Between Fantasy And Realism : Reflections On A Trilogy

Literature, in its essential core and dimensions, does not intend to convey a moral or lesson. And real literature does not teach nor preach. Preaching, teaching and even drawing moral lessons are outside the core of Literature. Literature in its true dimension is a mirror and a lamp; the former to enable a person, society or a community to see itself as it is, the former to enable it to see the path to understanding. Fostering self- disclosure, self- understanding and self- revelation is one of the most important uses of literature. It is in this sense that literature serves both as mirror and also as a lamp. It is these two modes of Literature that are on display in the present trilogy before us.

Abubakar Momodu Idowu ( no relation of Moses Oludele Idowu) has written three books: two short stories and a play, in which he has x- rayed the Nigerian society both in the recent past and even in the continuing present thus offering us a major opportunity for self- understanding. Although the three works are not exactly the same or contiguous the same thematic concerns run through them and the same national issues are highlighted: cults, secret societies, parental negligence, youthful exuberance, sexual promiscuity and the consequences.

In the Dance of a Woman we see an interesting character, a strong- headed lady called Ebie whose bravery and sexual escapades on campus ought to provoke a sociological inquiry. She had flings with army generals, top politicians, banking executives among others. She doesn't even allow her lecturers or students because she considered them below her class. She also serves as pimp to arrange ladies for politicians hosting parties and for these she must have her cut.

Ebie is the daughter of elites: her mother is a distinguished school principal and her father a civil servant. A pampered kid because she was the only daughter it is not surprising her life took on the trajectory of humiliation and sorrow at the end. After several abortions for men including a Fulani corper and strings of affairs with several men life taught her a.lesson: you don't eat your cake and have it.

Ebie was the quintessential “daughter of Jezebel,” a whore in her inner essence. Even as she dated an army general, she was also sleeping with the friend, another general who tried to reconcile them; even as she befriended a bank CEO she also was sleeping with his PR too; and - the worst of all, she was dating an Alhaji, a top business man and also Ashi, son of Alhaji's friend. All these as a student and later even as a corper.

In this story we see one of the major challenges among our youths, especially girls. The author has done us a favour by showing us what is happening. He has only offered us a mirror to see. There is a strip club in Lagos Island where teenage girls dance naked with men old enough to be their parents for hefty sum. The sad thing is all these girls are undergraduates of private universities.

Where were Ebie's parents when she was doing all these? They were busy, just like the parents of the children of Island reported in the news. This explains one of the major issues facing our elites today: they are too concerned with achievement, personal glory and pursuit of happiness to tend to their garden and fruits. It is equally sad that most of the children involved in cultism are from elite homes. (Ebie also has all the cult boys in her payroll.)

We are confronting in this nation today the frightful consequences of parental negligence and training.

This contrasts sharply with the other girl, Enonbong who decided to be faithful to her own boyfriend and classmate in school and to whom she eventually consummated a happy marriage at the end while Ebie who had now turned to religion was still waiting for mercies.

The author further pursues this theme of parental control in the next book, Shuffles of Resilience and Hope. Here we meet a man named Ajayi and his wife Ayi and their two children, Jackson and Janet. In this story we see several things ranging from the importance of home training, hardwork, value of education, frugality, dangers of secret societies etc.

Ajayi and his wife were farmers who through labour managed to sponsor their first son through university. They borrowed money and even had to use the daughter as collateral ( this is called Iwofa in Yorubaland and is allowed in the traditional rural setting). But Jackson graduated and secured a job in an oil company paying up her parents debt and building them a house. Through this the author is trying to establish the fact that education, in spite of whatever has been said to the contrary, is still the best insurance against poverty and the best legacy a parent can bequeath to a child.

Ajayi's case is different from another friend who was lured into secret societies and had to lose several children and wives as sacrifices. Here again the author tries to emphasise the importance of birth control ( p.70)

Ajayi's story changed when the society itself became purified. Ritual cleansing and purification was part of the traditional society from earliest times in Africa so that through this act the wicked can receive their wages and the righteous can be free to pursue their destinies. Through invocations, curses, passionate appeals to the spirits of ancestors and gods of the land pronouncements and prayers and curses are placed on the evil doers obstructing the progress of the communities and their children. As a child growing up in the rural areas I witnessed this firsthand.

Wicked people who refused to desist thereafter begin to witness the wrath of the ancestors and then curses leading to frightful consequences and fatalities. Something like this was also described in this book.

This tone of ritual cleansing and purification was the theme of the third book Lethal Nectar but especially sexual purity where a young rich kid Enuo and his wayward girl Sulo got infected with AIDS leading to their deaths and bringing fear upon the village causing the chief to summon his town crier to warn the children and elders of sexual promiscuity and indiscretions.

A common theme running through all the narratives in the trilogy is the necessity of purity and honesty at both individual, corporate, social and national levels. How Nigeria needs this today. Abubakar Momodu Idowu has been a public official with the Federal Roads Safety Commission where he has served for 30 years from where he just retired this July. He has traveled to different places and parts of Nigeria and has seen Nigeria at close quarters. He is also a prince who has access to information from Oral Tradition and repertoire of the areas, stories, pithy sayings, proverbs which are not accessible to commoners. I know this to be true because my own wife, a princess, has given me certain secrets about their town that are unknown to many elites and adults from the same town.

The strength of these works is their flow and consistency with the themes of national aspirations and development. The issues addressed and thrown up in the works - birth control, secret cults, education, sacrifice, parental control and discipline, etc., are the burning issues begging for the attention of this nation at this time. The setting is most likely during military era of Gen. Sani Abacha because cases of bank foreclosures and failure were mentioned.

The author is a master in the art of story- telling and suspense. His transitions at different points were carefully executed. His dexterity in the use of language and his sense and mastery of aesthetic is also pleasing. (Thrice he describes the sexual encounters and even rape vividly without mentioning the word or becoming explicit) His characters appear real and speak with authority rather than obscured images from the imagination. He has also used simple language and easily accessible by even High School and sophomores. His accurate quotations of the Bible even though a Muslim is commendable and shows a writer on top of his game. I will strongly recommend these books to our schools.

There are two observable flaws in these books. The editing could have been better. Some errors are still discernible although they are minors and could be taken up during the subsequent editions.

Two, the recourse to theological issues is totally unnecessary in a work of Literature. Comparing Janet’s sacrifice to secure loan for her brother's education to the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ by His death on the Cross is a confusion of categories much like comparing Boko Haram bloody raids snd suicide bombings with Muhammad's jihad of the 7th century. I do not think they are the same. I would advise that the author stays on his turf which is Literature, where he has authority and not dabble into theology where he has no training whatsoever.

All said, the books are a contribution to knowledge and to our quest for national rejuvenation and development. The themes are the very things Nigeria needs today to fulfill her prophetic destiny.

I congratulate the author for the work and wish him a great future as he steps into retirement.

Moses Oludele Idowu Divine Artillery Publications Lagos/ Ibadan 11/8/2025