In many ways this pamphlet is a continuation of the pamphlet 'Beware of women'. Although it does not declare war on African women, an Asian woman graces the cover. It advises boys not to trust their girlfriends because of their "habit of duping, bluffing and asking for much gifts from the boys," (pg.2). It declares that "it is a pamphlet that everybody should read for information, advice, wisdom and mental entertainment," (pg.2). Despite this, it may be important to note that current Western relationship advice within popular culture (Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus) uses axioms similar to Njoku's "Men are monkeys and women are baboons," (pg.32).
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My seven daughters are after young boys : [a classical drama for schools & colleges]
This play's preface suggests that the work should be read as a closet drama. Readers are duly instructed: "When ever you are annoyed, take up this booklet and go through it. You will come across very funny items that will make you forget all about your anger," (pg.8). The seven daughters of the pamphlet's title are featured as busty women on the cover to attract the reader into purchasing this play. They do not figure in the action of the play at all. In the plot the one good daughter is given to the faithful servant who warns the king that three of his wives are unfaithful. The play's story appears to come from oral tradition. The jilted wives attempt to murder the king on three different occasions. The king's dog,Tiger, protects him and the king proves to be impervious to poison and bullets. This play also incorporates elements of ritual practice and masquerade. After the dog dies of natural causes, the king consults with a traditional doctor who makes a charm after a kola nut ceremony that will prevent the king from developing any vulnerability. Both this play and Beware of Women, also by Nathan O. Njoku, have dogs that protect their masters against the poisons and bad intentions of women.
The cover of 'Beware of Women' is upside down and backwards--a fitting situation for this title! The pamphlet begins its hostility toward women with a disturbing declaration: "When you travel to other continents of the world you see that women of those parts, behave better and more lovely than our mongerish African Women…In order to discipline them, this little but effective booklet has been produced," (pg.2). The editor, presumably Okenwa, claims that the author, Nathan Njoku, is not a hater of women but an impartial observer. It is also made clear through a disclaimer that these letters and subsequent investigations are fictional--the product of Njoku's imagination. And yet the writer describes African women as greedy, manipulative and pretentious. Women are the enemy, according to Njoku,and they are just as likely to poison young men as liquidate (bankrupt) or cuckold them. "I am now at WAR with African women," declares Njoku, (pg.6). Njoku tells his readers "do not love women more than money, but love money more than women," (pg.14). But just a few pages later Njoku condemns women for loving money more than their husbands or boyfriends. The author even believes that the general wickedness of women has had biological effects. They no longer grow as tall, they develop breasts and become sexually mature at an early age, and they will accept a few pennies from boys and agree with "whatever the boy tells them," (pg.19). The anecdotes range from brief stories of how or why women will ruin the male reader and run the "four forty" (i.e. run away with men's wealth) to longer tales of how women will poison husbands and boyfriends for a little money. Njoku advises men that they have great responsibilities to their parents, community and children. He also says that a good boy is known by "salutation,respect, obedience, devotion to his duty and quietness", as opposed to a bad boy's display of "carelessness, disobedience, stubbornness and noise," (pg.47). Good girls are known for their "shyness, quietness, respect, obedience and likeness to domestic work," whereas bad girls "lack shyness [and] shame,"(pg.48). Overall, the pamphlet offers advice to men about why they cannot trust women,signaling a rift in Nigerian society over changing gender roles. The author,who also publishes under the name Felix Stephen, writes in most of his pamphlets about relationships with women and warns men away from marriage unless they want children. Women are viewed as threatening and only "very feware fair," (pg.2).
