BACKGROUND
Alex Agyei-Agyiri's " unexpected Joy at Dawn" is a story of migration, identities, and . lives undermined by cynical and xenophobic politics pushed to its logical and terrible conclusion pertains to the Ghanaian orders of 'alien compliance' issued in 1970-1971, which was designed to force all non-ethnic Ghanaians, so-called illegal immigrants, to return to there - so stipulated - 'home'. the novel thus touches on concerns of deeper relevance to the politics of race and migration in the twenty-first century. A similar situation played out in Nigeria at the wastefulness of the new civilian regime of the early
The Nigerian blamed the foreigners for their economic woes and the then
civilian regime under Shehu Shagari ordered that all Ghanaians in the country
should leave.
However, in the light of this background of the
destruction of the spirit of Pan- Africanism and the emergence of xenophobia
among Africans, that Alex Agyei -Agyiri wrote "Unexpected Joy at Dawn". The
novel also received a commendation in the Best First Book Prize, Africa
Region, of the Commonwealth Writers Prize.(ads)
PLOT SUMMARY
Alex Agyei -Agyiri's "Unexpected Joy at Dawn" is set in Ghana and Nigeria. it
tells a story that centers on the life of two siblings, Nii Moses and Mama
Orojo. During the 1983 deportation of Ghanaians from Nigeria under the Shehu
Shagari government. Nii, who is a Nigerian by blood but a Ghanaian by birth,
was left in Ghana by his parents as they made the tortuousjourney to Nigeria
when Ghana enacted the Aliens Compliance Order of 1969, which made every
person living in Ghana without the required papers an alien.
His
name was changed to reflect the name of his adopted parents. After fourteen
years of living in hardship in Ghana, which involves living in slums even
though he was an Assistant Manager at a bank, taking on multiplejobs, not
being able to bury a wife, and being chased around by market women for
purported 'fraud', he decided to go to Nigeria in search of his roots.
Besides, he entertained the fears of being labeled an alien, due to the rising
tensions in Ghana against Nigerians as a direct result of the
predicament
of Ghanaians in Nigeria. Thus, blackness and name alone do not grant
citizenship or a staying permit, one needs more than that.
After
making the dangerousjourney fraught with deaths, bribes, swindles, and gun-
point robbery, and making it to Nigeria, Nii realized that again, tribal
marks, color, and a name do not also make him a Nigerian. More is required and
it is the more which he lacks the most, such as the ability to speak a
Nigerian language, how to speak like a Nigerian, and dress like one. Nii was
exposed and everywhere he goes he is told 'omo Ghana abi'. He moved from being
a slave on someone's cassava farm to living in slums, to deportation camps to
being a building laborer. Eventually, he was tagged as an armed robber and it
was then that fate smiled upon him.(ads)
While all this is on-going in Nii Moses Tackie's life, Mama Orojo
had also gone to Ghana in search of her brother. When all effort failed in
reuniting with him, she in the process fell in love with a gold dealer, Joe
who was a customer of Expense Bank, where Nii had worked as an Assistant
Manager. It was in search of Nii, that they realized the enormity of the
problem they had at hand including the burial of Nii's wife, Massa.
Mama
later returns to Nigeria in the company of her newfound lover. Meanwhile in
Nigeria, Nii is living a life less of a slave; a very difficult life.
Finally,
he and mama met under a very strange circumstances, after Nii had absconded
from a deportation camp in company of his friend Aaron Tsuru and was hiding in
an uncompleted building. The people had taken them for armed robbers. He and
Aaron tried to escape but Aaron died in the process and just when Nii thought
it over for him,
Mama Orojo and Joe, her gold dealer lover, saw Nii
which leads to an unexpected Joy at Dawn.
MAJOR EVENTS
Nii Tackie Cares for His Sick Wife.
