LB: What inspires you to write?
GD: It all started awhile back. I was driving to church when an FM radio station (Inspiration FM) in Lagos, Nigeria aired a sermon by Myles Munroe as presented by Dan Foster, an African-American. He defined the difference between “Job” and ”‘Work”. I needed to “work” but all I have been is a pharmacist – and a brand manager was just a “job”. That same day, I was privileged to walk into my church’s bookshop before services began. I discovered that Bishop David O. Oyedepo had over 50 titles to his credit and people gathered to buy most of his books. That caught my attention again. If this man who is so busy could take the time to write books, then why can’t I write one? And so, the journey to writing started two weeks later. An inspirational story stole my sleep for 72 hours as I birthed The Weeping Palm Tree in 2011.
LB: How has the recent turmoil in your country affected your writing? What are the major problems facing your country today? Better yet, what are the major good things?GD:
Nigeria is the giant of Africa blessed with many resources. If it coughs, the whole continent will catch cold. It is a very active nation and historians find very difficult to keep track of her events. My inspiration is a mix of my experiences as a village boy and the socio-political happenings of the modern day. The Mhiship people have not been written about in any modern journal and so it behooves me to tell the world about them and also to inspire the younger generation about the benefits of education. I am a proud product of the white missionaries that brought education along with Christianity to Africa. Right now, my state, Plateau State, is suffering from a religious crisis that no one could have foretold. This has inspired my second book, Spine of Peace,  with its plot weaving around Boko Haram insurgents.
LB: What prompted you to decide to run for office?
Dr. Daniel Kutchin, a Nigerian nuclear physicist based in Germany, wanted to set up a political structure that would enable him to for the governorship of my State in 2015. He came across my first book, got in touch with me, and my initiation started. Dr. Kutchin wanted to bring in people with an educated background and with clean records that could help his campaign. I was eventually appointed the Director General of his support group. But, still, that didn’t give me a hint that I may run for an office until a group of concerned youths paid me a visit during the Christmas break and urged me to enter the contest. I am currently testing my popularity. If the general populace sees me as a worthy candidate, then I will run for the office of Senator.
LB: What is the most significant message in Spine of Peace that you'd like your readers to hear and act upon? Why?
GD: Spine of Peace is my contribution to peaceful coexistence amongst humans in the world regardless of your religious background – because we all know that the humans started from Adam and Eve. In my own judgment, I feel that Boko Haram is a reincarnate of Maitatsine in Nigeria. In my opinion, this is why the religious crisis in Plateau State has lingered. People have been hurt, but they have not been appeased properly.
LB: Tell us a little about your life in Nigeria. Are you part of a "tribe"? But you live in a modern city, yes? A bit of cultural background would be really interesting.
GD: Spine of Peace and a little of what Dimka, the main protagonist, went through was partially my earlier life. I was born in the city, moved to the village, then was schooled partly in the city. Now I live totally in the city, paying visits once in a while for my philanthropic engagements. The years that I lived in the village from 1987 to 1995 made who I am today. I will never forget the pains of the villagers, but I still respect their contentment, honesty, and brotherliness despite their social travails. I am now a pharmacist and a brand manager for Fidson Healthcare Plc here in Lagos.
LB: If you could tell us in the United States the most important thing we should know and understand about Nigeria, what would it be? And why?
GD: The United States should not be deceived by the media which portrays Nigeria as a very backward nation. It is far from it. The story of the Yorubas tribes from the Western Nigeria is different from the Igbos tribe from the Eastern Nigeria. I am from the Middle-Belt which is culturally and socio-economically different from the western and eastern parts of my country. If you have been to any part of Nigeria without visiting all of the six (6) geo-political regions, then your summation about Nigeria will not be totally correct. I will tell you that even Chimamandah Ngozi Adichie doesn’t know much about my people. Likewise, I don’t know much about Igbos. Just last week, the country celebrated her centenary of amalgamation of the south and the north protectorates to form the united country called Nigeria.
LB: Are your narratives based upon real life events or are they pure fiction, from your imagination?GD: My narratives are a fusion of fiction and real-life events. Even though the real life events are not exactly as written except for the Maitatsine and their background in Spine of Peace, they aided my imagination towards the point I wanted to make at the end of the story.
LB: Who are your favorite writers/authors? Why?
GD: Khaled Hussain, Bishop David O. Oyedepo, Chimamanda Ngozi, and Chinua Achebe. Their books are un-put-down-able.
LB: What is the last book you've read?
GD: I am currently reading two books. And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hussain and Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi.
LB: What book(s)/novel(s) has (have) most influenced your writing and your life?GD: GD: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hussain and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.
LB: Your first novel is being made into a movie. Relate a bit about that experience. How is it going? Will it be released here in the United States? When?
GD: There is now a movie script for The Weeping Palm Tree. I took out a bank loan to purchase some costumes from the US so that we wouldn’t have these sub-standard effects we sometimes see in African movies. We have had auditions and casts were selected, but lack of sponsorship betrayed that dream. I am a goal setter and a go-getter, so I know it will someday be shot and premiered to the world. But, again, the sponsorship has been a big challenge. I will tell you that the adaptation and the suspense and actions in “Borlong” – the title of the movie – spurs me on to keep faith that the world would one day celebrate a movie that is fresh from Nigeria.
LB: General comments? What would you most like to say?
GD: America is indeed helping any willing person or group to achieve their dreams. I am one of her partners through CreateSpace and work with June J. McInerney whose calmness, maturity, trust (despite corruption allegations against Nigerians), and professionalism in editing and proofreading has encouraged my passion to continue writing because someone will help to bring my work to international standard. June fascinated me by speaking a few words of my dialect because she just not only reads and edits, but also enters the story of her writers.
LB: Anything else?
GD: Na gode. Meaning, I thank you.