ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Khadija Abubakar Jalli holds a Bachelor of Science(Mathematics) Education
degree. she is an entrepreneur and the CEO of the She's Boutique Afrique.
She is happily married with children.
PLOT SUMMARY
Khadija Abubakar Jalli's " The Life Changer" is a debut novel that explores
the narrative of life realities at the Nigeria University campus; the freedom
of dressing, way of life, and attitudes towards life. It also explores the
good, the bad, and the unthinkable aspects of human characters especially in
response to freedom.
Furthermore, the novel is laced with the
underlying optimism towards hope and redemption of life in the present youth
through its embedded narrative that details Salma and her roommate's escapades
in the university as they glide in the turbulent and seamy sides of
academia.
The story begins with Bint, a five-year-old girl and the
darling of the Ahmed family narrating her classroom encounter with their
meddlesome social studies teacher; Mallam Salihu. Mallam Salihu who seems to
believe he understood every little bit about every subject was somewhat
ridiculed when Bint who had answered his question on how to say " Good
Morning" in French asked him to say "That is very good" in French. Mallam
Salihu was unable to answer the question but with the help of the French
mistress, this made him leave Bint's class and never returned till after the
break Of course, Bint's courage to ask a teacher a question he couldn't answer
was appreciated by her classmates. While she recounts her tales to her older
siblings, their mother whim they are used to her impromptu barging into their
room as tactics she uses to keep them on their toes on issues of personal
hygiene came in and joined their what sounds like an interesting story. She
however put them in the right perspective not to mock Mallam Salihu but rather
celebrates his humility to accept that he doesn't have an answer to her
question and calls the French Mistress to their aid.(ads)
Omar's arrival changed the conversation. Omar has just been
admitted into Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to study Law. This good news
calls for celebration. Omar had been a precocious child and his outstanding
success in both his SSCE; which he described his achievement as "no means a
small feat", and JAMB gave his mother the need to explain and shares her
experiences at the university and how she responded to them. Some of these
life experiences were hers while many are through Salma's and her roommate's
embedded story.
Ummi tells her son that admission into the
university is a life changer. She recounts how she left Lafayette to the
university after agreeing to her father's condition that she must be married
before she graduated but luckily for her, her husband agreed to marry her
before she went for registration at the university and this calls for a double
celebration for her and the entire community.
At the University,
Ummi and many other students were in a queue at the Faculty registration
office. The lecturer in charge had taken ages to commence the exercise.(ads)
Then Salma, a fair-complexioned girl, tall and slim in
tight—fitting clothes had only arrived at the venue barely fifteen began to
grumble about the ineptitude of the registration officer, the University
lecturers having previously had an awful occurrence from her previous
university where she was expelled from the school for the offense of
examination malpractice. While she was grumbling, a young man politely
addressed her to be calm that others have come earlier than her yet they
remained calm in the queue but Salma wouldn't refrain from saying spiteful
things about university officials.
However, the twist of all
happened when a Janitor emerged from the office and handed the keys to the
office to the young man who had engaged Salma and the turnout became a
discomfiting moment for her. The faculty registration commenced and in a short
time, Ummi was through and she proceeded to the department for her
matriculation number. At the department, Ummi was shocked to see that the
departmental head, Dr. Samuel Johnson was a young man, he had a tribal mark
that gave him away to either be an lgala or a Yoruba man, the crucifix That
dangles across his chest from his necklace is an indication that his religious
ideology is Christianity. His hospitable gestures towards Ummi who is still
filled with all derogatory allegations Salma talked about university lecturers
made her uncomfortable. She later learned from her husband that Mr. Samuel
Johnson was the one who assisted him with her admission into the
university.
Furthermore, Ummi recounts the story of "the quiet one"
alongside more unfolding tales about Salma and her roommates to admonished her
children especially Omar who is now a university undergraduate.
The
moral from the story of the quiet one is for her son not to trust anyone
because it is impossible to be certain of people especially to the fact that
looks could be deceptive. For Salma's story, the children learned to be
careful of whom they make as friends. She admonished them to avoid friends
that can lure them into cultism or those who could engage them in Emal
(examination Malpractice).(ads)
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2024 UTME Novel he Life Changer by Khadija Abubakar Jalli 23 Characterization Summary
1. Ummi Ahmed
Ummi Ahmed is the main character and the narrator of all the embedded stories
in the novel; "The Life Changer". She got married to Mr. Ahmed before she
proceeded to the university as fulfilling her father's condition for her to
get a university education. She is a teacher and a mother of Four children;
Omar, Teemah, Jemila, and Bint.