It was Monday, 4.am Accra Ghana, on entering their one-room apartment, Nii
Tackie was flooded with thoughts that his sick wife is already dead. He
screens his wife' name three times but the wife still lies motionless, he runs
his hand over her to feel her pulse to confirm his fear. He feels bad at the
height at which her health deteriorates. one could hardly tell she wasjust
Twenty—two. He recalls and reflects on the verdict from all physicians that
she has a few more days to live. Meanwhile, he heard some noise at the door,
when he opened it, it was three of his neighbors who had come to show concern
and be recognized with him in his difficulties. He appreciates them and
returned to his wife, but still murmuring. The wife demand to know what the
doctor had said about her health, and he assured her that she will get better.
but get worried cause she knows the doctor had asked for more money and they
had no money left. However, Nii brought up the idea of consulting a native
doctor in the next few days. This he did just to take off away her worries.(ads)
Mama Orojo Share Her Memories With Ibuk as They Go on Evangelism.
It was 8 am in lllere, Nigeria, Mama Orojo and Ibuk who are members of the
Amen Kristi church are about their Evangelical mission to win converts to
their church. At that point, Mama Orojo sees an immigration officer and this
makes her reflect on her past experiences. First, she speaks of how the Sahm
brotherhood had considered them as poachers and how the people of illere had
been so not receptive to their preaching. Mama Orojo recalls the day of their
initiation into the Amen Kristi church and the dramatic display Ibuk had
acted, rather than kissing the cross as the usual rite, Ibuk had
bitten
it to the horror of everybody present and how she started laughing which later
got other members of the congregation to laugh too.
Moving away
from their initiation experience, Mama Orojo recalls how's seeing the
immigration officer reminds her of her brother who is still in Ghana. She
recounts how she was forced to leave Ghana for Lagos, Nigeria fifteen years
ago, alongside other Nigerians considered as aliens and runners of the
county's economy. She tells how her parents had died a day after the other and
left with no family and with very little money. She misses her brother and
suddenly plans to visit Ghana and possibly brings her brother to resettle in
Nigeria.(ads)
They both arrived at
their place of appointment to meet Mr. Tom Monday, who received them warmly.
He informs Mama and Ibuk about his daughter's change in behavior especially
towards other religious views ever since she joins the Sahm brotherhood, she
becomes very intolerant but he hopes she will change.
Nii Experience Xenophobic Prejudice as His Recommended Project Was Rejected / Mama and Ibuk Meet Tom Monday Again.
Here, we experience the day-to-day work life of Nii Tackie. He works at the
Expense Bank, as an Assistant Manager of the bank We experienced how the
project he recommended entitled Ant Hill Brick for funding was rejected by the
manager. Nii feels sad about it. furthermore, a lady typist in the office
makes passes to Nii as she switches attention to the bank manager by drawing
his attention to the story about the aliens in a newspaper she holds. The
manager admits having seen the story and shows his displeasure for all aliens
working at his bank Right there, Nii knew the conversation about alien was to
ridicule him so he left muttering xenophobia to himself. He goes back to his
seat with fear that sooner or later history would repeat itself and Ghana
would ask aliens to leave and he sees himself as a victim because of his
obvious tribal mark Linda the lady typist later request Nii to visit her and
Nii grudgingly agrees but when he is ready.
Mama and Ibuk on the
other hand are done with religious talks but Tom Monday diverts their
discussion to assisting Mama Orojo to get a contract since she claims to be a
contractor. Mama welcomes the idea and expresses her preparedness to
pre-finance the contract. This surprises Tom and increases his admiration for
her. He wished Mama had not come as an evangelist, he would have proposed to
her immediately. After another intriguing religious discussion about how God
created man to live forever, according to Mama Orojo who insists that the
'seed of eternity is in humanity' which Tom finds odd as he wonders why the
same God who created Adam would curse him. Tom later reminded them of his trip
to Lagos and promised to do his best to help Mama get contracts and mama's
response that he won't regret helping her makes Tom feel hopeful that there is
a possibility of winning Mama's affection.(ads)
Nii Admits His Anxiety Over the Alien Issue in the Country and His Wife's Health Condition.
