Table of Contents
BRIEF SUMMARY
The novel discusses the woeful tale and pitiable condition of the citizens of Subernia. The president of Subernia oppresses and torments them. They have no freedom of speech. He made himself, configured himself the president for life.
President Hikensi as he was named didn’t provide the country with social amenities such as, electricity, pipe borne water, good roads E.T.C… like is supposed of every president to his people. Yet no one had the guts to counter him or speak of his wrongs; not ever their homes because sometimes even their children could be spies from Hikensi himself.
It was such a sad situation until Tapsin Tapsida, a colonial brings together the female soldiers together to fight this cankerworm that has eaten deep into them.
PLOT
The novel commences with the people of Subernia heralding their president for life (PFL) Hikensi as he alights from his own international airport-HIKENSI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Hikensi is a bad president, the worst one can imagine, he gets richer and richer while his citizens get poorer and poorer and more frustrated. Oppression is the order of the day. He is the president for life.
Though some people work for him as a means of protecting themselves from his brutality, working for him is no guarantee that he wouldn’t hurt you, President Hikensi wastes no time in killing anyone who goes or tries to go against his dictates and orders. Any slight form of stubbornness to him is being reprimanded by execution of the offender.
He is a demi-god and is practically seen as the final say, President Hikensi has ruled for a very long time. He remains the president, Hikensi remains in power unshakable. Held rather be dead than descend that seat of authority. Nobody from Subernia had the impetus to challenge him or even complain about his maltreatment on the people. The people lived in rear and doubt because their so-called president was incorrigible and answerable to none.
President Hikensi s never faulty or found wanting. He is worshipped. The people sing his chant on his arrival from one of his normal international trip. They kept singing “father, father, president of life””The redeemer””papa”, “the savior”, “savior of Subernia”.
Hikensi is not an egalitarian rather he is a totalitarian, a tyrant and an unjust and immoral leader and totally un-put-down-able. Anyone who tries to go against his dictates, laws or orders loose his life.
There were no jobs, no electricity nor good roads during Hikensi’s tenure as president. Notwithstanding the bad and pitiable condition of Subernia and its citizens, president Hikensi kept going on international trips receiving awards like “the best president in the world”. He portrayed himself out of the country as a hardworking president. The people of Subernia really suffered very well under president Hikensi’s reign. The cost of living in Subernia was very high because their leader was corrupt and the prices were all inflated.
The standard of living was very low; the people lived in misery and poverty while their president lived in abundance and affluence.
As usual the president had travelled out on one of his trips for international recognition that the people of Subernia plotted against him, on how to stop his reign. Lieutenant colonel Tapsin Tapsinia was president Hikensi‘s Chief of Personal Security. It was he that led the freedom movement. To see the extent of wickedness Hikensi had, he made sure that the armies in his country all lived in disunity among themselves because he feared/knew that if they live in peace among themselves, they would plot against hm.
The president had travelled to the Darcs Salaom to be conferred the past of the head of Africa Union when his Chief of personal Security Tapsin Tapsida plotted on how best to save the people of Subernia from this tyrant of a president because he himself that worked for the president is not free from the bondage and possible death. Tapsida had trained five thousand (, 5000) women with the consent of the president. It was this five thousand women that he brought down the president. They captured the president on his way to Tanzania for the summit. He (the president) was captured in his jet dramatically and flown to London in a hospital because he suffered from a heart attack as soon as the incident happened.
SETTINGS
The work has a social and political background because it refers to the political state of the novel. It is a post-independence work and it portrays the post-disillusionment and anger. While the white man chained us in the bounds of colonialism, we fought for independence on the ground that an African country should be ruled by an African but when the independence finally came, things became worse. The black man seemed to be worse than the colonial masters even.
POINT OF VIEW
The author of the novel makes use of the omniscient point of view because he (the writer) tells the story of the various different characters and different happenings.
CHARACTER AND CHARACTERIZATION
PRESIDENT HIKENSI
This is the antagonist of the novel. The highest and incorrigible enemy of the people of Subernia. This is not concerned with their growth of his citizens. Hikensi is the villain that instead of being rebuked is praised for fear of being killed. He goes to various different countries in search of power, fame and most especially recognition. A president who has failed his people yet wants to be honored with positions such as “the best president”, “the head of African Union”. The country was in poverty and disarray because of him.It m was during one of his normal international trips that he was plotted against, square headed by the Chief of Security, he was later defeated.
GEN. NWAMAMA
She is a female soldier. Gen. Nwamama is among the five thousand (5,000) trained by Tapsidia. She is a very noble and bold female soldier that joined hands in fighting away the cankerworm that had eaten deep into their flesh.
TAPSN TAPSIDA
It was he that headed the freedom of movement against Hikensi Tapsida was the instrument of change in Subernia. With the help of the (5,000) five thousand warriors he trained, he succeeded in bringing down Hikensi from the seat of president. Thereby delivering the citizens of Subernia from poverty.he can be seen as a real patron of the country.
NNONYELUM
She was another female soldier that in the mission of kidnapping of president Hikensi because he was making the masses life a living hell and also making the country poorer. Colonel Tapsn Tapsida and the rest to capture president Hikensi on his way to the summit in Tanzania.
NKEDIMORA
She was also among the female array that helped in the restoration of the country of Subrenia in its economical and social facilities.
THEMES
Suffering of the masses
The citizen of the Subernia really suffered under the leadership of his President of life “Hikensi” because in that country no one was favored by the situation of things. Their president maltreated everyone in the community still they kept silent and mouth hushed about he whole thing. Nothing dared to complain about the country’s condition or the manner in which the president manhandle them. The people that try to resist the president or even those caught complaining will be executed hardship and suffering was the order of the day in Subernia. As one of the themes illustrated in the work.
Oppression of the lower masses
The novel illustrates act of tyranny from the so- called president. Oppression is the order of the day in Subernia. Nobody has the guts to complain or talk ill of the bad government for fear of being caught and punished or executed. They are in bondage as the president held them captive within the country.
The oppression was so- bad, the president was getting richer and richer while the citizens were getting wretched and poorer by the day. Standard of living was low and prices were inflated, bad roads here and there, no electricity.
The president even asserted openly that there will no president other than him, he was the president for life.