The strong feminist overtones of this fictional account suggest that the author, Adele Madumere, is a woman. Lizzy, the main character of this long story, is a strong and independent woman who continuously questions men and their intentions. In the pamphlet's opening paragraph Lizzy asks, "why are some men fond of interrupting women on high ways,?" (pg.6). The author also uses a gentle humor to look at the budding relationship between Lizzy and her suitor Ade: There was no reply from either side. Passers-by wondered why the two people broke their journey on a high way. The popular feeling was that they were discussing an important matter largely personal to them. It was bad light. Lizzy could not continue to stand on the road unmindful of her appointment, (pg.6). After Ade had waylaid Lizzy in the classic manner of Onitsha Market Literature, the author plays with those assumptions. To the main characters,it is clear that Lizzy wants nothing to do with Ade at this time, and it is only the bad light that keeps the other passers-by in the dark as to the nature of the interaction. Unlike many of the other pamphlets, Lizzy is not a naive young girl. She is separated from her first husband and does not want to commit herself to another man, even if she does come to like Ade, a politician. Lizzy and this new lover endure a scandalous court case because her husband, Mr. Cousin, has accused Ade of unlawfully detaining his wife and depriving him of his liberties. In fact, Lizzy did not leave Mr. Cousin for Ade, but rather left her husband because she did not feel like an equal partner in a polygamous marriage. She explains, "You know I had to respect you in all respects. I like your personality so dearly but hate your manners. I did all in my power to play the game with you as a comrade. You did not regard me as somebody in union with you but as a visitor," (pg.21). Thus, Lizzy left Mr. Cousin for herself rather than for another man. As Lizzy commits to Ade in the story, Madumere reverts to a more traditional plot and characterization of male dominance. When Lizzy becomes jealous of another woman, she consults a traditional healer. After this visit she inadvertently poisons Ade, and he becomes insane. In her desire to restore Ade's faculties, she poisons herself and dies. The tale ends with Ade and the other woman both committing suicide to be with their soul mates. Even though Lizzy, as a heroine, creates an interesting space in the story to assert both independence and moral character, in the end she appears to be caught up by her love for Ade and controlled once again by a man.
The last days of Lumumba (the late lion of the Congo); a drama
This play is a historical drama by possibly the most prolific playwright of Onitsha Market Literature. Iguh writes in his preface that the purpose of the play is to inform readers of the last days of Lumumba and the manner in which he died. He then declares his work fictional rather than a true account. Although many of the pamphlets make similar claims, it is a curiosity as to why Iguh made these two contradictory statements. The pamphlet contains many photos of Lumumba, Mobutu, Tshombe and other political players. These photos appear to be taken from newspapers and other accounts of Lumumba, the coup and his arrest. Additionally, scenes appear to be taken from court proceedings or parliamentary records. The photos and court proceedings add weight to Iguh's initial statement about informing the public,but they also seem to contribute to the fictive quality of this play. With these photos and court proceedings, Iguh creates a fictive Lumumba who is Christlike. In a court scene before the Belgian colonial officials, the counsel appears to be a Pontius Pilate questioning a militant Christ who is much more the lion than the lamb: You better sit down Mr. Crown Counsel if you have no more question [sic] to ask me. I am the lion and the impregnable rock of this country! . . . I am being judged by them now but a day shall come when I will judge them rather,(pg.22-23). This scene follows a triumphant procession of Lumumba riding a horse into the market square with his followers who wave palm branches and proclaim him King of the Congo. It ends with Lumumba commending his spirit to God and declaring that he will fight the Belgians dead or alive. Thus, Lumumba's role as savior does not end with the Belgians leaving the Congo and his ascension as Prime Minister. Rather, it continues into the postcolonial state after his death. While the characterization of Lumumba is Christlike, Mobutu, Tshombe, and Kassavubu play Judas in order to complete the biblical imagery and comparison.The spirit of God speaks to Lumumba and foretells his arrest by Mobutu and his subsequent death. The spirit also advises him to send his family to Egypt, the land of Freedom. Lumumba and two of his "disciples" are placed on wooden boards, beheaded and burnt. The play ends with a press release stating that the three were killed by villagers. The Lumumbists declare that the "black race as a whole" has been murdered and they shall be revenged. Iguh's play has a definite message that appears to be carefully crafted to create a distrust of corrupt governments throughout Africa. In an essay published in the Journal of Modern African Studies in 1964, K. W. J. Post argues that the attention paid to Lumumba as "the martyr, saint and [...] god" (pg.406) reflects an educated, Pan-Africanist reading public, but even more importantly, this reading group is deeply suspicious of and "opposed to the Nigerian status quo," (pg.413). He also argues that it is significant that this play and other pamphlets about Lumumba "have almost all been published in Onitsha, a town on the River Niger which is the 'gateway to the East," (pg.411). This play was originally performed at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in the eastern region and revived for a production in Lagos, (pg.405).
Learn to speak 360 interesting proverbs and know your true brother
Providing almost one proverb for every day of the year, C. N. Eze offers several intriguing messages about wisdom, justice and morality. In the first 19 chapters of this pamphlet Eze discusses how "brotherhood" has both lagged and manifested itself, (pg.2). He cleverly ties the meanings of some proverbs to the act of knowing your true brother. For example, Eze reminds readers of "a proverb of first class reality" -- "Appearances are often deceptive," (pg. 3). Thus, "know your true brother," as the title suggests. In addition, he draws on social justice themes in proverbs such as, "All neighbours are cousins to the rich man but the poor man's brother does not know him," (pg.39). And bear in mind: "Good advice is poor food to a hungry family," (pg.39).
