bother to read the books. A book of some typical Nigerian sycophantic title, like YAR'ADUA-THE MAN OF VISION could get politicians and business moguls outbidding one another in the quest to be acknowledged as the one who loves the president most! The spectre of ludicrous book launching dominated the national environment in the 1980s but this may have somehow diminished in pomp in recent years. The so-called authors may themselves not have written the books that bear their names! President Umaru Yar'Adua would appear justified in his scepticism of those soliciting to write books on himself, however this is not to say that a book or books cannot be written about him. Even at the time of the Nigerian elections books by informed and knowledgeable authors should have competed for readership by exposing what to expect and what not to expect from the various contestants. Chief Awolowo and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe wrote vigorously about themselves and the Nigerian society in the past.

Dr Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State governorship candidate under the platform of Action Congress (AC) actually joined the queue of modern politicians by publishing a book about himself entitled Out of the Shadows. We were able to know a few things about him from that book. Mrs Hilary Clinton is vying for the American presidency and no less than eight books on her have been spotted in book stores! Most people are quite happy to make up their minds on issues and political actors based on information provided by competent authors of well researched books.

The book culture should be encouraged and publishing should be a rewarding venture to both the author and the reader. With a population of about 140 million people, Nigeria should be an enviable market for an enterprising publishing industry. With universities springing up here and there, our nation's book culture should also be growing steadily. Sadly, contemporary Nigerian intellectual life is mediocre; most people would rather read for examinations than for general knowledge. It is not that the Nigerian mind is not adventurous, poverty and scarcity of books plays a part in this. Forward looking leaders should have long realised that the establishment of well-furnished public libraries in cities, town and villages is the prerequisite for development. Without any doubt, many Nigerians would have congratulated President Yar'Adua for warning the public about proposed books on his "purported achievements" in office. Were Nigeria to be one society where intellectualism has taken root, such a warning would not be celebrated. By virtue of his office, President Yar'Adua has become a commodity of national and international interest that he and his lawyers can only watch out for the contents of books by unauthorised authors.

However, courtesy may demand that one or one's representative is allowed to read the contents of a manuscript by unsolicited authors before its publication into a book. An author decides on the ultimate content of his or her book if convinced of the authenticity of their accounts.