GUIDE OF THE FATHERS OF THE NATIONS

TITLE
FATHERS OF NATIONS
The title is relevant and apt for it is satirizes the situation in contemporary Africa.
Fathers d Nations is a honorific title given to a person considered the driving force
behind the establishment of a country, state or nation. These are figures in the
African context who once helped drive away the colonial regime and helped their
countries gain self-rule under their leadership. In the contemporary sense, fathers of
nations are basically
the heads of states and governments: presidents.
Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Nation of India is a figure celebrated in
numerous nations and by international organizations, a departure from these
current title holders. On Joseph Stalin's seventieth birthday in 1949, he was bestowed
with the title "Father of Nations" for his establishment of "people's democracies" in
countries occupied by the USSR after World War 11.
In post-colonial Africa, "Father of Nation" was a title used by leaders to refer to their
role in the independence movement as a source of legitimacy and to use paternalist
symbolism as a source of continued popularity.
The title is satirical. In the text, fifty fathers of nations, herein titled heads of state
have met at Banjul —Gambia. The agenda of the summit is not clear. This discussion
thereafter has neither head nor tail. Two rival groups emerge; each advancing its
ideology. There are those for Path Alpha and another group advancing Way Omega.
The debate seems directionless. Thus, what comes to the fore is that the agenda for
Africa is set and dictated by the international financial institutions that continue to
impoverish the continent. Though "fathers" are expected
to give direction, provide agenda, give proper leadership and guidance to their
"children," who in this context are their respective nations and states.
On the contrary, heads of state in Africa seem to be clueless, visionless and without
agenda and this is what ails Africa. Hence, it can be arguably said that the problems
bedeviling Africa stem from poor leadership that has presumably enveloped Africa
as a continent. Needless to say, this poor leadership is not ready to pass over the

1|Page
baton to a vibrant and visionary leadership. For the longest time ever, after most
countries gained self-rule the continent is still stuck in the realms of poverty,
ignorance, illiteracy and diseases fifty years after independence.

PLOT SUMMARY
Fathers of Nations is a spellbinding and thought-provoking, satiricalnovel tackling
contemporary issues set in contemporary Africa. Paul B. Vitta uses sarcasm through
humour to enlighten the reader on the social, economic and political wrongs in the
African states. The continent is still struggling with the post independent problems
namely: poverty, ignorance and disease. Instead of solving the same problems, the
states have new entrants which are equally retrogressive to the inhabitants of the
African nations (corruption and impunity). The continent is hence
depicted as having lost sense of direction and moral correctness.

The plot revolves around the lives of four men from different parts of Africa. These
men — Professor Kimani, Comrade Melusi, Engineer Tahir, Pastor Chiamaka, want
the African heads of states in a Summit to ratify and adopt the document that could
transform the continent's economic structures. The above stated four men, have
initially suffered in different ways under the current political systems in their
respective countries. This makes each and every one of them to hold a grudge
against the same systems that affected them and hence starts to press for a possible
change.

Doctor Abiola Afolabi is abandoned by his American wife (Pamela); Professor

Kimani from Kenya has lost his wife (Asiyo Omondi) to a former university
colleague now a politician by the name Newborn Walomu, his daughter — Tuni,
dies in a fatal accident; pastor Chiamaka is a fierce man who is jailed irregularly also
deterred from preaching, finally, NgobileMelusi a big time politician suffers in the
hands of the new head of state, loses his wife (Ziliza) in a massacre, his Ndebele
people are ruthlessly suppressed and murdered by the head of state's direct order. In
addition to the four men, Engineer Seif Tahir (a nuclear bomb expert), Mr. Thaddeus
Longway, are also dissatisfied by the

2|Page
African leadership, they are assisted by VOA journalist Fiona McKenzie and
Nicholas Sentinel who in one accord plan to front their agenda before the heads
Summit held in Gambia's capital of Banjul.

A summit of the heads of the African States is planned to take place in Banjul the
capital of Gambia. Fifty heads of states are invited including the Gambian head of
state who is supposed to be the chair of the summit but passes it on to another
president. The heads of states are assembled and accommodated in the Pinnacle
Hotel with their entourage, they look forward to re-adopt the Way Omega ideology
which advocates for a common growth strategy of the citizens which will enable the
donors to continue supporting the African nations through aids and grants. The
ideology is fronted by Minister Zinto who claims that the strategy was well- though
out by experts. The majority of the African head of states seems to be aged and have
over stayed in power, a good example is president Didier Bangoura who is depicted
as senile, BiboDibonso who had ruled for forty years (Pg 157), king Jemba - Jemba
IV, who was a king for life, president WasiWasi who had commited all sorts of
atrocities including authoring many coups and so many others.

The Path Alpha a counter ideology emanating from AGDA (Agency for Governance
and Development in Africa), which is championed by Mr. Thaddeus Longway, finds
its way to the heads of states summit. Mr. Longwaymobilises the likes of Professor
Kimani, Comrade Melusi, Pastor Chiamaka, Doctor Afolabi and Engineer Tahir to
use 'the trick' to table the ideology before the summit to counter thc Way Omega.

Path Alpha is a strategy that advocates for mobilizing civic or public discounted into
will to change. This strategy is to solve the problems some present heads of state
find it difficult to solve. The advocators of Path Alpha champion the strategy
because they want to solve the problems and owing to the fact that they have also
suffered the ugly state abuse and do not want to suffer any more.

The Summit comes to a close in an unprecedented way by 'the fathers of nations'

setting up a committee to bring the matter into a conclusion. The committee set is

3|Page
given the name The Method Committee which is chaired by President Bangoura
who seems to be terribly confused because of senility. He uses two ways to make a
decision on whichstrategy to be ratified — the Simple Matrix by a toss of a coin and
Choice Matrix. Ultimately, either way, the path alpha carries the day, meaning the
common citizen wins.

CHAPTER SUMMARIES

Chapter one (Pg. 1-15)

The Four Strangers with the Same Mission
 It is evening, four strangcrs check in at The Seamount hotel in Gambia's capital"
Banjul
 None of them knows theother three
 First to check in is about 609 Karanja Kimani, a professor in the Institute of
Development at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. He's assigned a room on the
fourth floor, east wing.
 NgobileMelusi, about 70, a comrade and a citizen of Zimbabweis second to check
in and is allocated a room on the fifth floor of the south wing.
 Third to clock in is about 50, ChinekeChiamaka, a pastor at the Church Inside
Africa (CIA) in Lagos, Nigeria. Chiamaka is booked on the sixth floor of the west
wing.
 Last to report is another stranger, about 40, his name is SeifTahir, an Engineer
formerly employed by the Ministry of Defense in the Tripoli- Libya. He is
assigned a room on the third-floor north wing.
 In less than an hour after the booking all the four "strangers," receives a call from
the same caller who declines to divulge details about himself, He only identifies
himself as the guide and gives the same set of instructions about opening their
briefcases using a similar code: one, one, two, four. The code number fails to
open the briefcases in all the four cases.
 Meanwhile, Dr. Abiola Afolabi, another guest at the hotel hears someone call him
from behind. From the introduction, Dr. Afolabi meets Fiona McKenzie, a
reporter with Gambia News, a Gambian who was adopted by Ian and Elspeth

4|Page
 McKenzie- Scottish missionaries. She was brought up in Edingburg, Scotland and
is now back to Banjul.
 An interview ensues.
 Dr. Abiola Afolabi, is disclosed, he schooled at Harvard University in the US and
currently teaches at the University of Ibadan. He's forty-five and is an advisor to
the heads of state.
 Africa's heads of state are soon to start a debate at Pinnacle Hotel, a hotel that is
two streets from The Seamount Hotel.
 The Heads of State are soon to discuss a document titled Way Omega. If adopted,
Way Omega is expected to change African politics drastically; there are to be no
more military coups, no more rigged elections, no more foul play.

 Dr. Abiola Afolabi is the author of Failure of States in which he is so pessimistic

about Africa's state of affairs and yet in Way Omega he's very optimistic, He was
invited by the presidents.
 The interview ends prematurely after her boss calls her to the office.
 On the other hand, 49 foreign heads of state are in Banjul for the summit. They
still look happy.
 For Gambians, the presence of so many visiting dignitaries isn't fun. Here, before
dignitaries came, bull dozers were dispatched at night in slum clearance
'exercises,' demolished road side kiosks on which whole families depended
upon. Roads gotrare layers of tarmac at times of maximum traffic. Checkpoints
sprouted everywhere. Water taps dried up because all water had to go to the new
water foundations built to mesmerize visitors.
 Catastrophes can happen even at summits. All heads of state are to be put in one
hotel; Pinnacle Hotel so that security is concentrated at the hotel instead of
having fifty places to be manned.
 A few challenges are noted on how well to take care of the dignitaries in terms of
sitting arrangement at the summit and the hotel arrangement.

Chapter Two (Pg.16-20)

5|Page
At the Seamount Hotel

A mobile phone rings at The Seamount Hotel - west wing and pastor
ChinekeChiamaka answers it; it is 9:00 p.m.

The caller wants to find out the progress. Pastor Chiamaka affirms that everything is
fine. The caller inquires whether the briefcase is open and further asks what Pastor
Chiamaka has seen in the briefcase. Pastor Chiamaka confirms that he sees a letter
from Agency for Governance and Development in Africa (AGDA) and a copy of a
document dubbed Way Omega. He also says he sees a copy of Path Alpha, the
development strategy that AGDA believes is superior to Way Omega and that it
hopes to slip in and replace Way Omega.

Pastor Chiamaka also confirms to have seen leaflets, pamphlets and brochures from
AGDA. He further confirms to have seen the mobile phone he is using.

The caller/guide is still reluctant to give his real name. The caller is the only one to
initiate the conversation between them. The guide tells the pastor that they are on
the same mission, so he should not worry. The caller further says he cannot share his
name because he feels their mission is still at a very delicate stage.

AGDA asks Pastor Chiamaka to be fully familiar with both documents: Way Omega
and Path Alpha. The caller reminds the Pastor that he had seen him at the bar at The
Seamount hotel taking pepsi.

Meanwhile, another mobile rings at The Seamount Hotel's south wing. Comrade
Melusi answers. Another phone rings in the east wing. Prof. Kimani takes the call.

Still another phone rings in the northern wing. Engineer Seif Tahir responds.

The time is now 11:00p.m

Chapter Three (Pg.21-45)

6|Page
The story behind Agency for Governance and Development in Africa (AGDA)

The chapter unfolds with a flashback into Prof. Kimani's life. Prof. Kimani joined the
University of Nairobi directly as a senior lecturer straight from the University of
Oxford where he studied.

A month after his arrival, Prof. Kimani launched a noisy debate in which he
dcmandcd that thcUnivcrsiy of Nairobi henceforth strive for bcingrclcvant to thc
society rather than simply focusing on dclivcringcxccllcncc in work, Six months
later, his clarion call prevailed. The University's official motto became "Relevance to
the society."

After winning this first war, he wedged another one which was even noisier. He
wanted the university to be an agent of change not a mere spectator of it.

In the meantime, he married Asiya Omondi. He became a Professor and now felt
complete.

A global economic recession hit Africa. Jobs and incomes shrank. To get out of the
crisis, Africa had to make changes and donors were the architects of these proposed
changes. Donors demanded for change and Africa obliged.

Prof. Kimani had a daughter, Tuni, a name she owes to Tunisia, her country of
conception.

Parliament staged an economic coup to improve on their remunerations. When he

started teaching, Members of

Parliament (MP) earned less. what professors took home as salary. After the coup,
an MP rakes up to a hundred times the income of a professor.

A family discussion is underway between a father, mother and daughter. From the
discussion, it's clear that the state has failed terribly in discharging its mandate and

7|Page
therefore the only way is to be the agent of change oneself.