Massa laid in bed reaching painfully as Nii walls in. He quickly steps out to
get the plastic chamber pot to vomit into and when he returns, Massa was
moaning in pain again but plays down the degree of her pain when asked by her
husband. Shortly after Nii tries to hunt down the mouse that provokes his wife
and, in the process, lift his wife's spirit for soft laughter, he sat in a
chair and sleeps off. He suddenly shouts in his dream: Blackness is not
enough! Blackness.....Enough! three stripes only. till sleepy but managed to
reach out to his wife who moaned in pain again. Nii finally admits his fears
pointing out numerous stories in the newspaper that are whipping up xenophobic
feelings in people that even in his office, think his tribal marks are going
to give him away as an alien. His wife tried to reassure him that he would be
fine and promises to stay a Ghanaian.
Mama Prepares and Leaves for Ghana and Experiences Delays at the Airport.
Mama prepares for her journey to Ghana; she buys things she would need. she
stuck in six hundred naira in twenty naira notes and inserts them in the back
cover of her Bible. As she goes to bed that night, she began to reflect and
mentally prepare for the journey. in her mind, she tries to locate her family
house in Ghana.
She reflected on how her parents died on their way
to Nigeria fifteen years back, how her father was buried in a shallow grave.
She however weeps a long time in the reflection of all she has gone
through.(ads)
It was 10:30 am. in
Lagos, Mama is held up in traffic on her way to the airport. she eventually
abandoned the car and takes another taxi to the airport. When she arrives at
the airport, while in a queue, a young man began to pester her that he could
fix her a place on the London-Accra -Congo Brazzaville flight. She told him
she booked a flight but the young man would not deter.
After a
while, mama got the attention of an air hostess who advised mama to ignore the
young man that he is a cheat but when the queue breaks up and it appears that
the young man was right. he takes advantage of the situation and requested for
a fee of twenty hair to help mama. the atmosphere becomes rowdy and the
passenger gets into a rage over the claim that the flight is full. luckily for
mama, an air hostess takes her ticket and directs her to the customs for
another checking and she was directed to flight HT954, seat Number 21. After
all her doubt is cleared over her flight schedule, she also pays her airport
tax and strides happily towards the immigration checkpoint.(ads)
Mama Meets Joe
After she had been swindled on her flight to Accra earlier in the day and had
bravely their best. Mama became worried and when she walks away from the
station, she noticed that one of the policemen she saw at the station is
following her and he catches up with her, the police corporal offers to take
her to where she could get genuine gold if she wants one. Mama agrees to
follow him to the Beyeema complex to get gold. She has some sense of security
since the young man is a policeman so she didn't hesitate to follow him.
When
they arrived at the Beyeema complex, the policeman directs mama to take a
seat. The policeman then informed Joe that mama is interested in genuine gold
and added that she had been swindled at the early hour of the day.
After
some disagreement, Joe brings out a small weighing scale and teaches mama how
it works. And when mama offers to buy fifteen thousand cedi work of gold which
impresses Joe and makes him think this kind of transaction will soon send him
back to the mines that had a become dangerous place to explore due to the
activities of security service. Joe entertains his guests at Beye's
restaurant. Joe's friend Naido who serves on the Minerals Board informs him of
the government plan for the mining industry which will allow people like joe
to engage in the mining business legally. Joe excused the
gathering and
heads for the Expense Bank hall, in the bank he discusses the prospects of the
government plan for mining with Nii, the bank's Assistant Manager. After his
discussion, he hurries back to join his guests at the restaurant.(ads)
Nii Suffers Humiliation in the Hands of His Students
Nii took a part-time teaching job to ease the financial burden imposed on him
by his wife's illness. He is in deficit at his workplace. Therefore, the need
for another source of income to augment his earning. He is a perpetual
latecomer because he walks down to the school to cut the cost.
However,
his inability to manage his emotion when he arrived at the school on a fateful
day landed him more humiliation from the students who were upset for his
late-coming and had written some insulting words on the board. His attempt to
teach despite their rude attitudes we're frustrated by the students that his
response was not probably managed and landed him more humiliation. This, he
pays for dearly loving and caring for his wife.(ads)
Mama is Subjected to a Thorough Search at the Airport.
