Absurdities of modern time situations

 

Book: A Vase of Shrubs
Author: Victor Bruce
Publisher: Oracle Books Limited, Lagos, Nigeria
Reviewer: Adjekpagbon Blessed Mudiaga

A Vase of Shrubs, Victor Bruce's first collection of short stories is woven around the themes of prostitution, illiteracy, frustration, greed, poverty, fear, corruption and environmental uncleanliness in the Nigerian and African society at large. It is an attempt at exploring the gloomy sides of human nature that calls forth upsetting glimpses into a violent world no further than a twist of the imagination.

It is written in a unique narrative style defying the logicality of analogies, defying systems of thought that tend to force men into intellectual conventionality. The author hopes however, that it could bring a positive change if men could microscopically examine and turn our past and present failures into tomorrow's gains.  The first story in the collection titled When Pearls Are Gone, is a reflection of the sufferings many orphans and widows go through after the demise of their bread winners. Killing fellow human beings for money rituals and its consequences are the central concern of the story. A consanguine who is supposed to take care of his late brother's child, ironically used the child to perform rituals for money making. But at last, nemesis caught up with him as indicated in the following statement by a character in the story; "Chief has been put in jail." Lady Maggi muttered. "And likely to spend the rest of his life there," she concluded as Iya Ibeji rolled over into a lengthy six hour sleep.

Birth Certificate for Visa, is a very interesting story that could make any lover of humour laugh to the extent of cracking his or her ribs. The craze for certificate possession by every Tom, Dick and Harry in the society nowadays is the focal point of the story. A stack illiterate who cannot read and write, let alone express herself in standard simple English, had wanted to travel outside the country for greener pastures, was duped of her hard earned money by a con man who gave her a birth certificate as visa to travel with. Hear Bruce in one of the following paragraphs in the story; "Although having no previous knowledge of it, she had asked about Bolaji's mission. When Mariam said that he had only just stopped by to say hello, she knew she was not telling the truth... With this revelation, Mariam rushed for her box, reached for the envelope and gave it to Mrs. Rebecca to confirm if actually it is a visa... Mrs. Rebecca unfolded the paper and the first underlined statement that made contact with her eyes was, "Birth Certificate."

Another funny but very good lesson-teaching piece for those who are always in the habit of hoarding fuel, is the story titled Nemesis of A fuel Hoarder. It is very saddening that after the multiple petroleum pipes explosion fire outbreaks that has made many people lose their lives in our society, some people are still engaging in the act of hoarding fuel and breaking petroleum pipelines to scoop fuel. The most annoying part of it is that when there is a fire outbreak caused by the activities of the notorious fuel hoarders, many innocent people are made victims of the condemnable act.  And in most cases, those involved in the act of pipelines vandalism are drunkards and irresponsible people who use their frustration to hurt other hard working and law-abiding citizens living in the society, as depicted by Kendo, the central character in the story. The incessant electric power outage is not helping matters too, as people tend to keep fuel in their houses to run their generator sets. 

Death and The Drama of a Night is a metaphorical representation of the hardship facing many Nigerian graduates these days, striving without getting employed to earn a living after all the stressful and frustrating learning conditions and years spent in the Nigerian University system, to earn a degree. It is also a portrayal of the short life span of modern days people compared to the good old days when our predecessors live up to a very ripe age before joining their ancestors.
Other stories in the book that are thought provoking include Just A Nightmare; A Grandless Gift; Sammy; Station View Hotel; A forgiving Woman; Heaven is not Deceived; and Pots of Atonement. The stories each, has one societal ill or the other they condemn, such as robbery, prostitution, infidelity, and environmental uncleanliness among other numerous ills in Africa. The beauty of the stories lies in the fact that, for every evil or corrupt act committed by any character in the stories, there is always a punishment for it at the end of the day. The stories are very engaging and could make any reasonable person involved in any of the condemnable acts, to have a change of attitude, bearing in mind that if he or she does not desist or repent, the nemesis that befell the perpetrators of such acts in the stories, could also one day happen to him or her. With A Vase of Shrubs, Victor Bruce has proven himself as not only a good poet and musician, but also an entertaining story teller for positive change in the society.     

