DIRECTOR! By Agbo Areo

It was a familiar scenario in the country whenever one wanted to do things like taking a quick photo, or "browsing" at an internet cafe - with electricity supply interminably cut off; the proprietor of the "business" would invariably go through the routine of switching on the nearby jaded generator, fumes billowing forth from the beleaguered engine, and the concomitant jarring noise from the machine. Hence life somewhat goes on, in conformity with the modern world! Now I was at an Internet cafe; and yes, the generator had just been switched on. Alas, there were glitches: the machine kept on spluttering, and switching on and off. The harassed owner of the firm mopped his brow and said to me: "Sorry about the delay sir, just a few more minutes...perhaps you'll kindly enter the main office and wait a bit till the generator is back to form?" Hence I went to the main office, where I saw a young lady, seated. She seemed so thin and fragile! But then I noticed her hands, they were strong, somewhat depicting resilience and character. The lady greeted me with some respect, and then I saw the book she was holding. Titled "Director! By Agbo Areo". I smiled, as my mind quickly went down memory lane. "You know this book sir?" she said. I nodded. "One of the 'Pacesetters' series of yore," I told her. "The (book) series was very popular many years ago. It's so rare now seeing any copies' though..." The girl said: "I know sir; I took this from my father's library. He used to love to read a lot. But now he's an old man - old like you," I winced. Then I said: "Are you enjoying the book?" She replied: "Yes sir. It is an interesting book, with the main character a bad man really, since he was young... I will see what happens to him in the end..." And I thought about the book too - yes, the protagonist (Akinduro Falana) was obsessed with lust for quick wealth since he was a kid...up to a gamut of bad deeds whilst in school, falsifying his results, lying outrageously, mixing with shady characters including teen prostitutes from a young age...a school drop-out. In propitious fashion, he profits greatly from a horrific accident, stealing money from the scene which he uses to start his own business...apparently, this disgusting character prospers, a magnet for women whom he spends large amounts of money on, revelling in expensive clothes "wonyosi", and the trappings of wealth...when his office supplies run out he brazenly goes out at night to rob and plunder, all in the bid to prop up his tottering, shady business, and of course his own status as "rich powerful man" - Director!! But this odious character gets his just deserts in the end as the law descends on him like a sack of potatoes...(‘review’ by malome Eric)