Ironically, Mama congratulates herself for the success of her journey and
especially her new acquisition of genuine gold but she failed on her primary
purpose to meet his brother and relocate him to Nigeria. When she got to the
airport, she passes through the immigration section at the airport without any
difficulty. And just before she gets to the custom section, she had unzipped
her bag, ready for inspection. The customs officer brings out all the content
of her bag and examines them. He finds nothing incriminating, then directed
her for other rounds of body search by two ladies. This thorough
inspection
Mama was subjected to is indicative that people hide under religious
cloaks.
Revolutionary Guard Shoot a Girl
Nii, after he had been humiliated by his students makes his way home. He
stopped by the market to do some shopping. But the thought of Massa being
alone at home changes his mind and hurries to get home before it gets too
dark.
On his way, he noticed that many people are heading in the
market direction, he tries to get attention from a girl who is also running
after the crowd but the girl is angry that he is distracting her. Nii keeps
his pace with the crowd. Eventually, it was a girl who is been held by six
soldiers carrying guns and strings of ammunition. She had been caught for
selling above control price and while she points at a fat woman sitting in
front of a stall at the market, the soldiers asked if she was the woman's
daughter but she becomes paralyzed with fear and emphatically denies her.
Immediately, one of the soldiers shoots
her and she dies. Nii is outraged
by this incident which demonstrates the high level of impunity of the military
dictatorship in Africa.(ads)
Nii Passes the Night at Linda's House / Linda Tries to Seduce Nii.
As the curfew approaches, no vehicle in sight, and everywhere were becoming
empty as people went indoors to avoid the curfew arrest. Nii became worried
and his best option is to put up in Linda's house since it was nearby, he
finds safety in Linda's house. While in Linda's house, she throws herself at
Nii but he ignores her. She even tells him that she could be useful to him If
he accepts to take her to Lagos. Nii doesn't understand why she wants to
follow him to Lagos but she eventually opened up. She tells him that her
husband is in London, and she has been denied a British visa to enable her to
join him and she hopes if she goes to Nigeria with Nii agreeing to act as her
husband it would then be easy for her to enter Nigeria since he is a Nigerian.
Linda would back down on the attempt to seduce him and rejoices at the siren
that simultaneously announced the beginning of the curfew. But Nii acts
unimaginably when he removes his shirt, trouser, and underpants, puts them
into his polythene bag, roughens his hair and opens the door, and escapes.
Nii Takes Massa to a Spiritual Healer.
Nii takes Massa to a spiritual healer that was recommended to him with a
strong that mass will be cured of her illness. They embark on the journey to '
God is Beyond Science' While on the Journey, Massa made Nii promise her that
he would always remember her.(ads)
Nii
promised her, however, it was her final will. She dies on their way to get
spiritual help. Nii takes her to a hospital at Koforidua where she was
confirmed dead at 8:40 pm.
Nii's Journey to Nigeria.
Nii joins other passengers to travel from Accra to the border town Banukophe.
Their experience on thatjourney shows the risk immigrants go through to move
from one country to another. At a point, the leader of the group soon changes
into torn and wrinkled clothes like a farmer and others follow suit except for
Nii who is not familiar with the journey procedure. Nii recognizes Aaron, a
soil scientist who had approached his bank to fund his project about bricks.
However, the leader of the group reprimands
them from their talk which
may draw unnecessary attention. They were exposed to all sorts of danger,
brutality, and corruption among uniformed men at the borders. When Nii finally
crossed the border to the outskirts of Lome, he kneels and prays.
Nii Is Robbed on His Way to Nigeria.
Nii's journey from Togo to Benin was successful. With him was one of the
people he traveled with from Accra whom he asked if he knows the person that
was shot at the border. The man told him things like that happen regularly and
that he should expect more. The man later introduces himself as Ezla, a
trader.
