‘My book seeks moral compass for our society’

The Author of ‘Maitama Linen: The Scandalous Lives of Abuja Elites, Shehu Usman Yakubu, says the book sought to provide a moral compass for the ills engaged in Nigerian society. Speaking at the launch at the weekend in Abuja, Yakubu said the 216-page book was written during the lockdown despite not studying literary studies in […]

The Author of ‘Maitama Linen: The Scandalous Lives of Abuja Elites, Shehu Usman Yakubu, says the book sought to provide a moral compass for the ills engaged in Nigerian society.

Speaking at the launch at the weekend in Abuja, Yakubu said the 216-page book was written during the lockdown despite not studying literary studies in school.

He said the gift of mastering poetry at a young age and a stint as a journalist gave him the courage to write the book.

He said the book was inspired by society as he had so many things he wanted to talk about.

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“I thought it was best to talk about it through a book. The book is a reminder of the current position of our moral compass in society. I wanted to talk about men in marriages who aren’t living up to what men are supposed to be. I wanted to talk up how homosexuality starts in our society in schools. I wanted to talk about people not appreciating others in their lives till it’s too late, corruption and abuse of power, and body enhancement.

“All the things I felt were wrong with us as a society, I put it together as a literary work and decided to go ahead.

“There are lots of things I wrote about to show certain lessons about what happens if you move too fast in life and what happens if you do not take necessary steps and wait.

“As a Muslim, I used the book to correct some misconceptions in divorce culture in the north. A lot of people divorce their wives and they are out of their house the next day or moment, which is not supposed to be like that.”

The Chief Judge of FCT, Justice Hussien Yusuf, said the book presents an opportunity for readers to learn ways to traverse challenges they face in life and provides an opportunity for parents to diligently watch over their wards to prevent them from societal ills.