Meanwhile, Tuni shares what an instructor told her on why women are susceptible
and fall easy prey to predators as lack of awareness of where women are, a look of
weakness & helplessness and a temptation to stray.

A comparison is drawn between Prof. Kimani and Newborn Walomu, professor's

former junior colleague and now a Memberof Parliament. From the comparison,
Kimani who is stuck at
the university, is doing poorly while Walomu is doing very well after joining politics
and having become an MP.

Tuni, the only daughter and child to Prof. Kimani dies in a road accident. Tuni had
to use public service vehicle because his father's car was not in good condition. This
infuriated Asiya Omondi.

Prof. Kimani and his spouse Asiya Omondi were inconsolable over their daughter's
death.

• In the evening, Asiya drops a bombshell to her husband that she would be leaving.
She says Newborn Walomu, the MP and Professor's former junior colleague, had
asked to marry her. Asiya Omondi feels Tuni would be alive if Prof. Kimani had —
she wouldn't have used the public service vehicle a real car that caused the fatal
accident. She left the following morning to Newborn Walomu's place.

Prof. Kimani goes for Newborn Walomu and petitions why he had decided to take
his wife. A scuffle begins at the MP's office. The police come in and arrest both.

Prof Kimani is charged with "assaulting a Member of Parliament." His university

demotes him from a full Professor to a senior lecturer, the point he started at when
he joined the university. A six months' jail term follows. He's a dejected man.

Meanwhile, Prof. Kimani hears a knock at the door.

8|Page
A white man of about 50 is standing outside, ICs Mr. Tad Longway.

After a lengthy discussion, Mr. Longway asks Prof. Kimani to join AGDA whose
mission is to question Africa's status quo.

He further asks him to follow Path Alpha, a strategy built on the idea that a present,
public discontent exprcsscs itself in acts that cancel out instead of adding up.

Path Alpha will correct the anomaly by "mobilizing civic discontent into will to
change." Mr. Longway tells Prof. Kimani if he joins Path Alpha he would go down
for orientation at their headquarters in Cape Town and he will also attend the next
summit of Africa's heads of state in Banjul, Gambia.

He's enlisted as a member of Path Alpha the following day. The loss of his daughter,
desertion by his wife, mistreatment by his university and state had tested him hard
and long. He had reached the boiling point.
Chapter Four (Pg.46-65)
The Voice of America (VOA) Contract

Ms. Fiona McKenzie gets into a taxi, leaves The Seamount Hotel and heads back to
her office. She had indicated to her boss that she would be at the office in an hour's
time.

It takes longer to get to the office because of the roadblocks that were basically
everywhere.

She is stopped at Arch Number 22. The police wanted a bribe from the taxi driver,
an unemployed graduate. So she reaches her workplace/office late.

Ms. McKenzie goes straight to see her boss who informs her that he is pulling her
from her assignment at the summit at the Pinnacle Hotel. He explains himself. He
seconds her to the VOA. She is now on a two-year loan from the Gambian News to

9|Page
the Voice of America with immediate effect.

In retrospect, there was a time when US policy forbade the Voice of America to
broadcast in America. The image was bad for VOA. It had to go. The more reason
VOA was employing non-Americans.

Mr. Robert Manley, chief of the bureau, met her at the entrance then led her to the
office. Mr. Manley instructed her that because there was a breaking story, she would
start her job immediately.

Her new pay is better than what Gambian News was offering and paying.

She is introduced to a staff mate, a new arrival from America, Nicolas Sentinel, a
communications Technician.

The breaking story is that a summit of Africa's heads of state would begin shortly at
the Pinnacle Hotel. Sentinel would be handy in her working. She learns that Sentinel
has records of many proceedings in Gambia including Ms.

McKenzie's interview with Dr. Afolabi. From the recordings, Sentinel confirms that
there is a man talking to a total of four other men.

Ms. McKenzie is taken to her new office and Mr. Manley rushes to a meeting at the
Ministry of Foreign affairs.

Meanwhile, Dr. Afolabi tosses in his bed sleeplessly for nearly an hour before he
finally dozes off.

Dr. Afolabi's phone rings. He answers it is Miss Fiona Mckenzie Ms. McKenzie asks
Dr. Afolabi if he could nicet her.

10 | P a g e
He comes out to meet her but does not find her. While he readies to go back to his
room, a voicc of a woman, about 30 years cries out for help.

The young woman is in a company of a man. The hotel attendant looks detached
and aloof.

The young woman being whisked away is noted to be McKenzie.

She shouts out Dr. Afolabi's name and this strikes him to rush to her aid.

Dr. Afolabi faces the alleged abductor who says he's Leo otherwise referred to as
Liberian mauler.

A fight between Dr. Afolabi and Leo, the Liberian Mauler erupts. Dr. Afolabi wins
the war and whisks McKenzie away to his room.

They go to Dr. Afolabi's suite where she scraps his face and he helps her change her
clothing and freshen up.

In the meantime, a phone rings. The caller is ChinekeChiamaka After the call, his
mood darkens.

Fiona McKenzie shares a lot about VOA and the story in Nicolas Sentinel's machine,
silent listener, which has recorded so many things in the last two days.

They spent the night at Dr. Afolabi's suite.

Chapter Five (Pg.66-81)

Dr. Afolabi The Guide

Before Dr. Afolabi was invited to Banjul to serve as an advisor to summit of heads of
state, he had previously been guest at the Foundation for Democratic Rule in

11 | P a g e
Washington to give a key note address at the annual conference.

Dr. Afolabi was married to Pamela from Boston, US.

Dr. Afolabi's invitation to Washington had given the couple a chance to visit
Pamela's father, a widower who lived in Boston.

Dr. Afolabi fondly remembers Pamela's dad through a watch that could help one
check pressure, memory among other things.

Dr. Afolabi while walking about Boston, he bought a razor at five dollars and
twenty-three cents. Later, he rejoins his wife at her father's home.

Later, while in a flight out of Washington back to Nigeria, Dr. Afolabi meets Tad
Longway. Mr. Longway is the Director of special projects at the Agency for
Governance and Development in Africa (AGDA). The two exchange pleasantries
and contacts. From their talk, Tad Longway had listened to Dr. Afolabi's address
and liked it and termed it brilliant.

Mr. Longway says Africa in its present state has two new arrivals: corruption and
impunity. HC asks Dr. Afolabi if he would be interested in the adventure that is
being sponsored by AGDA whose underlying idea is mobilizc discontent with
Africa in its present state into a will to change it. Dr. Afolabi consents.

Dr. Afolabi confirms to Mr. Tad Longway that heads of state had invited him to the
summit to give them his views on Way Omega.

Mr. Tad Longway introduces and proposes an alternative to Way Omega, and that is
Path Alpha which differs from the former like day and night. Whereas Way Omega
istop driven and lacks the will for implementation, Path Alpha is bottom-led and has
that will; therefore he asks Dr. Afolabi to guide four Path Alpha travelers and
adherents whom AGDA is sending as observers to the very summit he'll be as an

12 | P a g e
advisor.

Mr. Tad Longway hands Path Alpha document to Dr. Afolabi and asks him to
remainwith Way Omega so that they could find a way to they could get to the
summit.

Meanwhile, Dr, Afolabi and his wife, Pamela, are back in Nigeria.

Their houseboy reports that while the couple were away somebody came to their
house uninvited. When questioned,

Issa, the houseboy did not give an answer. In fact he says he let the person into their
bedroom.

The uninvited man surfaces. Dr. Afolabi and the man converse in Yoruba. Pamela is
dismayed at the unfolding. She learns in utter disbelief that her husband and the
man in question knew each other very well.

Femi, the uninvited guest and with a scar, is a cousin to Dr. Afolabi. The two grew
up together in Kaduna.

Under instructions from the family, Femi had brought a second wife to Dr. Afolabi
without his consent because Pamela was not giving bath. Pamela was not happy.
Furious and angry,

Pamela runs out only to reappear with a broomstick chasing the young girl (Nimbo)
she had found in her matrimonial bed. Femi discloses that the folks back at home are
the choreographers of the whole scheme.

Pamela is extremely annoyed with the scheme of having Nimbo as her co-wife. She
is worked up! She demands that the two (Femi and Nimbo) must leave her house.
Dr. Afolabi comes to their defense arguing that it's late at night and that if the two
have to leave then that should be in the morning. Pamela still insisted that they

13 | P a g e
should leave that night. Her demands fall on deaf ears.

Enraged at her husband's lackluster in handling the matter, Pamela leaves that very
night.

A week later, Pamela calls Dr. Afolabi from her father's home in Boston. She informs
him that she had filed a divorce.

Chapter Six (Pg. 82-99)

Comrade Melusi joins ADGA

It's in Banjul, Gambia, the congregation venue for the summit. The summit kicks off.
Being the first day of the summit, the most important event of the day is the official
opening of the summit. Key participants are the 50 heads of state.

Security at the venue is very tight. Comrade NgobileMelusi waited in a line to be

cleared, His turn finally comes. He is found with a needle, one of the many things
disallowed into the hall. There is an argument between Comrade Melusi and the
security officer but later on, he is cleared and allowed into the hall.

In the meantime, in a flashback, more details about Comrade NgobileMelusi are

divulged.

Comrade Melusi is having lunch with his visitor at Chaminuka restaurant in

downtown, Harare. It's about 1:30 PM; the restaurant is empty except for the two:
Comrade Melusi and his visitor. The Zimbabweans did not eat in hotels anymore
unless as now someone else was footing the bill. Their economy had crushed.

Lunch was the visitor's idea. There was a subject he wanted to discuss, he had told
Melusi. His name is Tad Longway, a Director Special Projects at AGDA: Agency for
Governance and Development in Africa.

14 | P a g e
The leader of Zimbabwe and Comrade Melusi had fought Smith side by side for
years and that is why he used to call him comrade. Then Zimbabwe got her
independence. A new national anthem was sang: in English, Blessed be the land of
Zimbabwe,then in Shona, the language of Zimbabwe's largest ethnic group:

SimudzaimurezaweZimbabwe. In Ndebele (Melusi's mother tongue):

KalibusisweilizweleZimbabwe, national motto was "unity, freedom and work."

After all these, the new ruler did not appoint Comrade Melusi a minister after
fighting for Zimbabwe together.

The ruler, a Shona, threw Melusi, a Ndebele out of government and he now deemed
Melusi an opponent.

The leader of Melusi's group was sacked. When these news hit southern Zimbabwe
where the Ndebele live, anti-government riots erupted. People went on rampage
and attacked every government supporter foolish enough to come to their sight.
Retribution against them followed.

There swooped in the area the fifth brigade, better known as GUKURUHUNDI,
Shona word for year's rainstorm that washes chaff off the fields so that soil tilling
could start. It washed off the Ndebele insurgents like chaff. All this happened while
Melusi was still at work, in a business office down town Bulawayo, the capital of
Ndebele.

Comrade Melusi's wife, Ziliza, was one of those killed in the government's
execution. The ruler, a Shona, could not trust anybody away from his Shona
tribesmen. To him, all Ndebeles, Melusi included had become rivals. The man had
changed according to Melusi because he wanted to be life president.

Meanwhile, Comrade Melusi takes the visitor to Mupondarestaurant at the northern

edge of Harare for he had asked for traditional food.

15 | P a g e
Melusi initiated an opposition group: The New Independence Party (NIP) and ran
for president just to irritate the ruler. The ruler got 99% of the votes while Melusi
and all other candidates shared the 1% in the elections.

Elections had been preceded by a drought, thc worst of the time until the ruler
declared it a national disaster. Moreover, the international community clamped on
Zimbabwe a program called Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) with this they
knew the ruler would flop for everything spelt defeat, so his win was through
rigging elections.

Opposition leaders refused to unite and fight the common enemy. When they all
lost, for half an hour they necdcd to
declare that elections were a sham, they had to come together. Joint condemnation of
the bungled elections led to disaffection. So Melusi went back to his business.