Ezla takes a young cyclist while Nii goes for an elderly
one. On their way, the man tries to engage Nii in different conversation but
seeing Nii is determined not to play balls, he slows down the bike, beats him
up, and robs him. By the time Nii manages to get up, he walks to the road
where he finds a house and when he walks further, he realizes that he has
crossed the border and he had entered Nigeria.(ads)
Nii and Aaron Fall Into the Hand of Nigeria Security Officials
Nii walks from the border to a town where he changes into decent clothes.
While he was praying, a certain man stood over him and as he turns to see who
he is, the man addressed him as 'Omo Ghana'. The man lost his cool and draws
the attention of their officers who declares Nii as a 'perfect' Ghanaian. Nii
and Aaron and other arrested foreigners are ordered into a vehicle. Their
experience shows that xenophobia is not restricted to a particular country or
group of people in Africa. The irony of it is that what Nii partly runs for in
Ghana is what he is made to go through as he arrives in Nigeria. He began to
regret his decision and recalls his wife's wish that he should not go to
Nigeria. It also becomes a glaring reality that his inability to speak Nigeria
languages would make it difficult for him to locate members of his family.
Nii Meets Marshak
The drive to seek his family keeps him at his place of work where he carries
cartons of bottles of beer from the vehicle into a storehouse. He is
frustrated on the job but he won't relent though tired and disoriented. Two
ladies who had observed how tired Nii was walked up to him and speaks Ghanaian
language to him. he was excited and after a brief chat with the ladies, who
introduced themselves as Marshak and Akosua, they invited him to visit them at
the hotel. He agrees with the thought that they could help him.
Nii
visited Marshak and Akosua in the company of his friend. However, the visit
reveals the extent to which, Marshak is desperate to get married and settled
into a more meaningful life. Marshal who had come from a responsible
background but all her eagerness to get married has not been fruitful.
The
unfolding incident at Marshak's place at the hotel also reveals that Nii's
dedication to his late wife. Her memories keep flooding his mind and he calls
Marshak by the name of his late wife.(ads)
Mama Goes In Search Of Nii
Mama visited joe unexpectedly at his office and tells him about her brother
she has seen last about fifteen years ago. This time, mama is determined and
devoted solely to the search for her brother. Joe assisted Mama in search of
Nii and he recalls that there was a striking resemblance between mama and Nii
when he last saw him but he failed to notice the resemblance. They
painstakingly search for Nii, from his formal place of work at Expense Bank to
his residence, then to the hospital where he abandoned the corpse of his wife
because he could not pay the demanded fees, to the spiritual house,
Nii
intended to take his wife before she died on the road where the deacon tells
them how he persuaded Nii to stay but he insisted that he would travel. This
information scared out the ghost out of mama as she remembers the scene of
desperate foreigners at the Badagry border.
However, the tiring and
discouraging search process helps mama to discovered that Nii has traveled to
Nigeria and the lady he left in the hospital was his wife who died on the way
to get spiritual healing at "God is beyond Science.(ads)
Marshark Visit Nii at Miliki
Marshark visits Nii at a small room apartment he shares with his friends;
Aaron and the carpenter.
Nii wonders why a beautiful lady like
Marshark would want to get entangled with him. But it became obvious that
Marshak has an unrequited love for Nii.
Joe Declared His Love For Mama
Mama and Joe take part in the funeral rites and internment of Massa in Sampa.
Joe's unflinching support all through their journey from Koforidua to Sampa
and during the burial is magnanimous. After all, done. Mama thinks about how
she would find her brother and Joe assures her to be less worried that Nii
would be in Lagos. Joe thinks of how he would make his intention know to mama
and when he eventually summoned the courage to tell her after beating around
the bush, he asks mama if she would marry him.
Mama accepts and
this marks a new beginning of blissful life for joe.