2. Bint
She is 5 years old and the darling of the Ahmed family. She is a brilliant and
very inquisitive child. She boldly answered Mallam Salihu's question in French
but in return asked him a question that he couldn't answer. This somewhat
embarrassed Mallam Salihu out of her class.
3. Mallam Salihu
He is a meddlesome social studies teacher in Bint's school. He believed he has
a little bit of knowledge of every subject especially French but he was
somewhat ridiculed in Bint's class when she asked him a question in French and
he couldn't give an answer.
4. Jemila
Jemila is the third child and the second daughter of the Ahmed family.
5. Teemah
She is the second child and the first daughter of the Ahmed family.
6. Omar
Omar is Ummi's first child and the only son. He is eighteen years old. He is
always decently dressed and clean. He described his SSCE as outstanding
performance as " by no means a small feat". He also passed his JAMB and gained
admission into Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to study Law.
7. Talle
He is named Talle because his mother died shortly after his birth. However, he
is called the "quiet one" because of his quiet nature even as a child. He is
born and bred in Lafayette. The ghastly car accident that claimed his father's
and stepmom's life when he was barely twenty years old compounded his state
that he withdrew completely to himself. He conspires with Zaki to kidnap a
young boy to extort his father. Talle and Zaki were sentenced to some year
imprisonment with hard labor.
8. Salma
Salma is a fair-complexioned girl, tall, slim and busty. She was expelled in
400|evel from her former school on the offense of Examination malpractice.(ads)
9. Tomiwa
Tomiwa is a Muslim girl from the west, lbadan to be precise. Tomiwa is the
brightest and the cleanest in her room. She abreast herself with the latest
information in the entertainment industry because of her ambition to become a
singer. She also knows the latest and the craziest fashion outfit. She dates
Honorable Habib.
10. Ada
Ada is from Benue but insists that people call her place birth Middle belt.
She is also Salma's roommate at Queen Amina Hostel.
11. Ngozi
Ngozi is Salma's roommate who is from Umunze in lmo state and she is very a
quiet and reticent person. She is always reserved and withdrawn but she is
generous to a fault. She will never cook for herself alone.
12. Habib
Habib is a politician. He and his friend, Labara met Salma at Kwangila and
offers to give her a ride to the University campus.
13. Labaran
Labaran is Honourable Habib's childhood friend and his driver. They grew up
together but when Habib chooses education he chose to go to a driving school.
He sometimes supports his friend before he became a politician with the little
he earned as a driver at the local government and to pay back for his
kindness, Habib made him his driver when he became a politician.
14. Zaki
Zaki is the brain behind the idea to kidnap his friend's son and extort him as
well. He involved Talle in his evil plan because Talle needs money and
involving in the kidnapping seems to be a way to get some money.
15. Dr. Samuel Johnson
Dr. Samuel Johnson is a young lecturer. He has a tribal mark that almost
confused him to be an lgala or a Yoruba man. He is the HOD at Ummi's
Department and a very dear friend to Ummi's husband. He also assisted Ummi to
gain admission into the university.(ads)
16. Dr. Dabo
Dr. Dabo is a very discipline lecturer and he has never engaged himself in any
form of underhandedness with any female students. He has a track record of
treating his students Justly. He is never last for lectures and his lecture
rule is simple" Don't come in after me".
17. Hakimi:
He is the district head of the Lafayette community. The police apprehended
Talle in his palace.
18. Kolawole Abdul
He is Salma's coursemate and out of pressure from Salma when they were writing
their last paper, Moral Philosophy, he scribbled out some code to the answer
and gave it to Salma. He is brilliant and very smart. He was implicated by
Salma at the Exam malpractice and Ethic Penal that he was also expelled from
the University
19. Mohammad Kabir
Mohammad Kabir was employed as the Dr Kabir who is an impostor. He is not even
a lecturer at the University let alone the chairman of the EMEC.
20. Lawal
He is Salim's friend who refused to accompany him to meet his new social media
lover; the Fulani girl who turned out to be completely different from the
looks on the displayed picture on her profile.
21 Natasha
She is the girl that Salim met on a social media platform.
22. Kartagi
He is the leader of the gambling group where Mohammad Kabir gambled and won
three hundred thousand naira.
23. Gumusu
Gumusu is the thug that was sent after Kabir by Kartagi after he won three
hundred thousand naira from his gambling group.
1. The Life Changer Chapter One - Comprehensive and Concise Summary
Bint, a five-year-old girl and also the darling of the Ahmed Family narrates
her encounter with her importunate social studies teacher; Mallam Salihu who
often believes he knows every little bit about every subject to her siblings.
He was however somewhat ridiculed when Bint answered his question on how to
say "good morning" in French asked him to say "that is very good" in French.
