yabasi

Yabasi tells the story of a middle-aged man, Samuel who is employed under the service of a wealthy, corrupt civil servant, Oga. He carries out his job diligently. He has a young niece, Ngozika, who lives with him and his family. She is a university graduate but has been unemployed for two years. She remains hopeful about securing gainful employment and continues to trust God for a miraculous breakthrough, until a night she is attacked on her way back from church. She loses faith and hope and gradually slips into depression. She eventually committed suicide. Oga has a son, Davson recently returned from overseas where he schooled and had worked for a few years. Unknown to everyone, David had joined a group of young Africans who are committed to ending corruption through their covert activities. David is oblivious of his father’s deep involvement in corrupt practices in his civil service career. Themes covered in the story include theme of depression, contentment, corruption, hardwork, religiosity, class difference, etc. The story mirrored some realities of the Nigerian societies, both the good and the bad. It portrayed class difference in an uncanny way, revealing how the rich and poor coexist side by side in harmony and cooperation.