Nii Visits Marshark Again
Nii regretted how he couldn't give Marshark an auspicious smile in her during
her last visit to Miliki now decides to reciprocate the visit. When Nii
arrives, they both were in an earnest mood, and just when they were both deep
in fondling each other a knock-on Marshark door from a boy of about fifteen
years of age angered Nii and he accused Marshark of humiliating him. Marshark
pleas and explanation of how circumstances forced her into prostitution fell
on Nii's deaf ear when he hears another knock on the door from the proprietor
of the hotel. Nii left her that night and when he returned with his friends at
Marsharks place the following day to apologize and ask her to join them on the
trip to Lagos.
Unfortunately, Marshark had committed suicide
because he abandoned her and Nii cried inconsolably as he regrets his
action.
A Deadly Mining Operation.
Tally O has been brooding over the idea of Joe, his closest friend, getting
married. While he waits in a small hut in the forest for the arrival of his
colleagues in the illegal mining business, he thinks about the possibility of
his colleagues falling into the hands of the law and also feels his end might
be near. When his colleagues arrived, including Joe, they began in the
business of the day. In the process, they suddenly heard a gunshot which
slashes on Tally O's shoulder and he began to bleed profusely.(ads)
Joe, on the other hand, struggles with his heavy sack as he tries to
escape, he was also shot at but the bullet landed on the deadwood very close
to him. He manages to hide under the roots of three huge trees known as three
sisters. In fear, he recalls two encounters they have had with the guards and
how they killed two guards. Away from his fears, driven by the will to
survive, Joe struggles to maneuver his way through the forest. But the other
members, after a brief argument about how to rescue Tally O with no obvious
solutions decide to kill him while they all escaped to the hut.
The Amen Kristi Church Opposes Mama's Choice Of Marriage Partner.
Mama did not hesitate to inform the chairman and elders of her church, the
Amen Kristi church, about her marriage plan. She believes they would all be
glad to hear that she is getting married. But the news didn't go well with the
chairman who is surprised at mama's decision to marry someone who is from
another tribe and county. However, this was a rude shock to mama, and wonders
why the chairman speaks against getting married to someone from another tribe
when the church has always preached the
oneness of humanity.
The
position chairman and other council members of the church over mama's
intentions to marry a foreigner contribute to the development of the theme of
xenophobia in the novel and their instantaneous decisions to expel Mama and
even rebuke Ibuk when she speak to defend mama's decision shows the
conspiracies that characterize church politics in Africa. However, Mama shows
a firm and courageous attitude towards her decision when Tom Monday proposes
and the chairman encourages her to accept his proposal in the view to
discourage her from marrying Joe.
Religious Riots in Egba
The religious riot that happened in Egba portrayed mama as a courageous and
selfless woman. The other religious group known as the Sahm Sect caused the
mayhem. While Mama and the Secretary of the Amen Kristi church were having a
Bible discussion at the Paleos Family house with their hostess, Mrs. Paleo,
suddenly the room is filled with smoke, and immediately their hostess who had
gone downstairs to check alerted that the building is on fire.(ads)
Through the window, mama saw that people were running from the
burning houses and she was able to see the chairman of the Amen Kristi church
who had been tied to the steering wheel of the bus that brought them to the
neighborhood, with a burning tyre left beside him. Bravely, Mama was able to
devise a means for her, the Secretary, and their hostess to escape from the
building. Mama also assisted the chairman of her church to break loose from
where he was tied. When the soldiers arrived, they fired few gunshots into the
air to bring the terrain to normalcy and mama alerted them that a woman is
trapped in the burning house. The soldiers and some people gave a hand to
rescue the woman. Mama discovered that Ibuk had been slaughtered. The soldiers
and the journalists commended mama for her courage. She was taken to the
barrack to make a statement of the incidents
Locating the Orojos in Ijase.
Nii and Aaron had been held at Hajj camp where aliens are kept preparatory to
a decision of their fate. They both escaped from the camp and decided to
locate Ijase, Nii's ancestral home in Nigeria.
The journey, of
course, came with many problems but they made it to the suburb of Ijase. They
lost enthusiasm to further ask for direction and the fear of not being
rearrested by the immigration officers made them look for a place to rest and
hide. They are weak and exhausted from the job they got from a construction
site to get money.