Mallam Salihu's inability to interpret" that is very good" in French causes
him to leave Bint's class and never return till after break While she and her
siblings were giggling about her story, their mother barged into their
room
to join their conversation. She then encourages them not to mock Mallam Salihu
but celebrate his humility to accept his cluelessness by seeking the French
mistress assistance to answer Bint's question.
Omar's arrival with
the news of his admission into Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to study Law
changed their conversation to a more torrent flow of thoughts on life issues
that concerns Ummi's children, especially to Omar who had just gained
admission to study Law.
2. The Life Changer Chapter Two - Comprehensive and Concise Summary
This chapter recounts how Ummi gained admission into the university has agreed
to her father's condition to be married before graduation. But her husband
decided to marry her even before she proceeded to university. She recounts how
she met Salma and how she embarrassed herself for saying spiteful things about
the University official at the faculty registration office. Ummi's gave an
unwelcomed gesture towards Dr Samuel Johnson's hospitality when she visited
his office to get her matriculation number. She later learned from her husband
that Dr Samuel Johnson was a good friend of his and the one who help him to
sort her admission out at the University. Ummi felt bad and request that her
husband visit Dr Samuel Johnson to tender an apology on her behalf.
3. The Life Changer Chapter Three - Comprehensive and Concise Summary
In chapter three, Ummi tells the tales of the quiet one to admonish her
children especially Omar, her first child, and the only son who had just
gained admission into the university. Talle is born and bred in Lafayette, the
circumstances that surround his birth were known by all citizens of the
community. Talle lost his mother shortly after his birth and he was barely
twenty years old before he lost his father and stepmom in a ghastly car
accident. This incident compounded his state that he withdrew completely to
himself. Talle became so lonely that he dedicated his zeal to his work at the
local government office where he served as a driver. But one day, things take
a dramatic twist for him as people in the grocery store where he gets
foodstuffs noticed that his purchase has increased from the normal he usually
buys and knowing that he has no one that stays with made the grocer calls the
attention of the District head, Hakimi, that Talle now buys more than he can
consume in a week in days. Hakimi summoned Talle to the palace for some
questioning.(ads)
However, Talle's
inability to answer a simple question gave him away to be guilty of something
that no one had any idea of. While this was ongoing at Hakimi's palace, the
police arrived at the Hakimi's palace with some military escorts as well. They
told Hakimi that Talle, one of his subjects is involved in kidnapping, armed
robbery and extortion. Talle was arrested and he took the police to his house
where he hid his victim. He and Zaki were sentenced to some years of
imprisonment with hard work.
4. The Life Changer Chapter Four - Comprehensive and Concise Summary
This chapter recounts Salma's story of how she got into the university when
she was barely twenty years of age. Her encounter with Dr Dabo who is the then
100 level coordinator is significant to this chapter.
Dr Dabo is a
very discipline lecturer and he has never engaged himself in any form of
underhandedness with any female students. He has a track record of treating
his students Justly. He is never late for lectures and his lecture rule is
simple" Don't come in after me". But as Salma appeared radiantly gorgeous to
his office he threw cautions away and didn't know when he requests that she
should befriend him intimately. Salma rejects his request immediately and this
made him feel so bad that he repented and vow never to lose guard again. Salma
got the most famous Queen Amina Hall. At first, she didn't like her roommates;
Tomiwa, Ngozi and Ada. She hates the idea that she could not choose whom to be
her roommate but later got along faultlessly with them that they lived like
sisters.Salma met Habib and Labaran at Kwangila one evening when she was
returning back from home. They offer to give her a ride to the school campus
and when they dropped her off, Salma told them her name is Tomiwa and also
gave them Tomiwa's number.(ads)
5. The Life Changer Chapter Five - Comprehensive and Concise Summary
The next day at 8 pm, Habib called Tomiwa to inform her that they are parked
at the front of her hostel and requests that she comes out so they could hang
out. Tomiwa decided to feed her curiosity as she stepped out of her hostel to
meet Habib. However, Habib was smart enough to know that Tomiwa was not the
lady he gave a ride to the previous night. Tomiwa confirmed his guesses and
realize that Salma gave them Tomiwa's contact. Habib sent Labaran to get some
provision and Suya for them to eat and also gave fifty thousand naira to her
and asked her to give her roommate Ten thousand naira each while she keeps the
remaining twenty thousand naira. Tomiwa was wowed and when she returned to the
hostel with the money and a lot of goodies. She and her roommate began to
ululate and scream forjoy as they savoured the chicken suya she brought. Salma
became slightlyjealous that almost degenerated into a rift between her and
Tomiwa but for Ada and Ngozi intervention the matter soon became a
forgotten
issue.
