3 out of 4 stars
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I had never read an African book before I read The VIP, by Chiku Abeze. This gripping novel provides the reader with insight into Nigerian culture, geography, economics, and politics. As the story begins, Nigeria is coming out of a period of military rule. Elections to form the new government are coming up. Akpa Nku, a successful businessman, begins his campaign for governor of the state of Anambra. Meanwhile, Ndu Okwu, a very young man, begins his campaign to join the house of assembly. As soon as the campaigns begin, it becomes apparent that the seeds of corruption are already being sewn. While candidates travel from town to town making grandiose claims, envelopes of cash are quietly passed to community leaders to guarantee their support. Ndu's rival even tries to pay him to drop out of the race.
After the elections, it doesn't take long before problems start brewing in the new government. As governor, Nku is a VIP; a man with power. His weakness for beautiful women leads to a scandalous affair with a teen young lady. He then favors her school with additional funds for sports equipment. When Ndu Okwu discovers these financial discrepancies, he begins looking further, finding more evidence of money mismanagement and corruption. When this information is exposed, threats begin and politics becomes a dirty business.
This book taught me so many things about Nigeria. I love how the author weaves together a story about politics and the struggles of democracy in Nigeria with so much family life and culture. The characters were very well developed and believable. I came away from this book feeling like I have a much better understanding of some of the obstacles facing the government in Nigeria and other African nations. I had no idea how prolific bribery is in both politics and society. I also greatly appreciate the tasteful way the author handles intimate relations between characters by giving us only enough information to know what is happening.
While I did find a few errors in this book, it was otherwise professionally edited. Because of the similarities between the names, I had some confusion between the characters of Nku and Ndu. Since Nku is a surname and Ndu is a first name, I am not sure why the author typically referred to them this way. Some readers might find the flow of the text a bit awkward at first. For me, this was not a problem because I was able to adjust to the author's style within a few pages.
I am giving this book a 3 out of 4 because even though it was a fabulous novel, there were a few too many typos to give it a 4. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in politics or African culture. It is a highly educational, engaging, and well-written work.
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The vip
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