A BROKEN HOME AND UNCONTROLLABLE ANGER IN UMAR ABDUL AND OLOGWU EKUNDAYO'S THE BROKEN MOON

All novel and no plays makes Eazy a dull reader, haha! So, today I have chosen to read The Broken Moon by Umar Abdul and Ologwu Ekundayo.

Abdul and Ekundayo based their play; The Broken Moon; on relevant issues in the modern human societies. Those issues include divorce and broken home, the father as a tyrant, disharmony in the family, and of course uncontrollable anger.

Man (a character in the play) comes home one day to find another man in his house and jumps into the conclusion that the man is his wife's secret lover. He would listen to no explanation and in a fit of rage and furry, he sends the man running out of his house and orders that his wife should leave also.

Unknown to him, the man he had pursued from his house with a cutlass had come to deliver payment for a contract he had just executed. He lost the money, and also his wife.

Left with his young daughter (Ojoagefu), he goes on to marry one wife after another and creates a destabilized home. Worse still, he takes to heavy drinking and returns home drunk every night.

Perhaps, the worst part is that he represented his wife as a slut and lazy woman to the young Ojoagefu who was too young then to know what actually transpired between her parents.

Combined with the maltreatment from her step mother, she comes to see her mother as the originator of all her troubles and wishes to have her dead!

The dishevelled condition of her home leaves Ojoagefu distraught and disoriented as she could not concentrate at school, and becomes withdrawn and autistic (she would speak to no one and believes everyone is either talking about or making jest of her).

Unknown to Ojoagefu and her father, the new principal who had just been transferred to her school is her mother who had been sent packing many years back by her father in a moment of regrettable anger and erroneous judgement.

How the family moves towards reunification and forgives each other is left for you (the reader) to find out, hehe!

The play shows us the effects of a broken home. Ojoagefu becomes an unhappy child with an intent to kill her mother because she thinks her mother's promiscuity led to her plight. Her father also became a drunkard while his anger worsens; he becomes a tyrant. He realised his folly quite late and does not know how to go about seeking his wife to make amends, or do we assume his ego would simply not let him do the right thing?

Despite the fact that the playwrights harped on crucial societal issues such as divorce, domestic violence, the psychological effect of a chaotic home on children, excessive anger, and harmony in the family, there are some aspects of the play that I am uncomfortable with.

I do not like how its point of recognition was presented. The principal should not have sent her picture to Ojonugwa's father, they could have somehow mistakenly met in the school. And when the principal discovers Ojoagefu to be her estranged daughter, she should have tried to reunite with her before meeting the father. How she did managed to become a principal is also what we would like to know.

Also, scheduling the denouement at Ojoagefu father's house is not ideal. It gives the father character an upper hand, it does not allow him much time to reflect on his misdeeds and show remorse by regretting and asking for forgiveness. It is the man who should be more eager for reunion, not the woman.

Something tells me MAN is also a proud character else he would have gone seeking his wife after he realised his folly rather than bottling up anger and unleashing it in batches on his household.

I also think the characters need to be better defined. Such names as Man, Teacher, Principal, and Woman need to be eliminated for proper nouns that can be used to label the characters. Did I mention the fact that the play kept faith with the principle of the unity of time even though it missed that of action and place? That is a commendable effort.

The series of flashbacks added beauty to the work and showed us quite more than what ordinary telling would have done but I think it would be a better play if the other flashbacks were set aside for the pivotal one, that which depicts the quarrel leading to the separation between Ojoagefu parents and how the mother was thrown out of her home. And this should come immediately after the point of recognition but before the denouement.

Finally, the work needs a little more editing to eliminate few grammatical inconsistencies in it.

Over all, the playwrights made good and relevant thematic selections and I must applaud their zeal and desire towards establishing harmonious relationships in the family, and in the society at large.

Certainly, you will agree with me that we need less broken moons in our modern societies, right? And if you do not concur, go read the play and return here so we can both play the game of words, haha!

Curtain Falls!