Inflation eroded incomes. Melusi relocated to a slum in a poor part of Harare. Then
came Murambatsvina, Shona word for trash. Bull dozers went from one slum to the
next evicting residents by tearing their homes to the ground.

All including Comrade Melusi were expelled without notice. Murambatsvina's real
aim to the ruler was to prevent disease and crime. Instead, disease and crime
increased. It is true the main aim was to punish the urban poor for supporting
opposition parties.

Tad Longway cleared the hotel bill and reached out to his side pocket for another
stack of American dollars and handed it to Comrade Melusi. Thereafter, he handed a
document titled Path Alpha to him and told him that it contained the subject matter
hewanted them to discuss i.e. mobilizing discontent with Africa in its present state
into will to change it.

Tad Longway asks Comrade Melusi if he would join the movement.

Chapter Seven (Pg. 100-104)

16 | P a g e
Before the Summit

Before the summit begins, the host thinks he should break the ice by going from
guest to guest to create rapport.

He first goes to the president of Nigeria because of what was discovered later on as
the poles of influence: pure power,
technology, simple alliances with one or more of the other poles and sheer obstinacy.
He shares light moments with the seventy- year-old, a full general but now retired.
Pastor Chiamaka sits in a back row among the observers following the summit
keenly and quietly.

The host president then moves to the president of South Africa then to the president
of Kenya for he knew the strategic importance of associating with these two
countries after Nigeria.

Prof. Kimani is in the hall watching the president of Kenya at the back of the hall.
From here, he moves to greet the Zimbabwean president. In equal measure Comrade
Melusi, now scowling at the man from a seat in a row back hates his president
intensely.

Later, guided by the pole of influence that where everybody exercises powers within
agreed rules, the simple refusal to abide by those rules exalts one as influential. The
leader of Libya is good at this. On this account, the Gambian president (host) goes to
greet the president of Libya. Engineer Tahir looks on uninterested. Engineer Tahir
studies him from the back of the hall. Once he had been one of the man's greatest
admirers, not any more.

Chapter Eight (Pg.105-116)

The arrest of Pastor ChinekeChiamaka

• In a flashback, the chapter introduces a reckless driver. The reckless driver is

ChinekeChiamaka. Most people hated him for this carclcss and reckless driving
17 | P a g e
except for one person; his brother Obinna an evening student at the University of
Lagos. ChinekeChiamaka adores Lagos.

One evening after dropping off his younger brother Obinna, ChinekeChiamaka was
to drive to his office at Earth Movers Limited. Unfortunately, by taking the route he
chose, he drove into trouble: Holy Camp.

Chiamaka drove against the flowing current of vehicles and rammed into a mean
machine; a fire engine, massive andunstoppable. His Mercedes flew off the road and
spun in the air several times before landing on the road again.

He escaped without serious injuries. The fire engine was nowhere. Not a single
motorist stopped to check on him. That was the norm in Nigeria. Motorists never
stopped at an accident scene on Nigerian highways.

Because of the many miracles he had witnessed, he turned to religion-he became a

preacher. Chiamaka with time acquired preaching skills. He preached everywhere.

One Sunday he gave a very powerful preaching captioned, "God is watching you."
The sermon was excellent. It was witty and persuasive.

The sermon for the following Sunday was totally opposite: combative. He preached
about the government's failure to deal with the issues bedeviling her nation.

The following morning (Monday) police picked him up and for the next two weeks
he shared a rat-infested cell with smelly inmates. At the beginning of the third week,
his jailers set him free. However, his luck was limited. The police banned him from
preaching.

Two years later, a deep voice called him "Listen to good news about Africa." Good
news for change. Now good news about Africa is hard to find and difficult to hear.
So listen carefully. AGDA has just come up with a fresh approach to Africa's

18 | P a g e
development: Path Alpha.

Pastor ChinekeChiamaka did not hear more. He signed.

Chapter Nine (Pg.117-125)

Engineer SeifTahir loses his left eye.

After graduating from Abdelaziz Academy in Tripoli, Libya, Engineer Seif Tahir had
left Libya and gone to study weapons development at the University of Paris. Some
skeptics scoffed at him.

He returned from overseas (France) on the day the leader of Libya was celebrating
his twentieth year in power. The leader's opponents were not happy with these
celebrations. Engineer

Tahir dismissed them as "crackpots left alone and ignored." He believed the ruler
had the right vision for Libya and so was the right person to rule it. He defended the
ruler.

Engineer Tahir joined the "Fist for Allah" after his return from the overseas. In a
happy coincidence, the leader of Libya adored the "Fist of Allah." He gave it all the
money it asked for.

Al-Qaeda struck on the American soil. The leader of Libya knew America would
retaliate and not necessarily with bounds of reason. He scrambled for his bases to
shield Libya from America's revenge. He even dismantled thc "Fist of Allah" itself.

Engineer Tahir would have learnt to live with anything but not with the dismantling
of the "Fist of Allah." This was the beginning of Tahir's dislike for the leader. The
dismantling of the "Fist of Allah" was shirq or sacrilege, an offense so dreadful that it
was eternally unforgivable.

19 | P a g e
Angry beyond words, Engineer Tahir now hated the man he had once liked. No
more was the leader of Libya his hero. He had become a villain.

Meanwhile, dismantling of the "Fist of Allah" coincided with the peaking of

unrelated crisis: "the accident."

Engineer Tahir fell in love with Rahma Mahmoud, a female member of the "Fist of
Allah" and Engineer Tahir's junior staff mate at the weapons laboratory. He
approached her. She did not say anything. Later, she smiled and after sometime, she
said no.

Engineer Tahir misinterpreted the sweet no to a sour no and reacted to it violently.

Unwisely, he vowed to retaliate.

Engineer Tahir slapped Rahma Mahmoud in the name of administering discipline to

her for shedding her head veil in public which was in violation of the Libyan
culture. But the truth was he did it to take revenge against someone who he thought
had rejected his advances.

Discipline, revenge or whatever it in fact was, Rahma, did not take it lying low. She
struck back and hit his left eye and slit it open. That was "the accident." Engineer
Tahir lost his left eye.

Engineer Tahir was hospitalized and discharged after a month. Turned bitter and
vengeful, Engineer Tahir to Ms. Mahmoud to court. After proceedings, the made a
ruling basing on

Hammurabic verdict: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

With this ruling, Rahma Mahmoud also lost her left eye through surgery.

Engineer Tahir sank into deep gloom. He refused to shake it off even after friends
talking to him. When they (friends) persisted, he left Tripoli and moved east to live

20 | P a g e
alone in Benghazi.

There were two reasons for Engineer Tahir's gloom. One was object, forcing and
lifeless. He got it after losing an eye in what he used to call "the accident." Theother
was "theeffect", deep and weakening. This he got when he decided to have an
artificial replacement for the eye he had lost.

While at Benghazi, Engineer Tahir ran into a green-eyed stranger at a street-side

café. The two got talking, mostly about the history of Libya; one such story was that
Libya was inhibitedby Phoenicians and Greeks.

The other man said he was a Berber. The two had long conversations about Libya.
The visitor introduced himself as Mr. Tad Longway.

Mr. Tad Longway described the mission that had brought him to Benghazi. Engineer
Tahir enlisted on the spot.

Chapter Ten (Pg.126-140)

The Seamount Observers

The youth (Nick) phones her immediately after lunch Fiona McKenzie goes to see
Nicolas Sentinel in his office. She's told to meet the silent listener.

From the recordings on the silent listener, Nick says that there could be something
fishy going on at the summit; a secret agenda by people whose identities are yet to
be figured out beyond their names. There is a network of people whom he refers to
as nodes. Four nodes (people) are not connected to each other.

There are conversations over cell phones between a man and four others. While the
other man knew names of the other four, he insisted they just call him guide, a fake
name. it turns out the guide is a hub-node then those other nodes are the four men:
Prof. Kimani, Comrade MclusijPastorChiamaka and Engineer Tahir. The nodes are

21 | P a g e
at The Seamount Ilotel.

Nick says he uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) as a way of deterrnining
location.

The four nodes are not in communication with each other. All the four are
communicating to only one person- their guide, the hub-node. He is their leader. He
is also within The Seamount Hotel, second floor, central wing. Meanwhile, at The
Seamount Hotel's reception hall guests are flowing in.

McKenzie navigates her way across the hall, dodging guests and then makes some
inquiries at the reception desk.

It's later revealed the person on the second floor, central wing room 2059 is Tad
Longway.

Fiona McKenzie has come to check on Dr. Afolabi. In due course, she gathers more
details about the hub-node on the
central wing, second floor.

Using the telephone booth at the hotel, she calls Tad Longwaye She notices that Tad
Longway had dropped an article that looked valuable, The article is in her custody.
She calls and manages to convince him to collect his article. He came over. They met.
She hands over the article. She gives him a key card to her office at VOA.

He looks at the key card and returns it back to her. Mr. Tad Longway offers to buy a
drink for Fiona McKenzie.

Elsewhere, Dr. Afolabi as he is preparing to go to bed, going through the notes on

the presidents' debate one more time, someone knocks at the door. It is Ms Fiona
McKenzie. He usheres her in. They share pleasantries.

22 | P a g e
Ms Fiona McKenzie informs Dr. Afolabi that she has tracked Mr. Longway and
inquires if Dr. Afolabi knows him, after some hesitation he agrees that he knows
him.

Mr. Longway and four other people alongside Dr. Afolabi, working from the
periphery of the Summit, their guide, want the summit to adopt Path Alpha instead
of Way Omega. The two are rival groups.

The greatest challenge is that Path Alpha is not even on the summit's agenda so Mr.
Longway and his accomplices want Dr. Afolabi to help them get Path Alpha on thc
summit's agcnda.

Dr. Afolabi came to advocate for Way Omega and he will. However, in doing so,
hewill draw in other alternatives including Path Alpha.

Dr. Afolabi on learning that Nick is the source of all the information about the five
people, he's keen on meeting Nick.

Chapter Eleven (Pg.141-149)

Meeting the Guide

Pastor Chiamaka goes through the Pinnacle Hotel's security clearance formalities
without difficulty and enteres the dining room with ease.

According to the program, heads of state should have had a small dinner at the
Pinnacle Hotel the day before the real banquet on the last day of their summit. That
small dinner at the Pinnacle Hotel dinner was cancelled without explanation.
SoChiamaka's intended plan to meet his president and ask him about Way Omega
failed.

Chiamaka's mobile phone rings, he picks it up. The caller on the other end is in jovial
mood. It is the guide calling. The guide informs Pastor Chiamakathat he has
scheduled a meeting that is soon to bring together Chiamaka and four other people

23 | P a g e
alongside the guide.

Pastor ChinekeChiamaka is invited to room 2059, central wing of The Seamount

Hotel. This is the room where the guide is.

Meanwhile, as Comrade Melusi is in bed flat on his back, day dreaming about his
late wife, Ziliza, and reaches for his wallet and pulls out her photograph, his mobile
phone rings.He answers. The caller reminds Melusi how he almost failed the
security test when the security officers nearly uncovered him.

Comrade Melusi is also invited to the very meeting in an hour's time without fail.

Comrade Melusi returns to the wife's photograph. In an apostrophe, he promises his

late wife (photograph) that he will see to it that the person who killed her shall die to
underscore this promise, he rises on his feet, stands at attention, executes a wobbly
salute and intones an oath. The following day, he swears he will have revenge.

In the meantime, as Prof. Kimani is brushing his teeth ,readyino for bed, the mirror
before him shows he was loose everywhere; his belly hungs over his belt like a half
empty sack. Loose. He tries to suck it in. it stays put. His face had wrinkles like a dry
prune. Loose. The folds of his skin ran on the left and right of his nose down to the
left and right sides of the mouth. Loose. He tried to smile them away. They refuse to
leave. The flesh under his chin hungs and shakes. Loose. Was getting old a process
of wholesale loosening?