After much struggles, thoughts of death occupied
their minds and they both ruminated on reasons why they had come to Nigeria.
They passed the night in another uncomplicated building and the following day,
they reported at the construction site. In the course of the work, Aaron is
involved in an accident that causes a cut on his head.(ads)
The foreman refuses to be sympathetic or pay them for the day
that he even threatens them with an immigration official. They rely on
paracetamol since they couldn't go to any hospital without appropriate
papers.
Nii Reunites with his Sister Unexpectedly
Aaron's condition got worse and Nii is helpless as nothing can be done to help
his friend. Nii asked his friend if he had seen an angel, he believes in the
superstition that when a person is about to die such a person would see an
angel in the preparedness of their departure. When it was 5:am, a Muezzin
calls other Muslims to prayer. Nii observes that activities are going on in
the last of the eight rooms in the compound. Wachuk had reluctantly gone out
in search of places in their compound after he bowed to the pressure and
verbal engagement from his wife, Idem, on how coward of a man he is for not
joining other people in the neighborhood in search of robbers. When he got
upstairs and found a table, he was shocked and alerted people in the compound
of the presence of possible robbers in the compound. Soon, activities and the
movement of people downstairs woke them both up and they realized they are in
danger and decide to escape. Aaron jumped first, followed by Nii, and when
they both landed, Aaron had stopped breathing and fear grips Nii but he is
also ready for the worse, he raised his hand to surrender and the unexpected
happened, among the people who he had surrendered to was Joe, he recognized
him and then his sister, Mama Orojo. And when Joe announces that the suspected
robber is Nii, mama drops the club she is meant to use in hitting the 'armed
robber' in her compound.
After a moment of disbelieve, Mama cries
and embraces her long-lost brother.
CHARACTERS
MAJOR CHARACTERS
Moses Nii Tackie
He is a young university graduate, studied accounting, and works as an
assistant manager at the Expense Bank He is born Ghanaian as all records of
him bear his Ghanaian name but the three tribal marks on his cheek give him
away as a Nigeria if the to run a tribe. He is married to Massa and incidents
in the novel portray him as a caring, loving, and faithful husband. For
instance, he refused to have sexual intercourse with Linda even when she
throws herself at him.
Nii was separated from his family, who
returns to Nigeria fifteen years ago after the Ghanaian government asks all
aliens to leave the country. His both parents died on their journey to
Nigeria, while Mama Orojo, his sister is his only surviving relative.
However,
his double identity makes him live in fear in Ghana, and when his ailing wife,
Massa died on their way to get spiritual healing, he decides to return to
Nigeria to reunite with his sister.(ads)
Nii is also a hardworking young man that confronts harsh economic
reality by engaging in part-term jobs to upset its effect on his salary as an
assistant manager. Even when he crosses to Nigeria he picks up numerous
menialjobs to sustain himself and since the time he arrived in Nigeria was
when the Nigerian government has asked the aliens to vacate the country, he
constantly faced the difficulty of his double identity and his inability to
speak any of Nigerian languages makes him always be seen as a Ghanaian.
Nii
is one of the protagonists thatjoins the two parallel stories in
Agyei-Agyiri's "Unexpected Joy at Dawn". Being a crucial character, his
accidental appearance before his sister, while he was been pursued as a
suspected criminal, brings about the resolution of the central conflict in the
novel.
Mama Orojo
Mama Orojo is the only surviving relative of Nii Moses Tackie. She relocated
to Nigeria with their parents when the Ghanaian government asked all aliens to
leave their country leaving Nii behind. Unfortunately, both parents died on
the road to Nigeria. She is a buxom single lady who faced a lot of
difficulties settling in Nigeria after she lost her parents on their journey
to Nigeria. Against all odds, she builds her business and becomes very
prosperous and influential with a thriving construction company and a
confectionery store. She is a believer and an active member of the Amen Kristi
church and participates in the church evangelism outreach.(ads)
Mama's first journey to Ghana in search of her brother, Nii Moses
Tackie, was not successful on her primary purpose to Ghana, but she met Joe
Boye who introduces her gold business and later becomes her husband. Mama is
brave and displayed her courageous will when she jumps down from the burning
house to save a baby during the religious riot at Egba started by the Sahm
sect. Mama becomes elated when she accidentally meets her brother who she had
embarked on a two times journey to Ghana in search of him right in her
compound.
