Review of The Aireginan Dream by Femi Obaweya

One is the curiosity which the title triggered. What dream? But as I perused the novel towards its tail end, I could see the dream, a new dawn, even though the word - Aireginan remained such a strange name.

The second is the sense of aesthetics on the cover. Apart from the beautiful grayish yellow colours that indeed tend to herald the dawn of a new day, the picture of the young lady and her mood which carries an eloquent sobriety tend to give an insight into what to expect in this unique novel.

The author, Dupe Olorunjo divided her novel into three parts with 16 chapters spread over 242 pages.

But first, the Prologue which the writer, uses as a signature tune of politics in Africa. In this succinct fore-runner of the first chapter, the author presents President Jaje, his corrupt cabinet and their preoccupation with how to succeed themselves and how to hand over to their children and cronies.

As the group enter into an occultic blood covenant, the author shows their emptiness and vanity as they rise convinced that their political future and that of their children and even generations unborn were now settled and secured.

Part One of this evocative novel is what the author terms A Glimpse Of Reality. As I read Chapter One of this part, I could tell that a glimpse into Airegin is almost a fair peep into our dear country.

From such sub-headings as Marina, Petat Central High School, Grace Childrens Hospital and The Rubbish Dump to Back at the Window and Party Pro, one sees an otherwise blessed nation in a painful and soul pricking decadence.

In Petal Central High School for instance, the hope of 13 year old Thomas Echinacea getting education hangs in the thin air because his father can not afford a pair of brown sandals.

At Grace Childrens Hospital, Dupe captured the grim reality of the decay in our infrastructure as children die due to the shortage of medical personnel and facilities.

The daily struggle of the common man to hike a bike or jump a bus to his destination, the onslaught of poverty that turned men into scavengers and the overall psychological and mental devastation which often left insanity in its trail, are all captured in Chapter One. This is a sad commentary on the tragedy of the human capital in a nation, perhaps our nation, that God blessed so abundantly.

In spite of the gloomy reality of Chapter One, the author ended it on suspended hope. Thus, in Night Vigil, the sub-chapter that drew the curtain to Chapter One, Pastor Ambrose prayed to God to establish his righteousness in the heart of everyone including the leaders and to remove corruption and wickedness from their land.

In chapter two, the author illuminates the character of Dare Alala who undoubtedly is the hero of The Aireginan Dream. Living in a corrupt enclave, he refuses to acquisce to corruption. Although a mere Head of Marketing and Brand Management in his company, Dare was certain that his country needs a leader who is sincerely willing to serve and who would free them from the bondage of corruption.

Through chapter three and four, the author tells the reader that it is not enough for decent men, men of integrity, to stand on the sidewalk or sit in mansions of gold and criticize a government. He urges us to initiate actions that would culminate in our dream change and ultimately lead our country to its envisioned destiny. It is not therefore surprising that Dare transited from passionate concern to passionate action even when the chances of realizing his tall dream was minimal.

He invites men of integrity to a small rendezvous to discuss the destiny of their country. Through his company, he gave scholarships to the brilliant but indigent pupils and helped a few others with job opportunities. Like a true Christian, he believed in the principle of sowing seeds, knowing that it would yield many returns.

Like a messiah of change, he was transforming peoples lives, but he was convinced that the ultimate change would come when the country gets the right leader.

From chapter four to chapter seven which effectively ended part one of the novel, Dare and his friends- Ned, Tuder, Prof. Jabez, Don slept and woke up daily with the dream and burden of change, positive change, perhaps a revolution through the ballot and not the bullet.

The author was careful to articulately show that the quest for the right leadership in an African setting is not just only daunting but could constitute a nightmare. And so she established not only the dilemma of these protagonists of change but sometimes their seeming blinking hope as they analyse their political history and the leadership of their country. Hear Tuder, A solution is a good idea but I cannot see it. The strongholds of corruption are too broad, the political class is too established. As a media person, I mix with the high and mighty, I mix with those in the ghettos, I travel the length and breadth of this country, I do not see a way out.

For Ned, Another major issue is that our political system is more often than not, founded on electoral fraud. Our people vote but do not elect their leaders and so the leaders are not accountable to them. Almost every election weve had has been rigged.

Still the author showed a deeper grasp of the problems bedeviling the average African nation state as she touched the middle class and particularly, Christians of her ilk. Said Dare, The greater danger we face is that we, especially the middle class&have accepted the status quo&We live in good homes, drive fancy cars, have envious jobs and send our children to the best schools. We are honest and very principled and we preach righteousness in our families and our office. When we see evil that we think we cannot influence, our response is to turn a blind eye, comforting ourselves that there is nothing we can do& When we feel the problem erupting into a volcano, as Christians, we go on our knees and pray for a while until things come back to what is comfortable for us, the middle class&And then when we really get stressed and frustrated, we pack a few things and take our families for a nice holiday abroad.