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This play is unique in the Onitsha collection for several important reasons.It was written just after the Biafran War, described by the playwright as "the shooting war," (pg.2). Additionally, it has a definite production history. It was performed for two short runs in Onitsha and Enugu where Nonye Eneanya and Mrs. Ngozi Egwuatu are identified as the producers. It was presumably performed for and/or by Onitsha's Anglican Girls' Grammar School that was destroyed in the war. There is also clear indication as to how the set at one of the performances appeared, for as the introduction notes "the classroom scene where some of the pupils sit on cement blocks and use their knees for a desk recreates a clear picture of the plight of pupils in damaged educational institutions," (pg.2). Nonye Eneanya, a member of the teaching staff at the Anglican Girls' Grammar School, uses the conventions of realism to attempt to document the war and its aftermath on the area. The play's language is a mixture of English and Igbo,and many high quality woodcuts and illustrations enhance the story. However,the play does have significant problems, possibly because it was written "on the spur of the moment" by Eneanya, (pg.1). Time and a sense of causation are underdeveloped at times. Yet In Our Time relates a strong message about the effects of the war when stage directions and set descriptions create a sense of place and time. The prologue provides much of the context of the Biafran war and its aftermath. The narrator creates an atmosphere of hopelessness and optimism: Brother had plucked yet another brother in the course of a fratricidal conflict that had been raging for nearly three years, (pg.5). For an observer of the Nigerian civil war the picture was still real as at January 1, 1970. He therefore believed that the Nigerian conflict would never end...But it did end, miraculously too . . . the soldiers threw away their guns to rush into their opponents [sic] arms in warm embrace, (pg.6-7). This play appears to be very much influenced by these bipolar impulses. The Dimgba family has suffered greatly from the war. They were a well-to-do family that lost their livelihoods during the war and moved away from Lagos. Their children are unable to attend school throughout the war and the schools in the area are destroyed. The play opens with the announcement that the schools are reopening and no fees will be charged. However, this is a promise that cannot be kept and the children are eventually kicked out of their classes because they cannot pay the school fees. The husband, unable to cope with the shame and his inability to provide for his children, reacts violently. The wife provides solutions and demands respect for her daughters and herself. She will not let her husband marry them off and get drunk from the money received from their future husbands' families. In its use of realistic conventions, this play calls for respect for women and their contributions to the family. For example, Mrs.Dimgba confronts Mr. Dimgba and retorts: "You scold and howl at me like an outcast. Why should you shout on me? I'm neither your housemaid nor you slave, mark you," (pg.16). However, the two scenes that are the most realistic do very little to actually move the story forward. In the first, Mrs. Dimgba visits money lenders to secure school fees. Two of the lenders are hostile towards her, presumably because of their positions during the war. A relief organization is mentioned as well as an amnesty act. However the scene does not develop this conflict or make it an important part of creating a sense of reconciliation between the two sides. The scene in the classroom emphasizes the devastation to the schools and the poverty of the students and teachers. One of the science teachers has a blackboard image of a chemistry experiment that she is teaching the class. It is apparent that she does not have any of the equipment for the students to actually do the experiment, and consequently the students are unable to learn the concepts of this experiment. This scene does not have any of the Dimgba children in class. So there is no sense of consequence, causation or development that could lead to the play's overly hopefully ending. The play ends on an impossibly optimistic note as all of the children excel in school and receive scholarships while Mr. Dimgba gets his job back.
Onitsha, Nigeria : University Publishing Co.
The African bachelor's guide and lady's guide : to be read before marriage and after it
This guide offers general advice for unmarried men and women as well as married couples in eighteen short chapters. The forward notes that the theme of the pamphlet is "look before you leap," (pg.4). An entertaining chapter 13 lists "The Ten Commandments of Love for Boys and Girls." Several of the commandments reveal a feminist viewpoint, including the following--No. 2: "Treat your partner as an equal counseled with, and work together in solving mutual problems" and No. 5: "Preserve self respect." Two others deal explicitly with sexuality--No. 8: "Have confidence in sex relations. Perfect love casteth out fear" and No. 9: "Control your sex life. Do not be a slave."The last commandment serves as a summation of Diala's message--No. 10:"Respect love for its worth. It can be of the biggest factors in your happiness and success, (pg.35). Some of the chapters cover lighter issues such as wedding toasts and skincare, but Diala is not afraid to tackle heavy subjects such as "Bride price:Is it right or wrong?" (pg.38). At the end, however, the author closes with a cautionary tale about "siren spinsters" who harbor a destructive preference for married men as lovers, (pg.44-48). Thus, the "modern" outlook expressed throughout much of the pamphlet remains overshadowed by an uneasiness with liberated women.