His mobile phone interrupts his analysis. Prof Kimani is invited in an hour's time
alongside others to room 2059, central wing of The Seamount Hotel.

Elsewhere, Engineer Tahir is all set to turn in. his phone rings while he is still
engrossed in thoughts about his eye. The caller had left a note for Engineer Tahir
about an hour ago. HC gets the note. The caller reminds him that they will meet in
an hour's time, room 2059, central wing.

24 | P a g e
The material day is here. Dr. Afolabi arrives early. Mr. Tad Longway had requested
to come early to broach the meeting with him before if began.

Other participants of the meeting arrive. When all have taken their seats, Mr.
Longway rises since he knows them all and they didn't know each other. He leads
them through introduction.

Mr. Longwayturnsto serious business. He tells the four that ostensibly that at the
summit as observers were there for four reasons. Dr. Afolabi then takes over to
describe how the mission is to be executed. Dr. Afolabi introduces himself and tells
them that he is the one previously known as guide. The four could not believe their
eyes and ears.

Dr. Afolabi explains that he had been invited to the summit as an advisor for Way
Omega, while the four havr come as advocates of Path Alpha, a rival group. Such
being the case, he feels he can not openly work with them without appearing to
undermine his official role. He also discloses that he studied closely both

PathAlpha and Way Omega closely and feels duty-bound to balancehis views on
each of the documents in the advice he will give to the summit.

He seeks for their forgiveness under the prevailing circumstances. They agree with
him.

Dr. Afolabi shares that nations don't host summits just for the sake of amusing
foreign visitors and Gambia is no exception.

They do so out of self-interest and their presidents themselves usually accept the
honor of serving as summit chair, but this time round Gambia's president declines
the honor because he expects the summit to turn bitter and the chair to end up
pleasing some heads of state and displeasing others. Since he reckons he can serve
his country's interest best if he pleases all and displeases none.

25 | P a g e
Dr. Afolabi indicates that it's important to take care of this unique situation because
the new chair has up his sleeves, a play he calls The Trick which is good for them.
This play opens the door for Path Alpha.

Dr. Afolabi proposes that they go and think about the whole thing
so that the following day in the summit during the speaker's microphone session,
they raise the issue at hand.

Chapter Twelve (Pg. 150-167)

The Summit

The national anthem for Gambia, our homeland strikes The Gambian president
stands up and marches to the speaker's microphone and seated before him are 49
fellow heads of state. He digs out from a breast pocket a prepared speech. He then
reads it. In his short speech he avers that the task of the summit is to adopt a
common growth strategy for their people: Way Omega. Then he officially opens the
meeting.

H.E MinikoMenkiti, president of an important country is the chair after the Gambian
president declined. Flanking the chair on his left and right are two other summiteers:
Mr. TikuZinto on his right, a Minister of Development Planning in an Island
country. Dr. Afolabi, here as an advisor is to the help the summit along if asked to is
sitting on the chair's left.

The chair calls Mr. TikuZinto as the first speaker. He underscores the need for
change and is in support of Way Omega.

Dr. Afolabi is the next speaker. In his seven minutes, he makes two requests. One, to
share the seven minutes with the five friends and two he presents another document
he would say something about if he were given 15 minutes.

The chair accepts the two requests despite protests from Mr. TikuZinto.

26 | P a g e
The document titled Path Alpha is distributed. Dr. Afolabi as he had requested
shares his seven minutes with friends who want to greet the summit: Tad Longway,
ChinekeChiamaka, Prof. Kimani, Engineer Tahir and Comrade Melusi.
Comrade Melusi during his time to greet the summit, does not speak, he marches to
where the ruler of Zimbabwe is he wants to avenge his wife Ziliza.

Pandemonium reigns in every corner of the summit hall. Only after great effort does
the chair manage to restore order.

Dr. Afolabi then concludes by saying he had read both documents: Way Omega and
Path Alpha very carefully and his opinion is that Way Omega is big on ideas and
Path Alpha small (on ideas), on the other hand he says Way Omega is weak on the
implementation of those ideas while Path Alpha is strong.

The debate by the heads of state gets off at a sluggish start. The heads of state then
take a break and come back after an hour. Some of the presidents who make their
contributions are Didier Bangoura, Simba Ibarosa, King JembaJemba IV,
BiboDibonso and WasiWasiWesiga. The latter is able to spot brewing trouble and
introduces a new idea: The Trick. He proposes two measures to relieve tension:
adjournment of the session and two to ask a
small group among the presidents i.e Simba Ibarosa, YamlazaGamlozi and Didier
Bangoura to form a committee and see how best the summit can proceed from that
point.

The meeting is adjourned.

Chapter Thirteen (Pg. 168-172)

The Choice Matrix

Dr. Afolabi visits Fiona Mckenzie. He follows the directions he had been given by
her.

27 | P a g e
He is warmly welcomed. It's evening. A few minutes later, there's a knock at the
door. Nicolas Sentinel comes in.

Dr. Afolabi and Mr. Nicolas Sentinel meet face to face for the first time. Dr. Afolabi
has been looking forward to this great opportunity. He thanks Nick for having given
him the tip of

The Trick that enabled him managc to put Path Alpha on the summit's agenda.

Dr. Afolabi says that African prcsidcnts condemn trouble nnakcrs but ironically
some of them are troublc makers. If the heads of state would have had prior
knowledge of The Trick, they would have plotted mischief against it.

Nick reveals that his silent listener has told him that a method for choosing between
Way Omega and Path Alpha had been found and that The Method Committee has
named it The Choice Matrix.

Dr. Afolabi has organized for observer status for Ms. Fiona McKenzie at the summit
the following day and he says he can do the same for Nick. Nick accepts and says he
could ask his boss Bob (Mr. Robert Manley) to tag along.

They both leave, Nick first then followed by Dr. Afolabi.

Chapter Fourteen
(PA 73-185) The Homestretch

The summit reconvenes. The mood is expectant, yet jittery, hope and fear hang in
the air in equal measure.

Heads of state hope The Method Committee that had been formed the previous
evening has done its work and found a method they will use to choose between Way
Omega and Path Alpha. They fear their pick of committee leader might have killed

28 | P a g e
this prospect even before it was born.

President Bangoura, the chair of the committee, has surprisingly told the heads of
state that he had not read and will never read the documents.

There is a change in the sitting arrangement: Minister Zinto has moved to a place
farther from the summit chair to create space for President Bangoura, the chair of
The Method Committee.

The other two remain at the places they had sat before. Among the observers at the
back row are three new presences:

Mr. Robert Manley, the chief of the local VOA bureau, Ms. Fiona McKenzie and Mr.
Nicolas Sentinel.

Mr. Longway, Prof. Kimani and Pastor Chiamaka except Comrade Melusi are
present. Comrade Melusi is not around
because he was arrested the previous evening. The chair of the summit calls the
meeting to order and gets straight to the main business. He asks the chair of The
Method Committee to present to the summit the findings on the wayforward on
choosing between Way Omega and Path Alpha.

President Bangoura, the chair of The Method committee, makes his presentation.
The method they had settled on as a committee was a table with four cells. They
called it The Choice Matrix. He further gives more details and explaines on how the
method works.

Minister Zinto questions the method and terms it a total nonsense. Dr. Afolabi also
petitions the method. He says The Choice Matrix sounds complicated. Trouble
looms. Sensing trouble, the chair quickly moves in to avert trouble before it erupts.
He asks members to break for 15 minutes for a breather.

29 | P a g e
When the summit resumes, the breather seems to have done its expected job. It had
rejuvenated the old man (chair) with second round youth.

President Bangoura picks up from where he had left. HC calls the chair of the
summit, Minister Zinto and Dr. Afolabi in front to where he is standing and tosses a
coin.

From the two tosses, it is decided and declared that Path Alpha was the choice.

To cap the meeting, Pinnacle Hotel informs the summit that ithas organized a
closing ceremony on the mezzanine floor.

The summit is then declared officially closed. President Dibonso challenges the
decision that Path Alpha has won. He also challenges the method used: The Choice
Matrix.

An argument between him and the chair begins. President Dibonso pulls out a
pocket size pistol, the other heads of state scramble to hide under their desks.

The summit chair presses a panic button hidden under his desk. Commandos armed
with machine guns burst into the summit hall. They cock their guns. President
Dibonso disables his little gun, hides it away and then slipps through an emergency
exit.

All other heads of state rush to the exits swearing not to return for the summit's
closing ceremony.

The commandos then escort the chair out of the summit hall. Mr. Manley and Nick
leave for their places of work; so are Dr. Afolabi and Ms. McKenzie.

Mr. Longway and his three other men (Prof. Kimani, Pastor Chiamaka and Engineer
Tahir) are last to leave. As they are leave, they hug and cheer. Against all odds, their
Path Alpha had carried the day.

30 | P a g e
THEMES/ISSUES/THEMATIC CONCERNS

A theme is an idea that recurs in or pervades a work of art or literature. A theme

could also be a subject of discourse

31 | P a g e
discussion, meditation, composition or topic.

Moreover, a theme can also be scen as a central idea in a piece of writing or other
works of art. Further, in contemporary literary studies, a theme is can also be scen as
a central topic, subject or tnessage within a narrative or work of art. In addition,
most common understanding of theme is an idea or point that is central to a story.

Along with plot, character, style and setting, theme is considered one of the key
components a work of art. The following are some of the explored themes in the
novel.

Poor Leadership

Poor leadership is one of the main themes in the novel

African leaders are portrayed as people who cannot give a sense of direction to their
counties. Instead they are shown as flawed human beings who cannot rise to the
challenges of their times. They are people experimenting with various ideological
positions originating from different places. They were to discuss Way Omega but
found nowhere; Path Alpha finds its way on the agenda and is passed as a way
forward.

The book goes ahead to portray how dysfunctional most African countries are. The
leadership in the African content is poor, insincere and out of touch with the
happenings on the ground. The so called presidents at the summit have very little to
share, the confusion is too much and the agenda not clear, no wonder the sumnlit
ends in disarray.

Unfortunately, in their hopclcssncssthc citizens continue to entertain a leadership

that is blind to their plight.

The Fathers of Nations are mccting at Banjul, Gambia just to fulfill their calendar
needs, Their meeting is jumbled up and predetermined by a few of them who hold

32 | P a g e
the meeting hostage.

Mistrust among thcprcsidcnts (Fathers of Nations) is rife. Fight breaks out after a
disagrccment in thc summit

The chair of the summit seems to be quite subjective. He does not give room to
dissenting voices from summiteers such as Mnister T. Zinto.

• In the eyes of Asiyo, Professor Kimani's wife, poor leadership has translated to
poor roads which in the long run have aggravated accidents. His only daughter dies
through an accident. Consequently, desperation sets in leading to a divorce.

The leader of Comrade Melusi's group is sacked because of coming from the
Ndebele tribe while the country's leader
comes from the populous Shona. In Zimbabwe, all those from the Southern side
(Ndebele) whom the leader construes and perceives to be against the government
are whipped out.

Pastor ChinekeChiamaka is arrested and put in police custody for preaching about
the government's failure to deal with the issues bedeviling the nation. When he's
later on released, he's banned from preaching.

The heads of state pick President Bangoura who had said he

would not look at two documents as chairman of a committee that is to look at the
document and provide direction.

Poverty

The novel also paints a devastating picture of people on a knife's edge of daily
survival International imperialistic networks of control have captured and
imprisoned the continent. African countries are sucked into meaningless loans with
International financial institutions.

33 | P a g e
These development loans have unrealistic demands. As a result, the continent
continues to sink into the abyss of poverty. It's in Africa where learned people are
impoverished and made beggars. This is a society that does not value knowledge
but cherishes ignorance. Prof. Kimanijoins the University of Nairobi directly as a
senior lecturer from the University of Oxford. At that time, a lecturer earns more
than a Member of Parliament. Later, parliament stages a coup and the results are
that an MP wakes up to a hundred times the income ofa professor.