The question is now that we know the problem, what is the solution?

And so, in part two of the novel which the author aptly tagged Grip on Change, from chapter eight to chapter 12, Dare and his team, set out in quest of solution.

The author, no doubt, a woman of amiable primness, understands the logical steps necessary to actualize a dream. This explains why the ambassadors of good governance led by Dare decide that the first step is to enunciate the qualities of the leader they want - principled, of proven integrity and with evidence of strong interpersonal skills. He must be accountable to the people and further salvage the nation from decay. Finally the group found in Peter Anadre, a corporate icon, the kind of leader they needed.

At this point one can applaud the authors plot in putting together this novel. From the first chapter, she successfully used the art of suspense anchored on very simple style and language. Dare remains the thread running through the entire story. Outside him, is an echo from the writers background  God. At every stage one noticed that Dare and his men often opened their meetings with prayers, calling on God to be the Chief Pilot of their dream.

She underscores what Aristotle in his dramatic theory called Verisimilitude (true to life) in the choice of Peter Anadre; who until then hadnt the vaguest instinct of what was going on. This we have seen in many countries where men with records of unflinching integrity, without any political leaning or interest are called to lead their countries. Is the author then sending a message to Nigeria? Is the Aireginan Dream the Nigerian dream?

After much persuasion, Peter finally accepts the challenge dropped on his shoulders by Dare and his men. And here again, the author showcasing a pragmatic approach to inspirational politics, brought Peter and his new group to set up a foundation to raise fund and to touch peoples lives with their projects.

Here again, the author draws a contrast and a tragic irony. Dare, Peter and their group are men who do not have fat wallets. But then they had a fat will, robust vision and above all, they had God.

Using the Better Life Foundation, Dare, Peter and their supporters touch the life of the people with lightening speed. The common man on the street soon appreciates them and begins to campaign for them.

No doubt the author had built the expectation, the guess and anxiety of the reader to a dizzying height, leaving him to forecast on the outcome of the battle of the ballot.

Part Three is what the author called A Government of Repute and one could guess that the dawn of a new era was almost as certain as the fact that the sun would rise tomorrow.

Dupe Olorunjo, even though a Christian and a Pastors wife did not want to leave the reader with the illusion that manna would fall from heaven. And so Peter, Dare and their group now under the Peoples National Party do their home work towards taking power from the fatal grip of corrupt fingers.

Alas, the presidential election came. Prof Nelson whom the president placed in a position to sustain a culture of rigging became his nemesis. God had decided to show Himself Mighty. And so the will of the people became invincible. There is victory of virtue over vice. Justice takes its proper place. Peter Anadre is elected president.

A dream nursed and nurtured by a brand manager, a man that could have passed for a mere item on a shelf changed the destiny of a nation because he dared to dream. And took a step to transform his dream into concrete reality.

I make bold to recommend The Aireginan Dream to every Nigerian, every African. For in this story, we see our story. In the characters, we find our characters, the mish-mash of ideas that struggle daily to take possession of the heart of our nation.

The author brings home to us the stinging reality of the pain and suffering in the land, the extreme hunger, fractured hopes and outright despair.

But she also jolted us up to the daunting reality of the fact that our destiny still lies in our hands and quietly whispers to us to hold on to and trust in God as we navigate the tempest that characterize the quest for a new dawn.

The author seems to totally agree with the great Algerian writer and revolutionary, Franz Fannon who in his Wretched of the Earth, warned that the future will have no pity for those men who, possessing the exceptional privilege of being able to speak words of truth to their oppressors, have taken refuge in an attitude of passivity, of mute indifference and sometimes of cold complicity.

In The Aireginan Dream, Dare, Peter and the Peoples National Party did not only challenge the peoples oppressors, they in fact walked through the valley of the shadow of death and emerged victorious because God stood for them and turned the weapon of the oppressors against themselves.

The Aireginan Dream is a simple book, in a simple language anchored on a simple plot. Perhaps the author could even be described as a simple, ordinary woman but she certainly has extraordinary ideas.

And the subject matter she treated which borders on reformation and regeneration, the grave issue of political power and the change of government through a free and fair election certainly potrays her as a deep mind, a solid intellectual fountain from whom many more inspirational novels will most certainly flow.

I have every reason to salute her profound intellectual strength in the simple use of language, vivid imagination and crystal description of scenes and scenarios. No doubt this one is a good addition to the repertory of the work of arts.

I congratulate you!

Femi Obaweya