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Christmas Sales Bonanza: Final Divine Assurance invites general public to new sales centre

 

Mr. Frank George, Branch Manager of Final Divine Assurance speaks about the edible items available at his company's sales centre. In this interview with Bulkybon News, he gives insight on his company's services and location:

Qst: Please, could you introduce yourself?

Ans: l am Frank George, the Branch Manager of Final Divine Assurance new sales centre. We deal on various edible products for public good health.

Qst The public would like to know the type of products your company deal on. Could you mention the varieties of products you have in stock?

Ans: Semovita, spaghetti, flour, sugar, noodles, poundo yam flour, vegetable oil and a host of others in very large quantities.

Qst: Who are your target customers?

Ans: The general public is our focus. I am using this opportunity to invite everyone to come and patronize us as we are going nearer to Christmas.

Qst: What edge do you think you have over other sales outlets that are doing similar business with you? 

Ans: Our price is not too expensive. Our products are also fresh supplies from manufacturers, not old stock.

Qst: Where is your location? Is it easily accessible? 

Ans: Our location is easily accessible because it is sited along Ikorodu Road, Kosofe, near Mile 12, Ketu, Lagos. There is parking space for customers to drive in and load their goods without harassment by anybody.

Qst: Do you have the logistics and capacity to supply your stock to high class hotels, especially those in Lagos that buy large quantities?

Ans: We negotiate the customer base and make arrangement for the customer to pay for the transportation cost.

Qst: Apart from hotels, boarding schools also depend on the type of products you sell. Is your company already supplying them? If no, is there any plan to make them patronize you?

Ans: We have some schools and hotels we are already supplying. But that does not mean we cannot expand our supply chain to others.

Qst: Various business outfits use different methods to retain their existing customers. Some give discount to those who buy large quantities. Does your company give discount to big buyers? 

Ans We give discount too.

Qst: Towards Christmas period, some companies give out hamper to customers and include interesting books in them, such as those published by Bulkybon Publications Company, as their own way of promoting reading culture among Nigerians. Is your company among those doing so, or are you going to join the league of those adding books to hampers this season? 

Ans: lt depends on the value we place on any customer. We can give one or two things, but not hamper.

Qst: You have multimillion naira worth of goods in your stock. Many modern sales outlets like yours use blogs and social media to promote their name and  available brands. Have you been using the internet to promote your company's image and services? 

Ans: We already have, but if there is any other platform that can project us like yours (Bulkybon News), we will key into it.

Qst: Can customers order and pay online for products? And do you have the logistics to deliver items ordered by customers such as high class hotels or boarding schools in areas like Victoria Island and Lekki which Bulkybon (Digital Marketing / Publicity Company) could recommend your services to?

Ans: Yes. Customers can pay online. We will get a vehicle and negotiate with the customer to get the goods delivered safely.

Qst: What are the challenges you are facing in your business? 

Ans: No challenges.

Qst: What is your favourite meal, and how do you usually spend your relaxation time.

Ans: "Eba" is my favourite meal with "ofu onugbo" (bitter leaf soup). I use my free time to watch sports, especially football. 

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NOTE Bulkybon specializes in news dissemination, corporate / brand image promotion, digital marketing, researching, contents writing, editing and publishing/publicity.

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Love is full of sighs

 

Book title: Eclipse Of The Heart

Author: Matthias Pantaleon

Publisher: Jones Walker Publishers, Nigeria

Pages: 66

Year of publication; 2012 (Revised edition 2023)

Reviewer: Adjekpagbon Blessed Mudiaga

 

"Eclipse Of The Heart" is a collection of poems written by an enterprising playwright,  Matthias Pantaleon, who is still expanding his coast in the production of creative literary works in the committee of global writers' circles.