© Ubaji Isiaka Abubakar Eazy 2017

A BRILLIANT REVIEW OF WALE OKEDIRAN'S "THE BOYS AT THE BORDER"-BY UBAJI ISIAKA ABUBAKAR EAZY

ACCESSING THE STRENGTH AND SHORTCOMINGS OF WALE OKEDIRAN'S THE BOYS AT THE BORDER
Title: The Boys at the Border
Author: Wale Okediran
Publisher: Spectrum Books Limited
ISBN: 978-029-304-3
Pages: 141 (Paperback)
Year: 1991
Reviewer: Ubaji Isiaka Abubakar Eazy
Where are all those boys who do nothing all day but idle away making false pretence at being writers and poets? Here is a medical doctor writing inbetween stolen minutes of running in and out of hospital wards yet he makes such a great job of it! I refuse the temptation to tell a lie so I shall say this is but the second novel (the first is After the Flood) which I have read from Wale Okediran.
The Boys at the Border tells a tale of deceit, corruption, betrayal, and revenge within the Nigerian Customs Service. However, the happenings in the Nigerian customs is but a reflection of what is obtainable in other government agencies in Nigeria.
The dwindling price of crude oil has initiated a downturn in the economy scale of the country. This forces the military president to give directives to the Director of Customs to curb the illegal exportation of cocoa and groundnuts (both cash crops) outside Nigerian borders. This measure is taken as a last resort towards salvaging the already dwindling economic situation of the country. But can the Director of Customs achieve this feat knowing quite well that some army boys are involved in smuggling, that the lower cadre of customs officials accept bribes and allow smugglers go scot free, that some high profile individuals such as first class emirs and politicians are making a fortune from smuggling, and not to talk of the dangerous smugglers themselves who are always prepared to give the customs boys a showdown (through spiritual and physical combat involving fire arms) should any attempt be made at confiscating their illegal goods by the Nigerian customs?
Of course it is a daunting task, but the customs' boss has no intention of declaring, before the military president, that he is incapable of carrying out the expected task. Certainly not if the continuity of his job depends on it.
Mr Emeka Emordi (the Director of Customs) convenes a meeting with his immediate sub-ordinates who disagree with the right of the military to order them about and blame all the smuggling on soldiers.

Meanwhile, a confrontation between some customs officers and smugglers has led to the death of Emeka's brother-in-law (his wife's brother) and Emeka's wife (Gladys) blames her husband for not having him transferred from the border as she has always requested of him before his untimely death.
When Emeka is summoned to an emergency meeting with the military council, he came up with the truth that some soldiers were engaged in smuggling, a fact which his sub-ordinates disclaimed when summoned by the military council for fear of losing their jobs. This spelt doom for Emeka who went into a state of Cardiovascular Arrest the moment he heard the news of his dismissal on the evening news relayed over the television.
With a brother dead and a bedridden husband brought to his current state by the deceitful manipulation of the Deputy Director of Customs (Enforcement), Alhaji Jibo, Gladys vows revenge. She was not going to take it lying low. She would strike at the man who betrayed her husband and also deal with the smuggler who killed her brother. Reporting them to the law was not part of her plans. Past experiences have taught her that these men have always proven to be far above the law. Enlisting the help of Peter Ikoku (an ex-customs officer who resigns because he was frustrated by the corrupts practices within the Nigerian Customs) she decides to use unorthodox means to get at them leading her to employ blackmail and attempted murder.
The novel's magical realism keeps you enthralled as Okediran does not mince words on the efficacy of African "juju" (charms and amulets) and for a medical doctor, one might find these beliefs of his absurd yet I admire the faith the writer invests in the metaphysical practices of the African people.
There is stark realism in the story and if you are looking for morals, the novel is not for you. In The Boys at the Border, it is tit for tat. While I do not have issues with Gladys setting up Alhaji Jibo, I do not like the fact that she received money from him and when the money was later discovered as counterfeit, it was taken to the bank to be exchanged for real ones! Does the corruption chain ever stop? What moral right has Gladys to set up Alhaji Jibo when she could allow counterfeit money to be exchanged for her.
Also, the blackmail part is not well written. I expected Gladys to tell Alhaji Jibo that she has given out a copy of the tape to someone else in case anything happens to her. In real life, Alhaji Jibo could have Gladys assassinated for blackmailing him, and the character of Alhaji Jibo whom I met in the novel is not beyond orchestrating such a devilish act. You do not just cut the tail of a snake as Alhaji Jibo and expect to rest easy, you have got to watch your back!
Maybe I do not also like the idea of using crude means to have Lati Baba assassinated. A society without law and order is in a state of anarchy. Gladys takes the law into her own hands by trying to murder Lati Baba and that is rarely a good manner of making someone pay for their sins, there must always be a way to let the law handle the issue and exert full punishment on all who have gone against societal laws. Man must not be allowed to take laws into his own hands else there will be chaos.
But wait, does Samuel Adigwe deserve to die? He has lived by the gun and collection of bribes, so he can go that way. Gladys does not have my sympathy for trying to avenge him. Also, Peter is too sanctimonious for my liking, he backs out when his plans for revenge on Lati Baba fails and claims he is tired of the corruption in the Nigerian Customs. Had Lati Baba (the smuggler's kingpin) not made a metaphysical attack on his life, one wonders if he would not have accepted the bribe and allow the free passage of Lati Baba's goods.
So, Wale Okediran does not have a morally upright character in his novel; such as the protagonist in his After the Flood; except perhaps Emeka Emodi (the customs' boss). The novel's lack of morality will not make me recommend it for students in secondary schools yet its simple narrative style might not make it an enjoyable read for readers seeking novels with exciting twists and a profound story.
I have also come to notice the influence of Okediran's field in his stories. In After the Flood, the protagonist is a nurse and we are frequently brought in contact with the hospital environment. The same is applicable in The Boys at the Border where there exists numerous scenes within and around hospitals, even the story's beginning is at a hospital where Samuel Adigwe is rushed to for treatment after sustaining gun shots injury. Here is an attestation to the fact that no writer writes outside the experiences that condition his being.
If asked to make a choice between The Boys at the Border and After the Flood; both by Wale Okediran; I think I would rather stick with After the Flood for its maturity. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed Okediran's The Boys at Border even if it does not leave me fully satiated.

