L- R Dr Dakuku Peterside , Mrs Elima Peterside, H E Yemi OSIBANJO – former Vice President , and Senator Ike Nwachukwu during the public presentation of two books by Dakuku Peterside yesterday in lagos
Eminent Nigerians, including Nigeria’s former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; elder statesman, Gen Ike Nwachukwu (Rtd), Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, among others have praised the two new books, “Leading in a Storm” and “Beneath the Surface,” written by turnaround expert, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, describing them as collectors’ items for those in leadership positions.
In his remarks, Former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, described the author as a participant-observer.
“He is not a distant critic; he is an engaged reformer,” the former Vice President said, adding that “each piece marries rigorous analysis with workable solutions.”
Drawing on Dakuku’s writing on the judiciary, he commended the courage to address delicate issues without sensationalism and the discipline to propose reforms that are both principled and practicable.
“In his framing, the books are not just essays and chapters; they are operating manuals for leaders who must make sense before they make moves,” he summed up.
The Chairman of the books unveiling, Major General Ike Nwachukwu (Rtd), recalled Peterside’s steady public record, from the House of Representatives to a consequential tenure at NIMASA to a nationally syndicated column, while praising his consistent “through-line: advocacy for equity, fairness, justice, free expression, and the elevation of the Nigerian through education, industrialisation, and technology.”
According to him, “If party loyalties are fluid and ideology is thin, isn’t it time to rethink and rebrand our democracy around principle and performance?
He renewed his long-standing call for a People’s Federal Constitution, negotiated by Nigeria’s diverse nationalities, unlocking the viability of every federating unit and rewarding productivity while ensuring a fair federal contribution.
“These books do not merely diagnose,” he stated, “they insist on bold, values-anchored, accountable leadership—and on building institutions that outlast politics.”
Niger State’s Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, in a goodwill message that crackled with momentum, argued that Leading in a Storm
maps neatly onto Niger’s recent trajectory:
In his words, “when it comes to leading in a storm, we have a live case—securing communities, rebuilding infrastructure, and positioning Niger as Nigeria’s food capital. It is not enough to criticise government; citizens and leaders must get involved. Dakuku doesn’t just critique; he provides solutions—and we are applying them.”
Also speaking, Engr. Jackson Offor, the Chief Presenter for Beneath the Surface, captured its moral ambition with striking clarity, saying “this is not a political diary, it is a mirror held to the nation’s soul.”
He traversed the seventy essays—from “Hunger is Real and Present” to “Beyond Reactive Governance” and “Kevin McCarthy and the Travails of Democracy”—and argued that Nigeria’s recurring dysfunctions are symptoms of an invisible deficit: truth, trust, and accountability.
The Chief Presenter for Leading in a Storm, Mr Adokiye Ikpoki, translated its architecture into a crisp playbook for execution in volatile times: “anticipate rather than react; make sense before you make moves; widen the circle of intelligence; communicate truth early; protect essential services; codify learning after every shock; and invest in people practices that reward results over proximity.”
He wished that the book was written before COVID 19 hit Nigeria, but however believed that Nigerians showed resilience and great crisis leadership skills during the crisis.
There were goodwill messages from renowned investment banker, Atedo Peterside, who spoke to market-enabling policy and institutional credibility; from former NDDC MD, Timi Alaibe who pressed on the discipline of reform and the patience to see it through and George Etomi, on tthe rule of law as a development instrument.
Former NFF President, Amaju Pinnick pinned on sports as an industry and youth pathway; just as Jean Chiazor, SAN, offered insights into maritime safety and blue-economy potential; Mrs Wunmi Eniola- Jegede in praising the author, said application of crisis leadership principles in logistics business is critical to success and celebrated publisher, Dele Momodu on culture as a soft-power asset and nation-branding lever.
Representing the DG of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, the EDFA, Chudi Offodile, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to leadership standards that keep people safe, grow maritime trade, and build credible institutions.
The author of the two books, Dr Peterside dedicated the occasion to Nigeria’s doers: public servants who still believe, entrepreneurs who refuse to quit, educators who shape the next generation, reformers who choose courage over cynicism.
According to him, “Beneath the Surface asks us to think harder, while Leading in a Storm shows us how to act better. Together, they invite us to rebuild—one policy, one institution, one community at a time.”
He thanked the presenters and dignitaries for “converting a launch into a laboratory, and Lagos for reminding the nation that scale and speed can co-exist with empathy and standards.”
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