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.

DAN BROWN'S VERSATILITY IN DIGITAL FORTRESS: A BRILLIANT REVIEW BY UBAJI ISIAKA ABUBAKAR EAZY

Dan Brown is a writer I have come to respect and love so much among American thriller writers. His novels are just too fascinating to be kept aside once you begin turning the pages. You would have to agree with me that the guy is a smart and intelligent writer, you come out of every of his stories feeling a lot wiser and knowledgeable than you were before encountering them; and that is one thing I love about the man, he gives the thrills yet educates his readers.

The first time I met him, he took me to a museum in Paris (The Da Vinci Code), then we met again and it was a journey to Rome (Angels and Demons) and here I am again just returned from Spain where we went seeking a code designed by Ensei Takando (Digital Fortress). Yes with Brown, it is always about a secret code hidden somewhere which you have to get or else... And unfortunately, the only person who could easily provide this key or code died mysteriously. It is fascinating to see how Dan Brown goes into the world of the academia and makes a hero out of a professor (queer huh? Yeah that is how he rolls) and he succeeds in making his professors likeable characters. He picks them from the dull and monotonous world of the classroom and throws them in the midst of the whole action. His style is to get a university don involved in a mysterious murder and somehow he comes to discover that there is more to the death than meets the eye--there is a code or key to retrieve from somewhere and before you could say Micheal Jackson, the professor finds himself deeply engulfed in the whole imbroglio. Lets not forget also that Brown usually gets his professor attached to beautiful and extremely irresistible women too (winks).

So if the story telling style has little difference, where is the versatility I speak of? Let me explain. With Brown you always go back in time to discover what you might have probably missed while historical bricks were being laid. For instance, I can no more see Da Vinci's works and examine it with the same innocence and pleasurable disposition with which I have always attended to a work of art before now, I would always seek symbolic meanings in them and to think that the Catholic church and its friars might not all be saints leaves me in open mouthed wonder. So after reading The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, I began thinking this man called Brown knows a lot of history and about work of art yet he was to surprise me by telling me that he knew more than just history. In Digital Fortress, Dan Brown crossed centuries and disciplines leaving the world of art and moving into that of technology, the world of computers. Dan Brown told me of a world I know too well in Digital Fortress, yet I was surprised at how little of that world I knew myself!

So, the NSA has built a machine named TRANSLTR to intercept internet messages (especially emails) and take a peek at them without the receiver knowing anything had gone wrong with their mails. Think of the US government invading everyone's privacy, running through your mails without permission and spying on you! Yes, that is just how bad it is. Ensei Takando, a Japanese computer guru crippled by tfhe effect of the Hiroshima cum Nagasaki atomic bomb radiation and software designer who works with the NSA felt it was wrong for a country to be so empowered. It means the US could spy on everybody but who is to spy on the United States of America? He went to the press with the news but no one believed him, he lost his job and reputation in the software development market for trying to blackmail the USA. His revenge is to build a virus which he manipulated the NSA's deputy director to sneak into TRANSLTR and destroy its data by lying that the virus is actually an unbreakable code he had written and named DIGITAL FORTRESS. To stop the virus from destroying the security walls and leave all of the United States classified documents vulnerable to hackers, all Ensei Takando wanted was for the NSA to come up with the truth that they had a machine used to spy on people's mail and he would give them the code to undo the damage done by the virus. But even if the NSA choose to tell the world the truth, it would still have been too late, Ensei Takando is himself late, he died mysteriously!

Professor David Becker, a language specialist and an academic celebrity has the task of locating Takando's corpse and retrieving the code. Simple job, so he thought and he was to be paid well for it too. But he would soon realise the job is everything except simple. His search for the code would lead him to many people and extremes including being tailed by a professional assassin (kinda remind me of the Nigerian movie known as Diamond Ring, that one with Teju Babyface, remember?). As the story develops, you would find out that it has amazing twists and turns so that you keep experiencing the unexpected and come to realise that people are not often what they pretend to be (Stratmore's obsession with Susan).

The novel has well developed characters and storyline; maybe the idea of having a deaf assassin does not appeal to me because at some point, the deaf assassin asked a question and got a reply which he heard, that was when he killed Eduardo's (Megan's boyfriend) friend after asking him which way David went and he was told David went towards the airport. Again, while pursuing David Becker at the church in Spain, David jumps back into the building and Hulohot (the assassin) felt his thud on the ground, now how is that possible for someone who is deaf? How a deaf man begins to hear suddenly and returns to being deaf amuses me, maybe he received some healing haha. That part where Susan suspected Hale of being NDakota and could not just blurt it out really got me washed out, why the hell must she wait that long to reveal what she knew to Strathmore at a private moment?

The novel does not rev up much complexities as the others where characters have to solve multiple word puzzles to reach their aim, the movement in Digital Fortress is smooth (although with too many coincidences for just one day--David's luck of being at the right spot at the right time--which leaves the story's verisimilitude in doubt). Here we are no longer dealing with art works or poetry, we are dealing with codes still but doing numbers--funny enough, still went down the classical era to learn of Julius Caesar's codification style.

In Achebe's parlance, he who wishes to see a mask dancing does not stand at a spot. Dan Brown has proven that his art is not all about building stories out of art relics and poetry, he has shown to us that he can also dabble into the modern world and come out unscathed, hence this techno thriller. This is why I mean by his been versatile.

Forsooth, my love for the novel is 'without wax'.

© Ubaji Isiaka Abubakar Eazy 2017