Joe Boye
Joe Boye is also known as Owura Ku, he is thirty years old and a father of two
children from two women whose families were not willing to encourage these
women to be joined with him legally. Joe had his difficult shares of life.
First, he was once an apprentice to a tailor at Oda and when his master closed
down the shop, he leaves for the city where he ended up becoming an illegal
gold mining business with his friend, Tally O. Joe became independent from
Billy, the man that introduces him to the illegal miming business after like a
month on the job. He was introduced to Mama Orojo by a police corporal at his
office on the sixth floor of the Beyeeman building.
Afterward, Joe
became a reliable friend to mama and his unflinching support to Mama on her
trips to Ghana is commendable. He proposes to Mama with a gold ring and Mama
accepts with an affectionate glee.(ads)
Massa Awosika
She is Nii's ailing wife whose sickness appears to be intractable. She isjust
twenty-two years but she bedridden till her death on their way to get
spiritual healing at "God is beyond Science". Massa had been an intimate
friend to Nii from their school days and this explains the reasons Nii
remained faithful to her when she was alive and even when she dies. She is a
good and loving wife, she cares about her husband's financial and
psychological wellbeing, and being a firm believer in the philosophy of
Pan—Africanism, she believes Africa is home for all Africans that when she
sees that her husband is worried about the fate of Aliens in Ghana, she tries
to calm him down and encourages him to stay in Ghana.
Aaron Tsuru
Aaron is a young brilliant scientist and the brain behind the Ant Hill Brick
He has a Ph.D. and a diploma in Project Management, a former lecturer at the
University of Ghana where he received a certificate of honor. He met Nii when
he first visited Expense Bank to seek financial support for his project.
However, all the presented didn't meet the bank's stringent policy for giving
out loans. Nii tries to help yet the bank denies him the loan. He leaves Ghana
out of the frustration he encountered at the bank.
He later meets
Nii again at the border when they were trying to illegally cross the border to
Nigeria.
Aaron dies when he falls from the uncompleted building
when they were running from people who had mistaken him and Nii as robbers.
MINOR CHARACTERS
lbuk
She is a friend to Mama orojo. She is a member of Amen Kristi Church and a
regular partner to mama on evangelism mission. She is in support of mama's
decision to marry Joe but she was not allowed to vote. She died during the
religious riot in Egba, Lagos.(ads)
Tom Monday
Tom is a widower who resides in lllere. We had an encounter with him when Mama
and lbuk had gone to evangelize to him at his resident. He secretly admires
mama and when he finally proposed to her, it was rather too late. He played a
major importance towards the resolution of the story, because he was the one
who hinted Nii that he looks like he had befriended and also tells him that
mama lives at ljase.
Tally O
Tally o isjoe's intimate friend and a partner in their illegal gold mining
business. He is also known as Daga. Tally O is a hardened criminal that has a
persistent record of being wanted on the police list but he keeps changing
identity from one crime to another. He met his doom on their last illegal
miming trip. This deadly trip almost claim Joe's life too but it was a turning
point for him to turn a new leaf, but Tally O never had that opportunity.
Paleo
Paleo is a ruthless immigration officer. He is in charge of other immigration
recruit whose job description is to put aliens in check He arrested Nii and
Aaron and takes them to lllere for them to work on his farm. His wife died in
the fire accident during religious riot at Egba but his child was saved
through mama's heroic response.
Headmaster
He is a retired educationist from the government service. He runs a remedial
school for students who want to improve upon their '0' and 'A' level grade.
The school runs in the afternoon so why Nii can pick a teaching job on some
days after his banking job.
Linda
Susu Boss
Auntie Joe
Odeefo Nkansah
Idem/Wachuk
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