Ferdinand N. Agu
When Admiral Francis Akpan asked me to review his book â AN ADMIRALâs COMPASS – I did not feel suited for the task. But he persisted. Now, having read the book, I thank him for this honour. It is a peep into the fertile mind of a professional soldier; a leader, scholar, patriot, strategic and stimulating thinker. His thoughts surge like restless waves across a sea of topics, even as he sails a steady course to articulate the imperatives of Nigeriaâs maritime strategy and maritime security; and their concomitants.
Though it is not wise to judge a book by its cover, one can safely judge this book by its title. An Admiralâs Compass: Reflections on Leadership, Military Strategy and Maritime Security is informative and authoritative. It distils Admiral Akpanâs rich experience: at sea and ashore, at home and abroad, in and outside naval service, which he shared with generations of naval and military officers in lectures delivered over a period of fifteen years. The lectures are not dated. Some readers may have difficulties in putting them in a broader context, especially as his opinions on some of the recurrent subjects appear to have mellowed over time. That is not unusual. Maritime strategic thoughts evolve and practice of maritime strategy change with time. The central message, that the navy and all maritime agencies involved with maritime security must learn to adapt to change, is constant.