Having known the author as a dashing bloke with a caring heart over the years, it is not surprising to read his humanitarian, insightful and deep - seated love for justice, equality and fairness  expressed in this amorous poetry volume.

The 66-page collection contains two sections namely "Book One" and "Book Two." The first section is made up of 25 poems, likewise the second section, and makes a total of 50 titles in its contents.

Some of the poems in the first section includes "Eclipse Of The Heart," "My Darling," "Tall Drink," "In The City Of Crows And Kites," "You Must Love Me Equally," "Unhurt Yourself," "You Come First," "When A Woman Loves A Man," and so on and so forth.  The second section poems includes the following titles: "I Think Dearly Of You," "Your Mascara Says lt All," "Keep Your Distance," "Someone Like You," "The Lesser Of Two Evils," "I Am Not Yours," "A Woman's Truth," "It Is Hard To Love Eve," "lrrational Love," "Bitter - Sweet Memories" etcetera.

The pieces generally borders on the business and politics of love - whether authentic, fake, obsession, worries and challenges in the relationships between males and females. The author paints different intriguing imaginative natural pictures with the power of love among humans, by likening the emotional phenomenon to the natural rhythms of the winds, waves, rivers, springs, oceans, sky, mountains, moon, sun, stars and whatever you could think of in the universal ecosystem. This creates both mental and psychological images about different experiences many folks have passed through or are still passing through in their relationships with their spouses or lovers. 

Hence, the reader is reminded about William Shakespeare's play titled "Romeo and Juliet," wherein a character says "...Love is a smoke full of sighs..." There are both lovely and bitter sighs in the field of love as humans are not perfect beings. There should however, be a limit of enduring pains and deceits in any relationship between humans, seems to be the hallmarks of some of the poems.

For instance, in a two - stanza poem titled "My Darling" in the collection, the poet expresses his love for his self - known lover in the lines thus:

"If you are reading this

Do not smile just yet

This kid misses you with

A frown and a brow

 

If you feel sad reading this

Do not frown just yet

This kid loves you with

A smile and a mile"

This shows the poet is tenderly inclined to loving an Eve's daughter, whether  as a child born by a woman, or a child that cares for his sister or girlfriend, in as much a biblical verse says: "Go ye and multiply.

Moreover, the poet goes prescriptive in what makes a woman a true lover and comforter of a responsible  man, by using a poem titled "When A Woman Loves A Man" to express his emotions thus:

"When a woman loves a man

She recites the grace twice

Spend the night in his shirt

Because it smells like him

 

When a woman loves a man

She protects him with flight of butterflies

At home, with soothing melodies

Of singing canary and whistling cockatiels

 

When a woman loves a man

She becomes her guardian angel

Nothing dare come between 

Her weakness goes in unison with her strength

 

When a woman loves a man

She makes supplication on his behalf

Her spirit watches over him

Through mud and ashes

 

When a woman loves a man

She teaches him the way of peace

Trust in his judgement like

It is the equal of her soul"

 

By and large, the poems are written in blank and free verses infused with highly arresting figures of speech, internal rhymes and scansion that makes the reader nod at intervals, while digesting the rich philosophical thoughts of the poet, about what love truly is, and what is not to be done in the name of love. It is a volume every matured mind should read. The diction is simple but deep with poetic messages for any discerning mind to grasp. This makes reading the collection worthwhile. It is devoid of obscurantism that most times hinder readers from comprehending the messages in the works of some poets globally.

The author has other published books, and also have some manuscripts in his kitty waiting for publication.  One of his popular books is a work titled "Journey To The Unknown." He is a journalist and member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos chapter, Nigeria.

 

Indomitable zeal makes star shine

 

Title of book: The Invincible Will

Author: Amadi Ekwutosilam Njoku

Publisher: AA-Peters Expressions, Nigeria

Year published: 2021

Pages: 128

Reviewer: Adjekpagbon Blessed Mudiaga 

"The Invincible Will," is the winner of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) prose prize of Children Literature in 2022. The author, Amadi Ekwutosilam Njoku, paints a serenading picture of different types and characters of students from diverse backgrounds and upbringings in the novella.

