What happens when an American mining company, licensed to work in your Nigerian community pays up to 1 billion US dollars within their eight years of operation, but your community remains undeveloped? You have no good schools, hospitals, roads, water or electricity. Nothing works in your community and the policemen do not care about your safety because after all, their salaries have not been paid. But still, they do the bidding of the government by arresting community members who challenge them.
Does the above sound familiar to you? Yes, it does. Nigeria comes to mind because the hardship that has been described above, is what Nigerians have endured for years.
Evans Ufeli’s The Gathering of The Tribes, set in Anieze community, is a typical example of what Nigeria is today. Is it any wonder that the book is launched into the market at this time when the elections are drawing closer and everyone is clamouring for good leadership.
The Gathering of The Tribes is similar to Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, but its focus is on politics – the suffering of the people in the midst of plenty, looting of our treasury and the fight to remain in power at all cost. Other sub focuses are our culture, romance in the traditional setting, traditions, and some social vices that should be put in check.
Reading this book will make Nigerians sit up in their demand for better structures and better living conditions in Nigeria. This book will open your eyes to the tactics these politicians use and also to the truth that we need youths in power if we are to ever make progress.
If you think you’re angry at the Nigerian politics today, read this book and you will find even more anger, sadness, hope, doubt and then satisfaction, because as long as we sing in unison for better governance, or elect a better government, we will have progress in the country.
I believe that if Nigerians could adopt the doggedness of the characters in this books, in the space of four years we would have the fastest growing economy in the world, be well-developed and have good infrastructures in place. This book is definitely a clarion call.
Father and son, Ike, and Nze, are the voices we need today. Despite the struggles, assault, near death and actual death experiences of their tribesmen who fought side by side with them against the government, they didn’t stop, not even when they were arrested, or bribed when it was becoming clear that they would overthrow the government.
The beginning of this book, in fact, the first and second paragraphs should have been re-worked or re-edited. Those parts are a little confusing. However, I assure you that if you can make it past the second paragraph, you’ll forget all about the errors.
The language is very basic so anyone who reads this book will grasp its full meaning.
The style is definitely not pedestrian because each scene leaves you wondering what next?
This book is very timely and an eye-opener for Nigerians. It shows that even though we have elder statesmen who want the best for this country, the youths are still in a better position to handle the turnover of events. So we should all speak up, and we will be victorious.
To get a copy of this book on OkadaBooks, click here.
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