The Chief Operating Officer of the PREMIUM TIMES Group, Musikilu Mojeed, has said the organisation’s publishing arm is using books to document political history, interrogate power, and preserve Nigeria’s social and democratic experience.
Mr Mojeed, who is also the Editor-in-Chief of PREMIUM TIMES newspaper, said Premium Times Books was founded on the belief that democracy cannot thrive in a society that does not understand how power works, how institutions function, and why governance often fails.
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He made the remarks on Saturday at the launch of a book, “The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria,”authored by a former senator, Effiong Bob, and published by Premium Times Books.
“At Premium Times Books, we believe deeply in the power of stories. Not gossip or trivial, but consequential stories — the kind that help a society understand itself. Stories are barometers of social health. They reveal what works, what is broken, and what urgently needs fixing. That is why we invest in publishing works that document, interrogate, and preserve Nigeria’s political and social experience,” he said.
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Mr Mojeed described the author as a quintessential insider who has experienced the workings of the system from multiple angles.
“Senator Effiong Bob is no armchair commentator. He is, quite simply, a quintessential insider — one who has seen the system from every angle and borne its burdens firsthand. That lived experience, combined with extensive engagement with fellow legislators, gives this book its authority and credibility. It is not speculation; it is testimony.”
He noted that understanding the constraints under which lawmakers operate is critical to improving democratic governance, adding that public discourse often reduces the legislature to stereotypes without sufficient appreciation of its internal pressures.
Stating that the Premium Times Books was proud to have published the book, Mr Mojeed noted that it (book) “offers a rare, reflective look at a critical institution of democracy and the people who animate it.”
“This makes it essential reading for democrats, scholars, students, legislators, and all citizens interested in Nigeria’s political future,” he added.
Mission of Premium Times Books
Mr Mojeed said the mission of Premium Times Books is threefold: to expand Nigeria’s reading public, make essential books accessible, and bring vital works on Nigeria, wherever they are published, back to a national audience.
READ ALSO: Understanding – and relieving – the burden of the Nigerian legislator, By Musikilu Mojeed
Books published by the imprint include Naija No Dey Carry Last by the late Pius Adesanmi; the Boko Haram trilogy anchored by Professor Raufu Mustapha; Remaking Nigeria and We Are All Biafrans by Chido Onumah; Quranic Schools in Northern Nigeria by Hannah Hoechner; and Cyber Politics by Omoniyi Ibietan;
Others are Nine Lives by Bello Fadile; The Sokoto Caliphate by Murray Last; Deepening Democracy in Nigeria by Jibrin Ibrahim; The Letterman by Musikilu Mojeed; and Writing for the Media and Monetising It by Azu Ishiekwene.
He said the books reflect Premium Times Books’ commitment to publishing works that interrogate power, identity, history, and governance.
About the author and the book
The author, Mr Bob, represented Akwa Ibom North-east Senatorial District between 2003 and 2011.
He previously served as a councillor, council chairman, deputy speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, attorney-general and commissioner for justice, and later pro-chancellor of the University of Benin.
The book examines the heavy and often distorting expectations placed on Nigerian lawmakers by their constituencies, as well as the internal pressures within the political system.
It also explores how legislators navigate godfathers, executive overreach, meddlesome governors, and relentless public demands, pressures that frequently undermine rather than strengthen,, democratic governance.
Among the dignitaries at the book launch were the Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Umo Eno; a former Senate President, David Mark; and the Speaker of the Akwa-Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong.
![Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello [PHOTO CREDIT: Alhaji Yahaya Bello]](https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2024/02/408120362_905290814276680_6076651021365286803_n-e1707257395206.jpg?fit=938%2C677&ssl=1)
