Review Of Gege Baseran's The Exit Of Alagbara

Over a decade back, African writers have emerged the social responsibility of weaponising African society, and have the voice of down-trodden masses heard in their books. This is so as a result of socio-economic and brutal hardship, coupled with societal imbalance which African society is being subjected to by acute leadership failure and overwhelming corruption. Gege Baseran’s play, the exit of Alagbara , just like other books of contemporary African writers is a reactionary text that aims at subjecting the Nigerian society, where the book emerges from to absolute scrutiny; hence the origin of this can be undoubtedly  traced to neo-classical writers like John Dryden, Alexander Pope, William Congreve and others who wrote purposely to save hope of masses from the jaws of jaguars of political tyrants who have turned the nation to hostile graveyard and moribund mortuaries, where hopes sing threnodies of pain every day.

The book gives a vast microscopic view of Nigerian society by building the plot around a young man Bodunrin who seems to be harbinger of hope for the jackbooted hoi polloi. The protagonist, having being born into abject poverty, is forced to leave university where it is assumed to have been studying law before joining police force, so as to bridge-gap between poverty and sustainability. He later discovers himself as the only star in the cloudy sky of the sector as those around him seem to be fiendish cohorts and instrument of corruption.  Bodunrin character is not like Wilston Smith of George Orwell’s 1984 who later succumbs to the will of big brother after severe hardship and unbearable torment. He determines to die on the truth rather than being labelled as instrument of the nation peculiar mess. Even when Rikuyo and Orandiran come to him for another devious work to be done, he remains the Jesus of his time. The portrayal of inspector Odaran in the play portrays the rate which corruption has engulfed the men-in-black of the security sector of Nigeria. The book subjects Inspector Odanran , Bodunrin’s boss to public questioning and criticism as he  makes an agreement with notorious power-drunk  political tyrant senator Alagbara, who perpetrates evil at the corridor of good Samaritanism  by back-boning the church of charlatanism, to give a false witness in the court of law over the issue of electoral malpractices he is being accused of. The rejection of Bodurin of this offer almost causes his untimely death as he is being shot by unknown gun men at the night of the day he promises give witness against Senator Alagbara before justice.

The man of truth shall never die in the position of lie as the popular adage says. Bodurin is rescued and taken to a hospital where he survives death. Alagbara eventually dies of heart attack in the court while inspector Odaran and his same-minded and egocentric boys- Jabalu, Rikuyo, Orandiran are shot by unknown anger-whelmed Protestants.The character of Alagbara is indeed the portrayal of vulturism and vulturistic attitudes that have captured every sector of Nigeria. Having being a satire, the idea of the book  is very realistic in African society which the book  finds its origin. I vividly believe that seeing young writers like Beseran, addressing the issue of societal imbalance will undoubtedly cut down the wing political decadence and vulturistic ideology which have been the order of the day. The book is a harbinger of hope to common man and it amounts Nigerian society to humour for wave of consciousness to be made closely near to every soul. Similarly, I believe the play is of the opinion that there must always be a space for masses to get themselves out the squalors of marauding monsters, masquerading themselves as subservient leaders. Exit of Alagbara is a giver of hope. Despite the degree of overwhelming corruption encapsulating the storyline, the play seems to have seen hope hanging somewhere even where there seems to be dark for the oppressed.

The portrayal of Bodurin typifies optimism. Though the oppressed ones may be made arm folded, the book is also of the opinion that it is the hoi polloi that will say ‘No’ to political imbalance of their society. No Messiah will fall from the sky because man is the cause of change. By this, the ideology that ‘’ he who rejects the beacon of money shall answer the call of poverty’’ shall be absolutely rendered vanished.  While perusing through the book, I found it to be woven around sublimity.  The writer shows himself as someone that can control language. The introduction of the narrator at the initial and end of the play makes it more under stable and charming. 

However, the title of the book to me sounds local and crude compared to other books of contemporary African writers. Though the title portrays temporariness of human wish, Baseran should have used a copious and general title rather than one pinpointing at the repercussion of getting to the seat of government by do-or-die alone.  A literary work of art is a window to the world. Every literary work of art is expected to shed light to gloom. Though the rescue of Bodurin after being shot is dues ex machina usually employed by playwright to rescue doomed actor, the way it is applied is not blatant and more explicit to deserve the play kudos. For society like Nigeria, seeing a Good Samaritan like the doctor who rescues Bodurin is very rare and uncommon. The fact that Bodurin is aided out of his situation is ironic in the environment the book emerges, which has to be critically subjected to criticism.