Comrade Melusi notes that in Zimbabwe, it was not easy for people to eat in a hotel.
He further notes that for those who eat in hotel have visitors/foreigners to foot the
bills. At Chaminuka Restaurant, Tad Longway clears the bill for himself and that of
Comrade Melusi.

The international community clamps on Zimbabwe a program called Structural

Adjustment Program (SAP) since the country is undergoing very difficult economic
times.

African leadership is poor of innovative and creative ideas that would spur
economic growth among the Africa states.

Corruption

Vitta also shares that corruption is endemic in Africa. The vice has disastrous effects
on the continent's economies. It also affects the cohesion of communities and social
contracts, which are vital pillars for building nations.

Wars and organized criminal networks distract the dcvclopmcnt of some countries.
The networks control all the political and economic opportunities. Corruption is a
pandemic in African countries.

Bribery is the order of the day in Banjul, Gambia. Ms. Fiona McKenzie is stopped at
Arch Number 22. The police demand a bribe from her driver, an unemployed

34 | P a g e
graduate.

Mr. Tad Longway in his submission to Dr. Afolabi says that Africa in its present
state has two new arrivals: corruption and impunity. This affirms that corruption is
a vice that is rampant in Africa, almost the oxygen of the African countries.

• In the elections held in Zimbabwe, Comrade Melusi and all other candidates
together garner 1% of the total votes cast while the ruler gets 99% after all the
challenges that precede the elections thereby negatively painting the ruler and his
government his government as unpopular. Additionally it points to some
unorthodox means that must have been used to get 99% of the votes cast: rigging.

Mr. Tad Longway apart from clearing bills for their meals he also gives Comrade
Melusi a stack of American dollars and thereafter gives him a document titled Path
Alpha. This ' 'gift" could be construed as a means to wield influence on his decision.

Tad Longway offers to buy a drink for Ms. Fiona McKenzie, a journalist with Voice
of America (VOA). This is the first time they are meeting at The Seamount Hotel.
The offer is meant to influence what Fiona will report about Path Alpha which is
being propagated by Mr. Tad Longway.

Path Alpha is not on the summit's agenda. Mr. Tad Longway and his accomplices
through Dr. Afolabi wants it on the agenda of the summit. The means through
which the proposal of Path Alpha will find itself on the agenda, must be fraudulent
and full of coercion.

Dr. Afolabi thanks Nick Sentinel for having given him the tip of The Trick that
enabled him put Path Alpha on the summit agenda. The Trick in its exploration
must be the coercion means that smells corruption.

The method used to reach the decision of settling for Path Alpha or Way Omega is a
method that is not very clear. The method attracts so many questions and petitions.
It also sounds to be set to have predetermined results. This gives credit to the feeling

35 | P a g e
that there must have been schemes and machinations to reach this predetermined
outcome.

Betrayal

To some extent, Dr. Afolabi betrays the heads of state. He had been invited to
provide a piece ofadvice on Way Omega Strategy. Little are the heads of state aware
that he is at the center of the rival group (Path Alpha). He influences the
introduction of Path Alpha on the agenda and also determines the outcome of
themethod committee.

The leader of Libya betrays Engineer Tahir. When Engineer Scif Tahir came back
from Paris, France, the leader of Libya was his 'darling' especially after coming up
with the 'Fist of Allah' and supported it fully. After sometime, the leader does away
with this outfit and this sets him against Engineer SeifTahir.

The intellectuals/professionals and freedom fighters have been betrayed by the

leadership of the continent. All the four men across Africa ; Prof Kimani, Comrade
Melusi, Pastor Chiamaka and Engineer Tahir after doing a lot for their mother
countries; Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Libya respectively were and are still
neglected. They are languishing in poverty and untold suffering; they have been left
on their own.

The image readers also get of African leaders is that of a coalition of confused and
manipulated people. They have suppressed the voices of the civilians who are mere
spectators as leaders destroy their source of livelihood.

The book is a bold portrayal of post — colonial African countries. It is a continent

where the most learned are impoverished because society doesn't value knowledge.
Instead, it cherishes ignorance and politicians.

36 | P a g e
African leaders, the so called the fathers ofnations have betrayed the ordinary
people. They are in the offices with the mandate of taking care of the populace but
tragically, this is not the case.

The ruler in Zimbabwe betrays comrade Melusi whom they fought the white man
with, When Zimbabwe gains her
independence, the ruler docs not remember to appoint Comrade NgobileMelusi a
minister, instead he only focuses on his Shona people and any dissenting voice
silenced.

Newborn Walomu betrays Prof. Kimani his former colleague at the university after
he marries Asiyo, Prof. Kimani's wife.

Asiyo betrays Prof. Kimani her husband. The predicament the husband gets himself
in is not his making. Professors at the University of Nairobi earn peanuts compared
to the Member of Parliament. Secondly, its isn't the making for their car to be
grounded to necessitate their only daughter to travel using public means and get
involved in a grisly road accident. Rather it's the economic status of the good
Professor that brings about this challenge.

Yoruba culture betrays Dr. Afolabi. There could have been a better engagement
between the family and Dr. Afolabi before Nimbo was dropped at Dr. Afolabi's
place as a second wife for this brings about divorce between Dr. Afolabi and Pamela,
his wife.

Pamela betrays Dr. Afolabi. She does not listen to him; instead, he hurriedly opts out
of marriage and goes back to Boston only to call after a week to tell him she had filed
for a divorce.

Plight Of Women

Fathers of Nations is basically a story of four men from different parts of Africa who
despite going through different misfortunes try to influence the new document: Path

37 | P a g e
Alpha. The big question is where are women?

The book is cntitlcd Fathers of Nations. The title points to thc masculinity and thc
role of thcscmcn folk in the predicament bedeviling the African continent. Arcn9t
thcrc Mothers of Nations? It speaks to the patriarchal naturc of thc African continent.
Thus, it is challenge to thc patriarchal status of Africa and pointing to the question
the place of women society and the possibility of them being the alternative choicce

The novel is dominated by male characters ranging from the four men fronlthc
different parts of Africa; Prof. Kimani (East) Comrade Melusi (South) Pastor
Chiamaka (Wcst ) and Enginccr Tahir (North) to Dr. Afolabi, the advisor to Africa's
heads of state summit and Path Alpha enthusiast, to the VOA personnel Mr. Robert
Manley and Mr. Nick sentinel.

Only one woman Ms. Fiona Mckenzie, stands out. Other women play a very
minimal and peripheral role in the development of the story. Tuni dies in a road
accident, her mother Asiya divorces Prof. Kimani on the account that professor's
vehicle's condition made their daughter use a public service vehicle making their
only daughter be exposed to accident. Pamela comes back to Nigeria with her
husband from America to meet a woman in her bedroom. This angers her and
results in her filing for divorce.

Forty — nine heads of state arrive at Banjul, Gambia for the heads of state summit.
Nonc of this heads of state is a woman. They look happy having lcft their problems
back at home, No wonder the title of the text is Fathers of Nations and not
parents/mothers of nations. Probably this does speak to the patriarchal society
Africa is and the role women played in founding these states.

Ziliza, Comrade Melusi's wife is killed in cold blood by men believed to be the
Zimbabwe's ruler's operatives. Though dead, her photo and memory about her
psyches Comrade Melusi to avenge against the brutal ruler. Though dead, her spirit
lives on, ignites and reminds Comrade Melusi, the nature of the current leadership:

38 | P a g e
poor.

Rahma Mahamoud is another woman in the text. Ms. Mahmoud is a junior to

Engineer Tahir. Engineer Tahir falls in love with her and proposes to her. She says
no to the proposal. This response angers him. He slaps her because of an unclear
reason and circumstances. She retaliates throwing a piece of glass on his eye, she's
taken to court and the court reaches a decision of her also losing an eye through
surgery. They both lose an eye. This episode speaks to some cultural practices that
are outdated. Were it not for the outdated culture, Engineer Tahir would not have
slapped Ms. RahmaMahmoud which led to this spiral effect of both losing an eye. It
is high time some of these cultural practices are relooked at.

Neocolonialism/lmperialism

Africa is portrayed as a continent with leaders (fathers) who are confused and easily
manipulated by people experimenting with various ideological positions. Probably,
they need support from outside to make head and tail of their discussions,
deliberations and plans they have for the continent.

With African states gaining independence, Africans were

optinlistic. They believed he (whiteman) was the impediment to their self— rule and
independence. They thought all the wrongs done by the colonial masters were to
bcmadc right by the black fathers of nations. On thc contrary, thc situation is thc
same; if anything worse than when the colonial master was around.

In Kenya, through thc eyes of Prof. Kimani, the Members of Parliament, who
determine their salaries, carn ten times more than professors at universities,
something unprecedented. Prot Kimani intimates that when he was joining the
University of Nairobi as a senior lecturer, professors earned more than members of
parliament. Currently, Members of Parliament earn tenfold what Professor Kimani
earns. He has the financial and economic muscle. He has three wives and is now
taking Asiya (Prof. Kimani's wife) as a fourth wife. The current crop of African

39 | P a g e
leadership is now doing things worse than what the colonial masters did.

Comrade Melusi says Zimbabwe has greatly changed. He helped the current leader
get out Smith (Whiteman) from Zimbabwe to gain her independence. Immediately,
after the independence, the leader changed drastically. The Ndebele (among them
Comrade Melusi) who helped him during the struggle have become his enemies. He
fired the leader of the Ndebele nor did he appoint Melusi a minister after having
helped him. Instead, it's the Shona (the ruler's tribe) that is given plumb jobs. Ziliza,
Comrade Melusi's wife is killed in the attack orchestrated by the government
operatives.

Voice of America (VOA) at some point as the US policy forbade hiring non —
Americans. The Image was bad for VOA. Mr. Robert Manley, chief of the VOA
bureau, employs Ms. Fiona McKenzie to help them get as much as possible from the
summit. Though, she's on the ground collecting information, Mr. Nick Sentinel, a
communication Technician has a silent listener which records conversations around
The Seamount Hotel. He's more informed about the ongoings at the hotel. He can
tell the plans and even design ways to counter those maneuvers. Mr. Robert Manley
and Nick Sentinel are in -- charge and can trap in all conversations so long as they
are over a mobile phone.

Mr. Tad Longway, the guide is an agent of colonialism. Through him the alternative
agenda of Path Alpha is a gospel that spreads across Africa from East (Kenya) to
West (Nigeria), from south (Zimbabwe) to North (Libya) and finds its way on the
summits agenda. Through Dr. Afolabi, Path Alpha a strategy developed and
designed elsewhere by non-fathers of nations technically finds its way on the agenda
and finally is adopted amidst questions.

Nick Sentinel also uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) in determining locations
of all the four crusaders of Path Alpha. Beyond this, he's able to tell the on-goings at
Pinnacle Hotel where the fathers of nations are. Being attached to VOA, this speaks
volumes about the security of Africa as a continent. VOA is in control of the

40 | P a g e
airwaves in Africa.

Disillusionment/Despair

Disillusionment is loss of hope.

Africans have lost hope in their leadership. The 'fathers of nations' as they are
referred to meet at Banjul, Gambia. They plan to discuss and deliberate on a
strategy, Way Omega. While at the summit, another strategy, which had not been
looked into, Path Alpha is plotted and after deliberations and later a toss of coin,
Path Alpha is adopted. The African leadership is painted as a visionless,
directionless leadership: a leadership full of cqnfusion. Furthermore, summit
degenerates into a fighting match.
In accepting to join the Path Alpha which is advocated for by the four men
representing the four corners of Africa, it's evident Africans have lost hope in the
status quo. The experiences they haveundergone do not give them the latitude to
speak well of thc systems that be.