Meet The Reviewer:

Ubaji Isiaka Abubakar Eazy holds a BA in English Language and Literary Studies. He is a fine poet whose poems and short stories have been published in both national and international journals and numerous literary blogs. He is the CHIEF EDITOR of "Literary Critics And Writers". You can reach him on +2347063369010 (Abubakar Ishaq Eazy on Facebook).

ISIJI:MY RITES OF PASSAGE FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD BY AMADI NJOKU

Reading Camera Laye's autobiographical novel, 'The African Child', one would notice that in most parts of Africa, certain mystical events are observed as a hallmark or rites of passage from childhood to adulthood.

In the world of the Igbos, especially in Amasiri where I come from, 'Isiji' (i.e initiation into adulthood) is a revered mystical rite every male child in his teen must undergo to be transformed into a responsible, productive and community-oriented adult. And I was just in my 11years of age as a matter of fact, when I had my initiation into adulthood-'Ite isiji', thus preparing me for social responsibilities both in my community and the outside world.

It was in early November morning amidst the heavy haze of Harmattan, when my father came to our 'Ulo-nte'- a room apartment meant for male folks who have not undergone initiation-and knocked with hard and repeated bangs on the door. It was unlike my father to wake any of his children in such cold morning unless he had pressing issues to discuss with his family. Sleepily, I managed to unbolt the door and let him in. I listened to him half-awake and half-asleep.

'Amadi', he called out, 'today will mark the beginning of the most important stage in your life after which you become a fully functioning adult institutionalised to the ethics of your culture and tradition. You are long due for initiation into the 'Ogo' cult compared with  some of your mates who had theirs two or three years ago. May the the blessings of a good father see you through in your transition into adulthood', he said.
Immediately I hurried to the 'Ogo' scantily dressed in a worn-out smoke white singlet,perforated shorts and escorted by 'Okpaa'- a masquerade whose mystical chant instills fears and terror in the non-initiates. Upon arrival I met a group of elders whose spiritual duties were to link me to the spirit world. 'Undress yourself', fired one of the elders. I quickly obeyed. The boys who would undergo initiation ceremony would tie around their waists long and narrow reddish towel-'Anam uhie' which signfied that they were about to be initiated into manhood.

The 'Isiji' however, was to last for good 'Orie Esaa' (i.e seven market days)within which I would be subjected to strict disciplinary and leadership training. I was not allowed my culture and tradition to talk to a woman including my own mother for that long period of time. I ate barely to keep the body alive. If I took ill and die during this period I would be buried with much less regard. Within me died the ecstatic joy of what it felt like being in one's mother's bosom. I missed my siblings and my mother greatly. I missed her usual love, coddling and excessive care. But culture and tradition had set us apart. My father was not the kind that wished his sons to be called 'Ena' - a derogatory term for the non-initiates. Yet I knew it was more honorable to man up even if it meant enduring pricks and pains or any other form of endurance tests than remain a feeble weakling under the suffocating warmth of my love ones.

Of course, 'Isiji' elevates one from the status of 'Ena'( or what Chinua Achebe refers to as 'Efulefu' - a worthless man- in his timeless classic, 'Things Fall Apart'), thus making him a member of an exclusive position in his community at large. It's also a spring board for one to qualify to marry and even have sexual intercourse with a woman. With time I was used to the life of a hermit, seclusion from the community and concern of everyday life. Bravery, toughness and independence soon became my second nature. And those were the focus of the first four market days of my initiation into adulthood.

However, the tail end of my initiation into the 'Ogo' cult - 'ite isiji' - was a period of series of spiritual communion with the ancestors of my community. I was entangled into the secrets and mysteries of the land and was bound to undergo spiritual rebirth-that's dying to my child self in order to be reborn into my adult self. The presiding elders who represent core cultural and traditional values made offerings and incantations to the gods to guide and protect me and provide me with deeper consciousness, insight and wisdom. The spiritual communion I took equipped me with high spirit of principled leadership. Then after I took the vow of secrecy. No bit of my initiation process was to be divulged to female folks and non-initiates alike as its consequences are usually very devastating. A huge ceremony was held to mark my successful transition from childhood to adulthood.

In a nutshell, these rites agreeing with Manu Ampim, were and/or are critical both to me and my community development, and it should not be taken for granted that people automatically grow and develop into responsible, community oriented adults.