In its various short and long total of twenty chapters that culminates in 128 pages, the author entertains the reader with many events that shape the lifestyle of both urban and rural students from primary to secondary school level on one hand, and the childhood dreams they desire to fulfill in physical realities on the other.

The settings of the story are Amasiri village in Ebonyi State, in South - Eastern region, and Sasa community in Lagos State, South - Western, Nigeria. Through the central character's ambition to become a successful sprinter in athletics, the author weaves a very engaging story that elicits the importance of holding firm to one's ambition in life, while striving to get it fulfilled even if the entire world writes you off as a mere dreamer, due to your body size - whether short, tall, fat or slim.

Despite Achebe's diminutive height like a Lilliputian, and the discouraging remarks by some folks, concerning his ambition to become an acclaimed sprinter through participation in athletic events, he remains resolute in his iron will to succeed, even when some dream killers think he is building a castle in the air. 

In his resolve to put his name on the shelf of Sprint's Galaxy, he did not just hang his hope on only praying or wishful thinking. Hence, his invincible will to succeed, lands him in El Dorado at last. He wins multiple medals through inter-secondary school relays organized by the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Sports.

In light of the issues raised in the novel, there are many lessons one could learn. Whether as a student, parent, or educational psychologist, different portions of the storyline are laced with various relatable life occurrences that one can identify with, concerning the character and behaviour of students at school and home. For instance, Lotanna, one of Achebe's classmates belongs to the category of students that are over-pampered by their parents, which makes them become spoiled and arrogant at school. Ugonna, Lawal, and Dapo are symbols of good friends and well-wishers within and outside school environments. Kelvin is an incurable bully from God knows where. And Segun represents humble senior students who assist junior ones to succeed in their commendable ambition. Therefore, the characters in the novella are well differentiated in their individual traits.

By and large, the diction of the author is quite entertaining with very rich figurative expressions, idioms, and some commonly used Nigerian - style pidgin or street language jingoism. These make the reader laugh or smile from time to time, as the atmosphere and reasoning pattern of both junior and senior students are beamed on. Apart from being a very good material for both junior and senior students, it is also important for adults, especially parents to read it too.

However, there is a saying that "No work of art is perfect." Hence, though some defects noticed in the text may not be the author's fault, there is a need to correct them during reprint. One of the errors includes graphic noise on pages 14 and 16, which contains the same paragraph, probably caused during the laying of the text on the Coreldraw page maker file by the graphic artist given that responsibility in the process of text arrangement on a computer screen before printing. 

There is also semantic noise on page 24 caused by the omission of two alphabets "li" from the word "living" in the first paragraph of that page. The paragraph starts with "Ving," as a word, which makes the sentence and sweet flow of the story temporarily disjointed at that point. It is an indication of another blunder by the page graphic artist, who haphazardly copied it from God knows where in Chapter Four and dumped it like that. The graphics stylistics whereby the first two, three, or four words at the beginning of every chapter’s sentence are written in capital letters is not ideal for any type of book publication. The law of sentence uniformity does not encourage such blatant configuration by any graphic artist capitalization of a group of two, three, or four words at the beginning of any chapter or paragraph. Every sentence must begin with a capital letter, not a group of two, three, or four words as noticed at the beginning of each chapter of the novella. It is a sign of sheer ignorance on the part of the graphics arranger in formatting text.

Nonetheless, the beauty of the printing is that the book contains no mechanical or channel noise, which makes reading it quite clear and entertaining despite the psychological noise created by the graphics artist or text arranger in page planning and formatting. 

The author's other works include "Eras Literature - in - English (Critical Analysis) for Secondary Schools" and "Echoes of Our Voices (Collection of poems)." He is a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Lagos Chapter.

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