The novel: “In the Name of Our Father,” is authored by Olukorede Yishau, a multiple award winning journalist, and published in 2018 by Origami. The novel tells the story of embattled Justus Omoeko, a journalist and writer. In the novel, Justus receives an anonymous letter threatening him for planning to publish a book which some people don’t want him to publish. In the letter, its author says that Justus must stop working on a book which is based on the life and exploits of a certain prophet. The manuscript of the proposed book is titled “Angels Live in Heaven”.
They don’t want the book published, and if Justus persists, he would get the Dele Giwa treatment.
And that sets the stage for the unfolding drama beginning with an extensive narration of the life of Alani, who eventually metamorphoses into Prophet Jeremiah.
In the novel, the author introduces us to Alani, a poor man whose job as cleaner only fetches him a meagre life. Alani finds himself embroiled in a pregnancy issue with 21-year-old Tosin, who has been warming his bed in the absence of his wife and child who are in the village. In an unfortunate turn of events, Tosin dies after procuring an abortion from Sunny the chemist. The pastor’s demand of one thousand naira is too much for Tosin, so she goes to Sunny, who sells medicine to poor people and also performs cheap abortion for young girls. Here ends Tosin’s dreams.
On hearing about Tosin’s death, and fearing that he might be linked with her death, Alani runs to his village, Aiyedade. In this chapter of the book titled Double Jeopardy, we read that Alani turns up at his village, but he has heart-breaking news waiting for him. Alani buries his son, slips what seems like a divorce note to his wife, Abeke, and slips out of the house and his family and village in search of a new life and new beginning.
His destination is Igando, a suburb of Lagos.
In the novel, Yishau exposes the fakery and hypocrisy of religion and how unsuspecting, vulnerable adherents are exploited for the benefit of the leader. Here we meet Pastor David, and are privy to his friendship with Alani, whom he initiates into a secret society of elders to be able to excel in the work of the master. Alani gets his tools for operation, some instructions, what will be needed for the yearly renewal of his powers, and some money as a take-off grant to start his ministry. In the course of the book, we see constant renewal sacrifices, and rituals performed to help boost, update and upgrade the ministry of the prophet. In no time, Alani metamorphoses into Prophet TC Jeremiah and pronto, his Amazing Grace Chapel is born!
In the work, In the Name of our Father, and this part titled Daughters of the Night, the author gives a vivid insight into the world of commercial sex workers and tells us about Prophet Jeremiah and Rebecca. We read here about how commercial sex workers travel from innocence to prostitution, and how some of them are determined to remain in the profession for long. So in this work, Prophet Jeremiah picks Rebecca, falls in love with her, and marries her.
Prophet Jeremiah’s church has grown, and he himself has become richer. The brotherhood has helped him to get over his nightmares and Pastor David has taken him to India for more reinforcements. He now enjoys patronage from the high and mighty in the land, including government contract seekers, politicians and big businessmen. His escapade with young girls in the church remains very keen and threatens his ministry as well. For instance, Sister Nkechi, one of the ushers, is pregnant.
In this work, the author gives the reader an insight into the personal predicament of spiritual leaders. He vividly portrays a prophet unable to heal himself and his family, but whose acclaimed spiritual authority and power is praised by gullible people both in and out of government. Here lies the irony of religiosity, especially make-believe religiosity among the people. So after six miscarriages in over two years of marriage, the Prophet and his wife, Rebecca hatch a plan to feign pregnancy and then adopt a child to give the world the impression that all is well. But the Prophet mistakenly exposes some of his deep secrets to Nkechi. She now knows about the fake pregnancy. She is now determined to have the Prophet to herself alone. She writes an anonymous letter to Rebecca to intimate her with the truth about her husband’s involvement with someone else who is pregnant.
This work deftly explores the phenomenon of betrayal in no small measure. And the portrayal of this betrayal is couched in the toga of deceit. The prophet’s secret formula is falling apart, his talismanic hold on his congregation and clientele is wavering and he now finds sleep elusive, as his sleeping moments are now occupied by nightmares.
So, while he is leaking his wounds from being told by the Brotherhood that the lifespan of his success has lapsed, his dear Rebecca writes from abroad to tell him that it is over between them. She writes to tell him that she has found out his secret. Meanwhile Nkechi is also about dumping him. Johnny, a young man who has previously been involved in a sexual relationship Nkechi, claims to originally own her pregnancy, shows up at her door. She agrees to go with Johnny. And Prophet Jeremiah’s world comes crashing down hard!
In this work In the Name of Our Father, the author perhaps has a sound understanding of what people close to people in government say and why those in government seem to not know what the masses are going through. In this work, we read that the prophet designs an entrapment formula to use on the head of state, but in all his planned discussion with the head of state, there is no plan on talking about how to make the nation better. All we see is how influential people plan to get more from their proximity to power, and not how to better the lot of people. Even the morality of their thoughts does not bother them. We also read about the endemic corruption at typical police checkpoints in Nigeria. We read about how vehicle owners only need to secure their passage by just giving the security agents some cash.
Then there is a coup, and Justus the journalist is arrested after being beaten by soldiers on the claim that he knows about the coup simply because of an article of his in the newspaper where he works. Justus is tried before a Special Military Tribunal and handed a life sentence. The other coup plotters are sentenced to death by stoning. While in prison, journalist Justus sees the corruption that goes on unbridled there, including sexual exploitation of female prisoners by warders, among others.
After a couple of months in prison, it is announced that the Commander-In-Chief, General Idoti is dead. A new Commander in Chief is sworn in, and one of his first assignments is to set Justus and others free. At this point, Justus gets the shock of his life. It all becomes clear to Justus that his travails are the result of his insistence on publishing the novella, Angels Live in Heaven, and that Prophet Jeremiah’s link with General Idoti is why he is implicated in the coup, which is also a stage managed affair. He understands that the young man who has been giving him information about the atrocities of the prophet is the one who eventually gives him away.
This 30-chapter novel is a beautifully written work, and the author vividly deploys powerful imagery to carry home his message. Olukorede Yishau intricately deploys sweet suspense with which he successfully draws his reader through the 236 pages of the work, especially making it easy for the reader by making each chapter short and precise.
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. Olatunbosun is a broadcast journalist, fact-checker and book reviewer at Splash FM 105.5, Ibadan, and he can be reached via molatunbosun@splashfm1055.com, on X and Instagram @miketunbosun.
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