Onitsha, [Nigeria] : Njoku & Sons Bookshop
Respect for human dignity : an inaugural address
A pamphlet of a political nature, 'Respect for Human Dignity', is Nnamdi Azikiwe's Inaugural Address as the first African Governor-General and Commander in Chief of the Federation of Nigeria. Addressing his fellow Nigerians on 16 November 1960, Azikiwe, a prominent nationalist, celebrates the transformation of governorship in Nigeria from "an instrument of absolute authority" during the colonial era to "an instrument of constitutional authority" now that Nigeria is a sovereign state, (pg.2). In his address he includes some political history of the transition to representative democracy before focusing on the themes of human rights and dignity. He equates his oaths as Nigeria's new leader with the challenge to maintain respect for human dignity, (pg.6). As Nigeria moves out of the colonial past, Azikiwe observes, "The lack of respect for human dignity has led to the political bondage of man by man in Africa," (pg.6). He continues, "Under no circumstance shall we accept the idea that the black race is inferior to any other race." (pg.7). In fact, Azikiwe pledges that Nigeria will avoid entering into relationships with any nations that "practice race prejudice . . . no matter how it may be legally cloaked, (pg.7). Azikiwe forcefully argues,"Without respect for the rule of law permeating our political fabric, Nigeria would degenerate into a dictatorship with its twin relatives of tyranny and despotism. I hold that the arbitrary exercise of power without the restraining influence of the rule of law must be condemned as a fundamental departure from constitutional government. Any justification of such untrammeled exercise of political power is, to me, an outrage on human conscience and a gross violation of human rights," (pg.6). He sets an agenda for his country that has "come a long way in achieving our independence," (pg.8). In addition, he calls on Africans across the continent to join in liberating efforts. Referring to several white settler regimes "as minorities with great political power" in various parts of Africa, Azikiwe warns that "it is only a matter of time, when the independent African States will come into their own and plan to rescue their kith and kin from this social degradation," (pg.10). Quoting Langston Hughes at the end of his address, Azikiwe calls on Nigerians to "youthfully march together to a greater tomorrow for Nigeria in unity with faith," (pg.18). This historic speech remains important as a document of the optimistic days surrounding Nigeria's nascent democracy. This was an exuberant time which preceded the crisis and suffering of the Biafran War and the military coups and dictators that came to characterize Nigerian government. With the 2003 re-election of Olusegun Obasanjo as President, Nigeria has returned towards the path to representative democracy. The hope of many Nigerians is that in the21st century an executive leader will serve as "an instrument of constitutional authority," as Azikiwe noted over 40 years ago, (pg.2). Azikiwe's charge in 1960 holds true for Nigerians today: "I appeal to all our leaders, far and near, to forget the wounds which were inflicted in the course of our internecine altercations. The love of our country should out-weight the love of our petty selves," (pg.16-17).
Onitsha, Nigeria : Union Publishing Company
This long pamphlet is described as "a novel on the dangers of illegal injections and self-medications," (pg.70). Neither an advice guide nor how-to pamphlet, this fictional account joins others by Akuneme that cover issues related to mental health, pharmacy and poisons as part of a series called "Health First". The story follows a "law-abiding" yet disgruntled trader named Okondu who joins up with a dubious character named Sunday to administer illegal injections for profit. Okondu's first wife, Ola, and son, Bom-Boy, receive poisonous injections containing arsenic from Okondu to "cure" their ailments. Rather than promoting growth, strength and healing, the injections bring disaster to Okondu's family. Characters in this tale learn lessons about their experiences "in the hands of quacks," (pg.68). One strong message within the story is that drugs "are two-edged swords," (pg.45). In the end, education conquers ignorance and Okondu is forgiven for his attempt to substitute three quick weeks of "quack" apprenticeship for six years of rigorous professional medical training. Akuneme writes, "May God Forgive Okondu and his ilk for they know not what they are doing," (pg.29). Some Of the challenges facing Nigeria's medical profession and its ailing citizens, as well as the country's transportation network, are revealed in this entertaining story.
Awo-omamma, Eastern Nigeria : Oma Printing Press