Though a Profcssor, Prof. Kimani is a disillusioned tnan. He has lost a wife to a

former junior collcaguc at the University (Newborn Walomu) currently a Member of
Parliament. He lost his only daughter (Tuni) through accident, something that
would have been avoided. After the fight with Newborn Walomu, he's arrested and
thereafter demoted to being a senior lecturer position he began at when he joined the
University of Nairobi. He's a man ready to take up Path Alpha strategy to at least
breath a sigh of relief from the normal order of the day.

Comrade NgobileMelusi is a shell of himself. He was in the forefront alongside the

current leader in driving the white men out of the country. When his country gains
self-independence, his hopes are ironically crashed by the very people he has helped
get into power. He is not appointed a minister in the new dispensation. His tribe, the
Ndebele, becomes

41 | P a g e
a target community for harassment; first its leader is not considered in the new
formed cabinet/government. Further, when the Ndebele people demonstrate in
what they viewed as seclusion, the government sends police officers to whip the
demonstrators. Unfortunately, in the brutal attacks, Comrade Melusi loses his wife
Ziliza. His business goes under necessitating his relocation to slums which again are
brought down by bulldozers sent by the government in the guise of creating room
for infrastructure. Indeed, he has lost hope in anything done by the current regime
and so when the new idea of Path Alpha comes up, he readily joins the outfit and
takes up with a lot of gusto hoping against hope that this new strategy will breathe a
new lease of life in his empty and hopeless spirit.

Engineer Seif Tahir after completing his studies overseas and coming back home is
quite optimistic. He is in cahoots with the Libyan leader and fully supports "Fist of
Allah," a group supported and funded by the ruler. Suddenly, the ruler abandons
"Fist of Allah." In his quest to propose to Rahma Mahmoud, his junior at the
weapons laboratory, he loses his eye so does Rahma Mahmoud. Engineer Tahir feels
dejected and to cover and run away from this despair, he leaves Tripoli for Benghazi
where he leads a lonely life. With this desperation in site, he falls prey of the new
strategy, Path Alpha and readily accepts it for in it he sees some hope and solace.

Pastor Chiamaka epitomizes despair and loss of hope. He was a reckless driver. He
gets involved in an accident that miraculously turns around his life to become a
pastor. In his second sermon, he attacks the powers that be. He isarrested and only
releasedand banned from preaching. Something he feels is not right. With these
challenges, PastorChiamaka desperately accepts to join Path Alpha. In this new
strategy, lies hope for the church and the Africans as a whole.

The four men from the different parts of Africa arc a microcosm of a bigger picture
of Africans; that Africans have lost hope and hence clinging to any stroke that can
give them any hope.

42 | P a g e
Tribalism and Nepotisrn

Tribalism and nepotism is rife in African leadership and politics. With the colonial
masters walking away with racism, fathers of nations of the new independent Africa
walked in with tribalism and nepotism.

Despite Comrade NgobileMelusi assisting the ruler in his home country, Zimbabwe,
fight the common enemy, the white man, the ruler forgets him at the time of
distributing the national cake. He only considers his Shona tribesmen for the
appointment to plumb positions in his government. He does not appoint Comrade
Melusi a minister and when he denies the leader of Melusi's tribe (Ndebele) an
appointment, demonstrations erupt in thc south whcrc the Ndcbelcs stay. Ziliza,
comrade Melusi's wife is killed in the course of this brutal attack.

Dr. Afolabi's marriage breaks because Femi — his cousin has been sent to bring
another woman, a Yoruba like themselves to get married to Dr. Afolabi. To the
Yoruba's, their son Dr. Afolabi would secure his family by following the wishes of
his family. This annoys Pamela who after insisting the girl should leave finally
divorces Dr. Afolabi.

Suffering, Oppression and Death

Suffering is at different levels: psychological, physically and emotional.

Most of the sulTerings in the novel are psychological and emotional.

Many characters have undergone harrowing experiences that have brought untold
suffering to them.

Prof. Kimani loses his daughter in a road accident. He also loses his wife Asiya to his
former colleague at the university turn a Member of Parliament. This loss of wife
brings about a fight between him and Newborn Walomu. The fight earns an arrest
and charges of assault pressed on him. He's jailed for six months and a demotion

43 | P a g e
follows thereafter. All these accumulate to a dejected man which brings a lot of
psychological and emotional suffering. He is a disturbed man. When Tad Longway
comes along and proposes Path Alpha, he readily accepts for he finds solace in the
whole thing.

After being rejected by Ms. Rahma Mahmoud, Engineer Tahir avenges by slapping
her, something she does not take lying low. She retaliates and throws something at
him which gets to his eye and slits it. In revenge, Engineer Tahir goes to court to
seek justice and the court rules based on the Arabic law which calls for gorging out
her eye in return. Because of the psychological suffering he undergoes, Tahir leaves
Tripoli for Benghazi.

Comrade NgobileMelusi undergoes psychological trauma too. After helping the

ruler, he's left to languish in poverty he is not appointed a minister. When the
Ndebele leader misses out on appointment, the southern part of the country
inhabited by the Ndebeledemonstrate and riot. Property and lives are lost. Ziliza,
Mclusi's wife dies in the exchange. When his economic status changes and he's
forced to go and stay in the slums which are later on flattened "to create way for
roads." All these eat on the nerves of ComradeNgobileMelusi.

Pastor ChinekeChiannaka after his controversial sermon is arrested. He's later on

rclcascd and given conditions among them not to preach, something very difficult to
live by.

The African leaders (fathers of nations) are oppressors. They expose the common
citizen to untold suffering. The four men are good narrativcs of this assertion. After
falling out with the fathers of nations, Prof. Kimani, Pastor Chiamaka, Comrade the
heavy and long arm of the Melusi and Engineer Tahir government meets them and
does not give them room to express themselves. They have to be organized by an
outside force to seek alternative way from the status quo by advocating for Path
Alpha, a new strategy and discourse as opposed to Way Omega.

44 | P a g e
Apart from the physical death of Tuni ,Ziliza and many others, there's also death of
vision. The fathers of nations have no vision for the continent and direction for their
countries. The discussion at the summit is jerky and disorganized. There's also death
of vision of our founding fathers of nations. The vision was to fight ignorance,
disease and poverty. Several years after independence, the continent is still
wallowing in miasma of confusion andstagnation.
Change/ Transition
Change is inevitable. Change in fathers of nations has been realized at two levels:
physical and ideological.
Physically, the four men drawn from the four corners of the African continent have
undergone evolution and tremendous change. Prof. Kimani after undergoing the
humiliations in the hands of Newborn Walomu and the government operatives, he
is a totally different man. Comrade Melusi's experience in the hands of the ruler of
his country leaves him a bitter man. Engineer Tahir is also a depressed man courtesy
of his endeavours with Ms. Rahma Mahmoud and the lack of support towards "Fist
of Allah." Meanwhile, Pastor Chiamaka is transformed after being involved in an
accident to a very powerful pastor.
Ideologically, the wind of change has swept across Africa. Although the fathers of
nations have scheduled to deliberate on Way Omega while at the summit, Path
Alpha surprisingly finds its way on the agenda of the summit and again against all
odds is the strategy that goes through and is adopted. In the new strategy, Prof.
Kimani, Pastor Chiamaka, Comrade Melusi and Engineer Tahir are hopeful that
most of the challenges they are facing as a continent will be a thing of the past.
CHARACTER AND CHARACTERISATION
Characterization is the description of a character 's physical traits (how the character
looks like) point of view, personalities, private thoughts and actions. In Fathers of
Nations by Paul B. Vitta, various characters have bccn used to develop the plot,
other characters, themes and styles.
Dr. Abiola Afolabi
He's a graduatc of Harvard University in thc USA currently teaching in the
university of Ibadan, Nigeria and author of
Failure of Nations as revealed by Fiona McKenzie, the journalist. He had earlier

45 | P a g e
presented himself as the guide to the four men. His role in the summit was to be the
advisor to the head of state.
Proud/pompous
When asked why he came to the summit , he proudly says he never came to the
summit...he was invited by the president. (Pg 9)
After a comprehensive introduction by Ms McKenzie, Dr Abiola averted his eyes to
enjoy the fame he had created. (Pg 6)
Authoritative
He gives orders to Prof, Kimani to an extent of expecting a protest from him. HC
even demands that Kimani obeys him; obey professor... obey (Pg 3). He also gives
the same orders and demands to be obeyed when he calls Pastor Chiamaka.....don't
argue obey. (Pg 18)
Secretive
Afolabi is such a self preserved person. When asked who he ishe just says he is a
guide, he never wants to reveal his identity (pg 4). He even gets angered when
Pastor Chiamaka insists on who he is (Pg 17).
When he meets Pamela's father (Pg 67) he swears he would never disclose the scene
to his wife Pamela (Pg 70). Afolabi is very much aware of the fact that his family are
organizing for him to have another wife since his wife hasn't
given birth. He never discloses it to his wife, Pamela. (Pg 80)
Persuasive
At his first meeting with Prof. Kimani he successfully convinces him to join Path
Alpha. To convince him he repeatedly refers to Prof Kimani's history — something
he is proud of. ...from your history again ...
Hot tempered/ temperamental/ short tempered
He gets furious at Ms McKenzie (Pg 9) when she informs him that her boss wants
her in his office at the middle of the interview; he gets annoyed to a point when
asked if he is ok he almost shouts.
When Prof. Kimani picks his call but delays to respond, the person who conceals his
identity and is referred to as the guide (later learnt to be Dr.Abiola ) gets irritated
very fast. (Pg 2) Tired of so many questions from Pastor Chiamaka (Pg 17) he shouts
at pastor ordering him to shut his mouth.

46 | P a g e
wise/intelligent
He has two documents; Way Omega and Path Alpha. He understands what each
proposes. In the summit he is given the role of ensuring that Way Omega carries the
day...but he sees Path Alpha as the only solution in Africa. He devises a way of
introducing Path Alpha in the summit — a rival ideology to Way Omega. He says
'While Way Omega gives you a bird in the bush...Path Alpha presses the same bird
into your hands (Pg 154). He uses the proverb...a bird at hand is worth two in the
bush.
When he calls Prof. Kimani, Kimani calls him a 'cocky educated Nigerian (Pg 4)
simply because of the way he pronounces every stressed syllable and his impeccable
grammar (Pg 3)
Egoistic/Cajoling
He looks down upon Fiona McKenzie (Pg 9) He thinks that Fiona is just a journalist
who doesn't know much about books. This is when Ms McKenzie terms him
pessimist in his book 'Failure of Nations'what do you know about books any way?
(Pg9)
Bragging about his superiority and how special he is he also says that he never came
to the meeting; instead, he was invited. Firm He orders the man carrying McKenzie
carelessly by her waist to put her down. When the man asks him whether he is a
man enough to repeat what he has said he says 'Yes... yes, I told you to put her
down.'
Pastor ChinekeChiamaka
He was a pastor of the Church Inside Africa in Lagos, Nigeria. He was banned from
preaching after attacking the government that it is supposed to take action not
advice itself.
Inquisitive/ Curious
He really wants to know who the secret guide is. When told to shut up by the caller
he still insists (Pg 17)

