In The Name of Our Father: A clever rendition of politics, religion and journalism

Ever since the commencement of the transitional government, following the sudden demise of General Sani Abacha, a surge of a new form of liberation has made its way into the art and literature of the country, Nigeria as authors put into words, the horrific incidences that pervaded the nation during the dictator’s military rule.

These recounts have been done in factual, fictional and even factional fashions; and in response, critics and scholars have in turn risen to the challenge of critiquing and analysing these works to reveal the beauty of writing and the artistic idiosyncrasies of the writers, but most importantly, the experiences during this dark time in the history of the country. Olukorede S. Yishau’s In the Name of our Father is not just another addition to this collection, especially after about a decade of this occurrence when one could easily conclude that all there is has been written about this epoch. Rather, his is a clever rendition of a combination of politics, religion and journalism and his characterisation is a central tool in the projection of this connection.

To achieve his combination of these three areas, the debutant author tells the tale through Justus Omoeko, Prophet T.C. Jeremiah and General Sani Idoti – the journalist, prophet and head of state respectively. The prophet, having been pauperized for a major part of his early adult life, rises to wealth and stays there through unholy activities in his practice of “the work of God” (p.30). His members are held under the intensity of the move of the spirit and the diverse workings of miracles. Soon, his façade is threatened to be blown off by a couple of upright people who get wind of his dubiousness; however, these threats do not deter him as he gets an opportunity to liaise with the Father above for the country’s number one citizen – the head of state, General Sani Idoti whose political and dictatorial hold over the country is also being threatened by those around him. Justus, another major character, is a journalist in the middle of publishing a novella which is attracting more negative vibes than he would appreciate, however, he is determined to stay firm in the face of these negativities. When it seems things could get no more worst, his love-life comes crashing at his feet and he loses things that he never knew meant so much to him. Through these three major characters, Yishau engenders a tripod connection among politics, religion and journalism, although, Justus’ connection with the other two characters is withheld in suspense till much later in the novel.

The characters are not merely so, they are historical figures through whom the political history of the country is recounted in a fictional manner, although, important events are retained such as the Ife-Modakeke and the Warri crises. These events are not just mentioned, but are employed as a window into the past occurrences of the nation – Nigeria. Also, the characters are used to project some of the vices that pervade the society and they are made to face the punishment for their activities while virtuous people as well as their virtues are extolled and upheld. For instance, Georgina and Rebecca prostitute themselves to make a living; however, Rebecca opts for a better life as soon as the opportunity comes along but Georgina refuses and her next attempt at an abortion deals her a fatal blow. Other of such vices in the novel include blackmail, deception, lust, infidelity, fetishness and so on. Such virtues projected in the novel include determination, sacrificial assistance, love and so on.

The author’s partial narration of the work in first person point of view gives a notion of real-life events and characters. One is tempted to conclude that the narration is partly the author’s experience because of the core similarities between him and one of the major characters, as well as the occurrence of one of the characters’ name on the dedication page of the book. Also, there is a subtle revelation of who some of the characters represent in the real world through a stylistic and creative distortion of the names, so that a careful observation of these names reveals who they really are. A good example is General Sani Abacha who is represented by General Sani Idoti; a reader familiar with the Yoruba language will easily connect the dots between the two names; however, non-Yoruba-comprehending readers may be at a loss. This corroborates the fact that the novel is set in General Sani Abacha’s regime in Nigeria.

The chronological plot is structured into sections whose titles give a hint of what to expect; these section titles include – Gathering Storm, Harbinger of Storm and the Storm. Inside these sections are also titled chapters that foreshadow the content of each; in all, they culminate into a complete and enriching whole. Also, using situational irony, the author utilises the law of karma to punish a character, Alani, for subtly convincing his girlfriend to committing an abortion which resonates into other calamities for the young girl’s family. Perhaps, his refusal to own up to the incident sealed his fate. To achieve the punishment of Alani’s crime, Yishau involves such other characters as Lekan, Rebecca and Nkechi. Hence, majority of the characters are instrumental to the punishment of one or another’s vice, while those who portray virtues are also compensated.

The language of the novel is simple and straightforward; it is spotted with allusions to the Bible especially at the beginning, and one of the very first instances of this is found in the prologue when Justus describes his profession as “beautiful and marvelous in [his] sight, but without form and void”. These allusions do not come as a surprise or a shock to the reader because the title of the book itself is a peek of the religiosity of the text as it is a prelude to a prayer said by a Christian. The picture of a rosary that captures the cover page corroborates this assertion. Holistically, the author has provided a recount of corruption, not only in government but also in religion, particularly Christianity, and within organisations and among individuals who in fact, are the ones who come together to form these organisations. As much as the author attempts a front of punishing offenders, many of the vices, especially by some minor characters do not attract any rebuke while some virtuous ones seem overly so, almost to the point of sainthood. Hence, this creates a sharp binary characterization which is not very representative of the real world. Also, as encapsulating as the title is, it has an intense link with only a two-third of the content of book while the last portion is not directly linked with it. Considering the foregoing therefore, In the Name of our Father is highly recommended to students of Nigerian literature, history and religion and every person in the school of life.

Okhuosi is a lecturer at the Department of English Language, University of Ibadan, Ibadan