By Damiete Braide

John Walker Adetunji-Adeoye, aka Johnny Jam Jam, is a writer, columnist, public relations expert, showbiz personality, and private investigator. He is the author of a two-volume book, How We Destroy Nigeria: Precedence of Doom and Haven For Financial Crimes & Corruption, which was released last month. In this interview, he talks about why he wrote the books, the decline in reading culture, among others. 

On his foray into writing, John said: “I have always loved writing. It has always been my hobby. But, as I grew up, I was advised never to put my eggs in one basket due to the unpredictable nature of the Nigerian economic and job environment. You have to do a whole lot of things to make ends meet.

“I later created a website called Ascology.com where I started writing on several issues, from entertainment to politics and life issues. Then, something happened that changed my professional life. At that time, there was little monetisation in online media. So, I started helping entertainment personalities advertise their music, comedy concerts and movies on my platform and found out that I was making more money from that angle.   “So since I was making more money from that area, I left writing on ascology.com, which I owned, and started working as a public relations consultant for those in the entertainment industry. Ironically, it was from entertainment that I got connected to those in the political and corporate field who were impressed with my works. Hence, life as a speechwriter and full-time writer became alive. Presently, I write speeches for three governors and a lot of company executives.”

Asked if he studied speech writing, the young writer said: “Actually, I studied Business Administration. I did not take any formal course in speechwriting, although I spent six months training and learning how to become a professional from some online tutorials, just to update myself since speechwriting is a bit different from the traditional writing that most writers are used to.”

On why he wrote How We Destroy Nigeria, he notes the title of the book was chosen carefully. “How We Destroy Nigeria is relevant to highlight the word ‘destroy’ as opposed to ‘destroyed’, because some of us are still optimistic that Nigeria can become a better country. So, the activities that we engaged in destroying Nigeria are what the book focuses on. So, it is not that we have destroyed Nigeria.”

He explained further that he wrote the book “because we all know how Nigeria is. When you ask any Nigerian now that, ‘Are you satisfied with the situation of the country?’ I don’t think some Nigerians will tell you that they are satisfied with the situation of things as regards politics, economy, or everything going on in the country. There’s the surge of banditry, kidnapping, Boko Haram in parts of the North while some certain ‘unknown gunmen’ threaten the people of the South East.

“The country itself is no longer safe for citizens, who now live in fear. So, no Nigerian would tell you that they are satisfied with the happenings in and around the country. So, I am inspired to talk about Nigeria’s problems, not just because I’m a historian and a private investigator but because I am a concerned citizen.”

Related News

In his words, “It’s a two-volume book. The first book, Precedence of Doom, talks about the historical activities that led to this current situation. Everything in the first volume of the book talks about the activities and events that led to our present situation. It talks about the anarchy, the violence, the bloodletting, slavery, bondage, and the system that pre-colonial rulers of Nigeria engaged in that has led us to this present mess.

“Also, the activities of our national founders, by our national founders, I mean, the likes of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello; we respect them for giving us an independent Nigeria, yet their activities led us to this mess. They focused their campaigns on tribalism, and that feature has been carried on by present-day politicians till today. I also talked about the roles military dictatorship played and how the corruption in the judiciary, legislature and executive arm of government has affected the country badly.

“I also talked about the negative impact of marginalisation, ethnic prejudice, and the dark side of religion. I talked about those things in the first volume of the book. Like a former American president, Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘A house divided against itself shall not stand’.”

Elections are around the corner in 2023, and I want Nigerians to be united in whom they will vote for. We should not be voting based on ethnicity. I don’t care if you are a Yoruba, Igbo or Fulani person. Vote for the right candidate; vote for competency; vote for honesty, credibility, and integrity. These are the things that we should be looking out for in a candidate. We cannot move forward when we are still divided. We have to be united against the common enemy.

“In a nutshell,  what I want is for Nigeria to move forward. With the first book, I want to see a progressive Nigeria. I want us to be united by a common goal. And what is the common goal? Peace, progress and stability. That’s what I want. However, I am more particular in the peace, stability and progress of Nigeria.

He gives an insight into what the  second volume of the book focuses on Nigeria as Haven for Financial Crimes & Corruption.

“I wrote about the economic cost of dishonesty and how Nigerians manipulated each other. There is also the issue of overpopulation that I addressed. We have situations where unemployed people give birth to several children they have no plan of taking care of. I wrote about the country’s broken educational system and why issues, such as the ASUU strike, might continue to linger. These are the things that I documented in the second book.”