Courageous/Firm/Bold

47 | P a g e
He critiques the government boldly without fear in front of his congregation. The
congregants never respond because of the consequences but this never deters him
from speaking his mind.
According to her the government is supposed to take actionnot advise itself. It is for
the same reason Pastor Chiamaka is arrested and banned from preaching. (Pgl 14,
115)
Persuasive
His sermons are persuasive. (Pg 110). ...his sermon that Sunday was witty and
persuasive. (Pg 114)
Short tempered /Emotional /High tempered
When the guide tells him that he had seen him at the bar Pastor Chiamaka gets
annoyed. He tells him candidly that he had begun getting into his nerves. (Pg 19) .do
you know what, Mr whoever you-are? You are beginning to get into my nerves.... .
when asked the kind of business he had in the bar...he felt a lump of anger rise up in
his throat (Pg 19). This shows that he is bitter about the question the guide asked.
Opportunistic
When the guide lowers his temper after the two have had an argument, Chiamaka
uses the opportunity to ask him oncc more on who he is. "...Look! You and I are
supposed to be walking together, wc arc on the same lilission.' Pastor Chiamaka
responds...then why won't you tell me your real name? '(Pg 1 8)
Keen /Observant
When asked to identify the items in the briefcase he has received at the Seamount
Hotel's west wing, he correctly identifies them and is able to identify the phone he is
using!
Professor Karanja Kimani
He is a professor at the Institute of Development Studies within the University of
Nairobi, Kenya. He's also the ex-husband of Asiya Omondi as well as father to Tuni.
Intelligent
He is a professor, He studied at the University of Oxford. He is a Senior Lecturer in
thc University of Nairobi.
Loving

48 | P a g e
He loved his wife AsiyaOmondi . When Asiya wants them to separate so that she
gets married to Newborn Walomu, Prof. Kimani never agrees to it. He tries his best
to convince Asiya but it falls on Asiya's deaf ears.
He loves his daughter Tuni. He's really traumatized when she passes on; even after
the burial he morns Tuni earnestly.
Abusive
He abuses Newborn Walomu as a fat baboon...a greedy fat baboon. This is when he
goes to ask him why he stole his wife.
Short tempered/Hot tempered
Angry he is after Walomu steals his wife; he decides to go and attack him.
Comrade NgobileMelusi
He's a comrade and citizen of Zimbabwe. He's also a politician and husband to
Ziliza who lost her life to tribal clashes.
Curious
When he discovers that he is diabetic, he reads pamphlets about it with an interest
similar to that which first time car owners read manuals (Pg 83). He wants to know
more about diabetes hence how to manage it...this attitude pays off; he is now an
authority on diabetes. (Pg 83)
Firm
He insisted that he must get in with his needle and indeed he succeeds. He never
succumbs to the officer's demands...so sir I will let you in with your medicine after
all please proceed. (Pg 85)
Keen
He observes that they were the only customers yet it was 1:30 pm noting that the
economy had crashed.
Loving
He loved his wife Ziliza dearly. When narrating how he to lost her, he
cries. ...Comrade Melusi starts to glisten with the beginning of tears. (Pg 90)
He lies on his bed daydreaming about Ziliza. He reaches out for his wallet then pulls
out her photograph...just to bring out the memories. The caller tells Melusi to come
urgently to a meeting in an hour yet Comrade Melusi returns to his wife's photo.
This shows how Comrade Melusi loved his wife.

49 | P a g e
Engineer Seif Tahir
He's cnginccr, a fortner employee of the ministry of defense in Libya. He joins 'Fist of
Allah' right after returning from overseas. It's later dismantled.
Chauvinistic
He feels humiliated when Rahmah Mahmoud says no to his advances. (pg 121)
Vengeful
He retaliates on his advances being rejected by Rahmah Mahmoud. He slaps her
claiming that she shed her veil in public; a violation of the Libyan culture,
Rentorseflll
He deeply regrets that Rahmah lost her eye„.as per the court verdict the I
lammurabic verdict -- an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Pg 122) he loses
peace, The author says he becomes Inuch restless now than he has never been. (Pg
122)
Newborn Walomu
He has formerly been a junior colleague of Profe Kimani at the University of
Nairobi. He is an MP... a rich MP with four cars. He 'stole' Prof. Kimani 's wife,
Asiya.
Corrupt
When he leaves teaching, he swims in money and amasses a lot of wealth that
attracts Kimani's wife to him. (Pg 30)
Immoral/ Promiscuous
Walomu has three wives and Asiya will be fourth yet he has many other women he
engages in sexual activity with; those he calls 'killed but not eaten' (Pg 36)
He adds by saying a real bull dies with his grass on his mouth. (Pg 37)
Fiona Mckenzie
She's a reporter for Gambian News who's later taken on loan by Voice Of America
(VOA). She was adopted by Ian and Elspeth McKenzie; the Scottish missionaries
who were in Banjul,
Humorous
She jokingly tells Dr. Abiola to go take a photo because hc is young against his forty
five years . 'Go have your picture taken right now Dr Afolabi, You won't always look

50 | P a g e
this good. I am joking, go.' (Pg6)

Appreciative/Courteous

She thanks Dr. Afolabi for agrccing to havc an interview with her. 'First Ict thank
you for agreeing to sit for this interview.'

Abusive

When her boss calls her she tells Dr Afolabi: The silly boss wants me.' (Pg 10)

Temperamental

McKenzie was spiking words with bile left in her mouth by an earlier exchange (Pg
134)... She could no longer hide her anger'. (Pg 135)

Asiya Omondi

Previously wife to Prof, Kimani and mother to Tuni, she divorces Prof. Kimani
because of his financial status; she's now wife to Newborn Walomu.

Materialistic
She choses to get married to Newborn Walomu at sixty years because he has money
and four cars. He leaves Prof. Kimani because he is poor; having only one car which
again is faulty. (Pg 33)

Even when Prof. Kimani says that money doesn't guarantee happiness, she says
'never having had it, how would you know that it doesn 't?'

Rahmah Mahmoud

Temperamental

51 | P a g e
When Seif Tahir slaps her she become emotional and strikes Seifin his left eye and
slits it open. (Pg 122)

Violent

She slits Seif's eye after a slight provocation from Seife President Didier Banguora

Candid

After analyzing what the first two speakers had said he came up with his support
for Path Alpha. He says candidly that there is no need of adopting Way Omega
because it was once adopted.
President Simba Ibarosa
Firm
He has never taken floor to make friends or amends...he is free in expressing his
feelings and opinions.
President WasiwasiWesiga
Schemer
He anticipated many coups and nipped them in the bud before they got off the
ground.
At the sumnlit he reminds the chair of thc 'trick ' when he realizes that the tnccting is
getting out of hand, (Pgl 65)
ThadduesLongway

Informed

It is his first meeting with Dr. Afolabi but he knows that he is the man serving as an
adviser of the heads of state in the summit (Pg73)

He is also aware of what Way Omega and Path Alpha he tells Dr. Afolabi that Way
Omega and Path Alpha differs like day and night in that Way Omega is top-driven
and lacks will of implementation. Path Alpha is bottom led and it has will.

52 | P a g e
Persuasive

WhenDr.Afolabi is adamant to accept to be the guide to for Path Alpha travelers,

Tad Longway informs him that there is no problem since he's the advisor to the
summit. He tells him to look at what Way Omega is recommending for adoption
and what Path Alpha is proposing as an alternative. He tells him that he is open
minded. (Pg 74)

STYLES AND STYLISTIC DEVICES

Dialogue
This is the most dominant style in the text, It is a direct conversation between two or
more characters or a conversation between two different groups of people or a
conversation between an individual and a certain group of people in thetext. It has
mainly been used to activate and dramatize several conflicts in the text.
a) There is dialogue between the guide (Mr.Abiola) and the four strangers who
check in at the Seamount Hotel at Banjul. (Professor Kimani, Pastor Chiamaka,
Comrade Melusi and Tahir) as he gives them the directives from AGDA (Pgs, 2,
16, 19).
b) There is use of dialogue between the journalist Ms. Mckenzie and (the guide) Dr.
Afolabi whereby Fiona calls Dr. Afolabi for the interview. (Pg4 -7)
c) Dialogue happens between Tuni and her dad, Professor Kimani; in it he tells her
about MPs.(Pg 23).
d) Asiya and her husband Prof. Kimani dialogue as she tells him of her resolution to
marry Newborn Walomu. (Pg 33)
e) There's dialogue between the MP Walomu and Prof. Kimani when Kimani
confronts him about marrying his wifeAsiya Omondi. (Pg 37)
f) Tad Longway and Prof. Kimani engage in dialogue as Tad tries to convince Prof
to join AGDA. (Pg 39)
g) Dialogue happens among Leo, Fiona and Dr. Afolabi. In thisdialogue, Dr. Afolabi
rescues Fiona then takes her to his room at the Seamount Hotel. (Pg 59).

53 | P a g e
h) A dialogue ensues between Tad Longway and Dr. Afolabi about his address at
the Foundation for the Democratic Rule when Longway had come to talk to him
about acting as a guide to Path Alpha. (Pg 73)
i) There is a dialogue involving Issa, Pamela and Dr. Afolabi about his new wife
from the village who had been brought by his cousin Femi to help Dr. Afolabi in
bearing children since his wife doesn't want to have children. (Pg 75).
j) Comrade Melusi and Tad Longway engage in a dialogue where Melusi tells
Longway how he fought for freedom in Zimbabwe. Longway has come to
convince Melusi to join AGDA. (Pg 99)
k) There's a dialogue between Tad and Chiamaka over the phone about joining
AGDA. (Pg 116)
l) Tad and SeifTahir dialogue about the latter's joining AGDA as they talk more
about the history of Libya ( Pg 124).
m) Fiona and Longway through a phone call at the booth of the Seamount Hotel.
( Pg 134) and on (Pg 137) over a drink at the Seamount Hotel .

n) Dr. Afolabi and Fiona dialogue in the latter's room at the Seamount Hotel —
Afolabi confirms that he is the guide. (Pgl 39)
o) There's dialogue between Dr. Afolabi and the other presidents at the Summit.
(Pg154). In this dialogue where he invites his counter parts to talk about Path
Alpha, Bangoura dialogues with the congregants at the summit as he lead them
in making a choice between Path Alpha and Way Omega. (Chapter 140).
Rhetorical questions
These are questions asked to make a point or create a dramatic effect. They do not
require answers since they are used to persuade or to pause.
a) Pg 5 One minute, five minutes-where is the difference?
b) Pg 10 All looked happy and why not?
c) Pg 63 Why do people like to say lies?
d) Pg75 Lees now drop this gibberish for a while, okay?
e) Pg78. .and who told you she hates children?
f) Pg87... what freedom and what work?

54 | P a g e
g) Pg103...had the man not taken it there?

h) Pgl04.. .and signing his own death warrant in the bargain?

i) Pgl17. .. 'had he not closed down all foreign military? Then had he not
nationalised all foreign business in the country?
j) Pg120...'who has not at one time or another misinterpreted a kind word from a
friend?
k) Pg150...was it not invented by the cleverest twenty of the world's best and
brightest, each a Nobel prize winner?
l) Pg173...how could he answer a question he has not heard and he was determined
not to hear?
m) Pg182...has the trick not saved the day? had it not eliminated the need for the
consensus he could not achieve?