Habib and Labaran are childhood friends. While Habib chose
education, Labaran decided to go to a driving school and being a good friend,
he sometimes supports Habib with some little fund from his earnings as a
driver at the local government. But when Habib became a politician he
appointed his friend as his driver to pay back his sometimes support in the
past.
6. The Life Changer Chapter Six - Comprehensive and Concise Summary
School routine had resumed and the girls are in their final year. It is very
interesting to note that despite the four girls involvement with men, they
never allow their studies to suffer for it. They are at the top of their game,
that they are all to graduate with a second class upper degree even though
they are studying a different course. Unfortunately for Salma, Moral
philosophy that is one of the easiest course and easy to pass happens to be a
difficult course for her. She like other students didn't attend classes for
this course since it a general course. However, she attends the tutorial a day
before the exam because for some years the lecturer in charge of the course
has been foolishly repeating questions with minimal changes so Salma studied
the past paper and went in for an exam. To her ruin, when questions were
served by the invigilator, Salma realized that she was the only one who is not
writing because the lecturer had cut short her expectations. After a while,
she began to badger the person who seated next to her, Kolawole Abdul for
assistance. He resisted for a while but later conceded and scribble some code
response to the first two questions. But as Salma was busy copying from the
notes of salvation, the female invigilator was amazed at her sudden
inspiration to write after she had stayed more than thirty minutes without
writing. She quietly walked behind her and saw where she was writing from for
some minutes before she called her attention and that of the security man
outside the hall. Salma was compelled to sign the EMAL form and Kola and the
next female student sitting next to on the other side were made to sign as
witnesses. Sadly for Kola, Salma implicated him when she was summoned to the
panel and he was also expelled from the school.
7. The Life Changer Chapter Seven - Comprehensive and Concise Summary
This chapter recounts how Salma confided her friend, Tomiwa, how she thinks
talking to Labaran to talk to Honourable Habib could influence anyone that
matters to help her overcome her predicament. Unfortunately for her, the only
influential person he knows that could help is Professor Dabo.
Salma
felt so helpless to hear that the same Professor Dabo she insulted in her
l00level when he requested to be his girlfriend the one that can help. She
immediately and desperately pleaded that honourable Habib to give her some
money to bribe the chairman of EMEC who she described could sell his mother's
soul for money. Honourable Habib agreed to give her some money but request
that she gives him something in return. She yielded right in his office. After
she got the money from Habib,
She prepared to meet with the Chairman of
the EMEC in a hotel and gave only one hundred thousand naira to one Dr
Mohammed Kabir as the Chairman of EMEC. She later discovered at the panel that
she had been swindled by Dr Kabir who is an impostor. He is not even a
lecturer at the University let alone the chairman of the EMEC.
8. The Life Changer Chapter Eight - Comprehensive and Concise Summary
This chapter summarises how Dr Mohammad Kabir got the appellation of a Doctor.
It was a nickname given to him from secondary school. He was employed at the
university as an L.T; Laboratory Technician but his friendliness got him
intimacy with also all the people that mattered at the University.
After
Salma cried to Labaran and narrated her ordeal of how she was bamboozled by an
impostor. Labaran then engaged the service of Zaki to trail Mohammad Kabir and
recovered a sum of three hundred thousand naira from himjust after he had a
big win from gambling with the money he collected from Salma.
This
chapter also shed light on whom employed the service of Zaki to Kidnap Alhaji
Adamu's son. It was Honourable Habib who instructed Zaki to deal with Alhaji
Adamu by kidnapping his son and he fumbled by involving an inexperienced
villager; Talle that almost cost him millions to cover up the case with the
police and to get him and Talle released.
9. The Life Changer Chapter Nine - Comprehensive and Concise Summary
In chapter nine, Ummi recounts Salim; Salma's fiance, experience with the
usage of smartphones. A terrible experience that almost claimed his life. He
met a girl named Natasha on one social media platform. The day they've planned
to meet physically turn out to be a horrendous event. Salim agreed to visit
her around right to nine in the evening since she claimed she would not be
allowed to go out in the afternoon.
However, the turnout of their meeting
made Salim realized that Natasha was bait used by kidnappers and arm robbers.
He escaped the set trap by Natasha and her gangs divinely.
READ THE FULL BOOK (LIFE CHANGER)
- Read the Full Chapter One
- Read the Full Chapter Two
- Read the Full Chapter Three
- Read the Full Chapter Four
- Read the Full Chapter Five
- Read the Full Chapter Six
- Read the Full Chapter Seven
- Read the Full Chapter Eight
- Read the Full Chapter Nine
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