Flashback

This is a window to an earlier occurrence that provides critical information to the

main story. It is a situation where the author uses a scene set in a time earlier than
the main story to link up with the events taking place in the main story.

a) It is used here to help us understand better the present day elements and learn
more about the characters. Also used to reveal the emotional struggles of the
characters in the text,a flashback also reveals the insights of the character's
actions.
b) There is the use of flashback in chapter two about the life of Professor Kimani; his
education journey, how he married Asiya, how he lost his only daughter Tuni to
a road accident and how his marriage fell apart. Through it we also how he
fought with an MP landing him behind bars. This clearly tells us why he is where
he is now seeking justice and fighting for a change.
c) There is the use of flashback in the conversation between comrade Melusi and
Tad Longway where comrade Melusi talks about him and their leader fighting

55 | P a g e
 smith in search of independenceand through this wcrealise the origin of his name
'comrade'
d) We also get to learn through flashback how comrade Melusi lost his wife Ziliza
through Gukurahundi which erupted due to the anti - government unrest in
southern Zillibabwe. (Pg 90-92).
e) There is the use of flashback in chapter 8 which tells us clearly how Pastor
ChinekeChiamaka started preaching back then, how he developed his preaching
career and how he lost it and landing behind bars; ...he preached everywhere:
indoors in the strict privacy of a house or in the limited publicity of a church.. '
Pg 109'
f) The flashback takes us way back to when he had a church of his own with a
welcoming bulleting in a church entrance 'God is Watching You' and how he
would make his sermons witty and
g) persuasive upto until he mentions the undoing of the government his pulpit
which changed his life for the worst by landing him in prison. (Pg 115).
h) The education ability of Engineer Seif Tahir has been brought out in the text
through a flashback. He had come from overseas when the leader was
celebrating his 20th year in power and how he sided with him and even joined
'The Fist of Allah' until the Al Qaeda struck and changed his view.

i) Flashback is also used by the author to tell us how Engineer Tahir lost his eye
when he was served revenge by one Rahmah Mahmoud with whom he had
fallen in love yet she did not respond to his expectation leading to endless
vengeance between them and finally costing both of them their eyes. (Pg122)
j) Through flashback we learn that Dr. Afolabi and his wife Pamela do not have
children of their own. This is clearly brought out in chapter 5 where we learn
how Femi Dr. Afolabüs cousin was sent to bring a second wife to Dr. Afolabi
since he and Pamela did not have children. This ends his marriage with Pamela.

Vivid description
This is a way of creating very detailed and clear mental imageto the audience about
an event, a character or a situation in the text. It is a style used to appeal to the senses

56 | P a g e
of theaudience and therefore makes the audience to feel as if they are exactly at the
spot wherethe author is describing.
a) She was wearing a scarlet blouse, a black skirt and red heels...(Fiona) Pg4.
b) ..she had her mother's eyes, wings of an imported butterfly, pure black in the
middle, pure white at the margins ...( Tunis eyes) Pg24.
c) Asiya'sbehaviour when she wanted to leave Prof. Kimani for Newborn since Prof
had become poor has clearly been described in (Pg32)...if he did as much appear
about to touch her she jumped back and shrank away.
d) ...when he was near enough he swung a fist. He missed...he (Pg 37) the fight
between Mr. Newborn and swung another Prof. Kimani has clearly been
descried here.

e) Her legs started kicking wildly, scissoring the air in frantic strokes...Fiona's
struggles to free herself from the man who
wanted to take her by force creates a mental picture. (Pg 58, 59).
f) The events leading to the accident of Pastor Chiamaka and the accident
altogether have been described on Pg 107 and 108.
g) He could begin his sermon now. 'God is watching you 110) the way pastor
Chiamaka would begin his preaching.
h) Big teeth, white and big gums, purple...Rahmalfs face as she smile...her left cheek
was capable of a dimpole (Pg 120).
i) You will find me standing near the phone both I am wearing white shoes and a
red dress with a white polka dots...Fiona describes her dressing code to Tad
Longway (Pg 130).
j) A product of the strange practice that allows even the ugly kings to marry
beautiful women. , . gorgeous physique, gorgeous smile. ...the appearance of king
JembaJemba. (pg 163)

Story within a story

a) This is where a character within the story becomes the narrator of a second story.
It's mainly used to reveal the truth in the inner Story.

57 | P a g e
b) The story of the donors ganging up on Africa told by Prof. Kimani to his only
daughter Tuni is a good example. (Pg 22).
c) Another example is the story of Dr. Afolabi and his wife arriving home to find
that Femi had brought a second wife to Afolabi so that he could have children of
his own since Pamela did not want to have children with him... (told by Afolabi).
d) There's also a story told by comrade Melusi to Longway about the Gukurahundi
who led to the loss of his wife Ziliza. ( Pg 91) Comrade Melusi tells a story to the
visitor (Tad Longway) about how he fought side by side with his leader to defeat
smith and attain independence in Zimbabwe. (Pg 87).
e) The story ofSeifTahir on how he fell in love with Rahmah, how he experienced
rejection and how that brought about vengeance thus leading him to losing an
eye is told through this style. (Pg119)
Irony
This is a state of affairs that appears dclibcratcly contrary to what one expects.
1) It is used by the author to causc a character to act out of ignorance of some truth
of which thcaudicncc arc awarc of.
2) Its ironical for Asiya to connpare her husband who has worked hard all his life to
people likc Newborn. (Pg26)
3) It is ironical for thc MPS like Newborn who havclittlc education to earn better
salaries compared to professors likc Kimani whohas even studied abroad in
order to leave a better life. (Pg30)
4) It is also ironical for Newborn to propose marriage to Asiya while she is still
married to Prof. Kimani and also since he already has three wives. Further, Asiya
is even way older than him. (Pg 33)
5) There is irony is in the fact that Prof. Kimani is handed a six months' jail term yet
he is the one who has lost everything. (Pg 36)
6) It is ironical for the presidents to tell the police not to take bribes yet they
(presidents) take even bigger amounts. (Pg41)
7) Irony is plays out in the fact that Dr. Afolabi thinks that ifs safe to communicate
through the phones he has given the four strangers at the Seamount Hotel than
to use the hotel phone yet the silent listener is able to hack their conversations.
(Pg 55)

58 | P a g e
8) It is also is Ironical for the pastor to read political documents in the pulpit to his
congregation. (Pg 114)
9) Its ironical for Tahir to take Rahmah to court for losing his eye yet he is the one
who started the fight which cost him his left eye. (Pg 122)
10) Is ironical for minister Zinto to thank the excellencies for being attentive yet we
know they were not. (Pg 152)
11) The presidents condemn trouble makers but some are themselves trouble makers
by being unruly. (Pg 171)
12) It is ironical for president Bangoura to be chosen to lead in the decision making
about Way Omega or Path Alpha yet he has not read either of the documents and
has sworn not to read them.
Use of borrowed language
It is used to maintain the authenticity of the words or phrases that might lose
meaning if translated. Use of Swahili words

1) 'msitumpyanyani wale wale.'( Pg25)

2) Kazikubwapesandogo. (Pg 35)
3) Na hivyondivyoilivyo. (Pg 36)
4) There is use ofshona language by Comrade Mwelusi
'SimudzaimurezaweZimbabwe' (Pg 87), murambatsvina. (Pg 97)
5) Use of Ndebele — kalibusiweizwelezimbawe. (Pg 87)
6) Use of Arabic language sabahkher. (Pgl 19)
7) The use of French language by president Bangoura ...'Merci monsieur le
president' (Pg 156)
8) Qu'estce qui se passe?( Pg 178).
Sarcasm
This is the use of irony to cause contempt.
1) Do you know what I am going to do? I am going to ask the guards I bribed to
arrest me on nny way back. (Pg 48)
2) Yes just as rain comes, water washes off the spots of a leopard. Prof. Kimani to
his daughter Tuni. (Pg 25)

59 | P a g e
3) I just told you why: old is gold. Anyway stealing is not that uncommon, you
know...thcre are a lot of spouse stealers there, wouldn't you say? (Pg 57)
Newborn to Prof. Kimani. ...let me call the media,pastorChiamaka said
sarcastically..
'(Pg142)

4) I have a confession, I wish to make. I want to confess that I have not read them
and to declare that I will never read them... President Bangoura to the members
of the summit. (Pg 159)
5) Mr. chairman the resolutions, once adopted, do not have to be adopted again just
because some sharp secretary somewhere has had echoes... Way Omega. ( Pgl 59)
Similes
This is the direct comparison of two different things by use of like and 'as.. .as'
mainly used to describe something. The author has used a lot of similes in the text
such as:
1) ...he had a bushy moustache which in a moment of speech wriggled like a moth
fighting to free its wings then fly away' this has been used to describe comrade
Melusi's moustache. (Pgl) this has been used to
2) ...he looked like a failed sumo wrestler...' describe pastor ChinekeChiamaka.
3) ...cute as a button and sharp as a needle...these are Abiola's thoughts about
Fiona's. Pg5 '
4) ...her eyes were wide and white like a pair of moons. Pgs
5) .sluggish and groggy like a satiated python with a ' describes Newborn Walomu.
Pg35
6) ...the youth craned his head up sticking it like a rooster readying to crow'
describing how Nick looked at MsMckenzie. Pg 51.
7) ...lingered on like the boom of a big drum' used to describe the voice of Mr. Tad
Longway. Pg 75..
8) ...his voice tore through the restaurantss wall to wall silence like thunder'
describing the voice of the visitor (Mr.Longway) Pg 89.
9) ...stoping or swerving out of his way like water pausing or parting to let a Moses
on wheels cross the red sea' which describes how ChinekeChiamaka drives. Pgl

60 | P a g e
 07

10) Pg 119... 'her big eyes were shining like light bulbs' refering to Rahmah's eyes
11) Pg 144..'his belly hang over like a half-empty sack'
12) His face had wrinkled like a dry prune' these describes professor Kimani.
13) Pg161...' it was as smooth as smooth as a baby's face' refering to minister Nzito.
Metaphors
This is the indirect comparison of two things which is used to create a mental
picture.
1) Tunis eyes have been compared to the wings of an imported butterfly. (Pg 24)
2) '...his voicc( Tad's voice) was a lion's roar. Pg 38
3) ...the youth was a jargon spewing buffon...Pg 52.
4) ...she had imagined it as an ugly monster. Pg 126
5) ...His voicc was all syrub and honcy( AbiolaAfolabüs voice) Pg 142

6) ...A bird's sip and a lion's sip. Pg 169

Personification
This entails giving human abilities to non-human. Examples include:
a) ...dying old Toyota.( Pg 29)
b) ...you couldn't tell what happiness was if it fell on your lap and cried out its
name. Pg 33'
c) ...Ms McKenzie meet your office. ( Pg 56)
d) Little fellow is used by comrade Melusi to refer to the needle. (Pg 83)
e) Sunrise threw the heavens wide open over Banjul. (Pg82)
f) He consulted a wall clock, It told him 1:30. (Pg 86)
g) Meet silent listener, it was sitting silently at the far end of his office. (Pg 126)
h) Mother Africa, it's only few minutes aftcr sunset, but you're so dark already!
(Pg 168)
Symbolism
This is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.
a) Tunisymbolises her place of conception.
b) Path Alpha symbolises the change and hope for the Africancountry.

61 | P a g e
 c) Way Omega symbolises the old regime which needed to be fought and
changed
d) The men at the summit symbolise the fathers of the nations.
e) The silent listener symbolises the fastest growing technology of 21C.
f) AGDA is used to symbolise the think tank of the people pushing for Path
Alpha.(Pg 41)
g) Number 22 symbolises the day undisputed president of Gambia fell from
power. (Pg 46)
Ideophones
a) These are the exact sounds produced by something.
b) The author also embraces the use of Ideophones such as Ha (Pg 33)
c) Bleep bleep! ...the sound of the machine at the store where Afolabi met his
father in law. Pg 68)
d) Aaaah. (Pg 87)
e) Uh-uh (Pg 130)
f) Oh la la 170)
Contrast

a) It entails differences in two or more entities. It has been used to bring out the
difference in people based on their physical appearance or situations in the
text. A proper example is on pgl01 ,thcNigcrian president, looked nnorc
majestic in thosc sky blue robes that he was wearing than his counterpart
Gambian in his rolls of white cotton. Chiamaka's observations.
b) ...When Way Omega offers you a bird in the bush Path Alpha presses that
bird into your hands. Pg 154 '

Humour

This is a way of making the .audience laugh. Mainly used to break monotony or
cheer up the audience... examples

62 | P a g e
 1) ...make that the church inside Africa,' Mr. Longway added and everyone
laughed.' Pg 147

2) ...We would still be here next year, admiring our hands if we were to do so'
again the summit hall rocked with laughter. Pg 178

3) ...dear minister ,you going to make same protestation, with as much vigour
when your way omega get win.' pg 178

63 | P a g e