Background
Ahmed Yerima was born in Lagos to Saidatu and Musa Yerima. His father
was a police officer and originally intended Yerima to study Law. He
had his education at the Baptist Academy, Obanikoro, Lagos, Southwest
Nigeria where in was involved in a theatre group made up of students. He
later enrolled at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in the State
of Osun, Southwest Nigeria where he earned his degree in Theatre Arts.
In 1991, Yerima got into the administrative division of Nigeria's
cultural edifice as a Deputy Artistic Director of the National Troupe
and in 2000, he was made Director. Apart from his duties with the
troupe, he has taught courses at the University of Lagos. In 2006,
Yerima was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the National
Theatre, formerly Nigeria's premier event centre. The theatre had
gradually been chipping away its former glory since a young Yerima
visited it in 1977.
Yerima is a very prolific dramatist in Nigeria. Well vast in the
culture of Nigeria, he has written more than twenty plays which focus
on problems and prospects of different tribes in Nigeria. Apart from
Hard Ground, his other works include
Modern
Nigerian Theatre: The Geoffrey Axworthy Years, 1956-1967; Basic
Techniques in Play Writing; Theatre and Democracy in Nigeria which he co-edited with Ayo Akinwale;
Ameh
Oboni the Great; The Limam and Ade Ire; The Angel and Other Plays;
Otaelo; The Lottery Ticket; Yemoja; Dry Leaves on Ukan Tres; The
Sisters; The Sick People; Attahiru; The Trials of Oba Ovoramwem;
Kaffir's Last Game; The Bishop and the Souls and
The Silent Gods.
Recently, there have been many literary works written to mirror some
the issues confronting the post-independent Nigerian state. One of
such issues is the crisis in the Niger Delta.
Hard Ground which won the drama category of the 2007
Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas literary prize is a critique on the
contemporary issues on the Niger Delta. The play is set in the Niger
Delta and deals with the topical and painful issue in the region which
has been rendered useless for farming by oil exploration. The Niger
Delta is boiling and it is at the brink of becoming a national
disaster. The topicality of the play therefore makes it a classic.
Plot
(Plot is the major action in a text.)
Nimi had dropped out of school because of his mission to become a
child soldier to fight for his people. Child soldiering is a criminal
act of young people brutalizing people and stealing away young innocent
girls. They lose their humanity. There is no law anymore, no parental
influence anymore for such children.
This is where Nimi belongs. As he drops out from school to take up
arms to emancipate his people, things grow from bad to worse. Not too
long, the table is turned against him. He is accused of masterminding
the death of Don's boys and for this reason; Don is after his very life.
After being released by his parents who had paid his ransom, Nimi is
warned not to go back to the jungle else he would be killed by Don and
his faction. However, because of the love he has for Pikibo, his new
found love now with his baby, Nimi cannot but dream to see his wife and
child.
In the end, his parents prevail over Nimi to remain at home but as
the play ends, Nimi becomes sadder having lost his wife and child and
his father who pretends to be Don.
Characters
(Characters are people who interact in a text.)
Alabo:
He is ruthless police informant who
eliminates anyone whom he suspects as being a traitor. Alabo represents
the so-called black sheep who often stain the image of the police. He
does not have human feelings and often abuses the very people he was
employed to protect.
Baba:
He is the father of Nimi. Unlike his wife,
Mama, Baba is calm and hopeful that all will be well in his family and
in the entire region. He knows when to act and when not to act.
Although he may be seen as a fool and irresponsible, Baba cannot be
mistaken for someone who seeks and pursues peace. In fact, it is for
the sake of peace and reconciliation that makes him pretend to be Don
so that after his death, his family could live peacefully since their
arch enemy has been eliminated.
Christy:
Although not much is heard from and
about this character, she is no doubt a deceptive woman as she connives
with Tonye to poison Nimi. Christy is a pathological murderer. She is
heartless and selfish.
Don:
He is the ruthless leader of the militant
group who supervises the killings and kidnapping of those they think are
their enemies. He calls people vultures and he has no respect for
human life. He is a type of ruthless war lords in Africa.
Father Kinsley:
He is Nimi's uncle and the
Reverend Father in-charge of the Roman Catholic Church. He seems to be a
traitor by disclosing the activities of the militant boys to the
police. Although we cannot be sure of his innocence, what he has been
accused of is true to human nature. Again, Father Kinsley can be seen
as a portrayal of the political intercourse between the Church and the
State.
Inyingifaa:
He is Mama's brother and Nimi's uncle
who gives insights on what is happening in the camp. As a selfish gun
runner, he is angry that so many of his boys have been killed that his
business is in ruin. His interest lies only on money and he can betray
his own family just to get money.
Mama:
She is the mother of Nimi. She is a loving
mother who is afraid for the life of her only child who is now in great
danger. Mama can be said to be religious and superstitious to some
extent. She happens to be the only one that mentions God in the play.
She is also quite emotional. Like most women, she has filial love for
his child and remains true to her marriage.
Nimi:
The only child of Baba and Mama, Nimi is the
protagonist in the play. He is a fearless young man who drops out from
school to join the militant boys to fight for the emancipation of his
people. He would not mind giving his ear to save his people. There are
instances in the play where he does not want to be like his father who
seems to be fearful. Nimi represents all the young men in the Niger
Delta region of Nigeria who have dropped out from school, gone to the
creeks and taken up arms against the State.
Pikibo:
She is the young girl impregnated by Nimi
while in the camp. Her condition and tragic end is an x-ray of what
young women go through in such a chaotic environment as the Niger
Delta. While the young men suffer brutalization by the State security
operatives, namely the police and the soldiers, young women, like
Pikibo, often suffer rape and abandonment.
Tingolongo Kala Epkasiaba: This is the masquerade
which represents the gods and the tradition. His presence in the play
is very important. Although the activities of the militant youths are
hidden from the eyes of men, they are open in the eyes of God.
Themes
(Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.)
Violence and Death
As a tragedy, the play is no doubt full of violence. Violence and death
are two bedfellows. The violent fights have sent so many lives to
their early graves. This is exactly what is happening in the Niger
Delta. Baba's death ends the play in a tragic scene. Although violence
has hardly solved any problem, mankind has often resorted to it as a
tool of redress.
Intrigue and Betrayal
The play is no doubt set on intrigues or interest groups. The
personality of each character in the play is stained with deception and
betrayal. For instance, Inyingifaa plays double game with his family
and Mama could see through his intrigue. Father Kinsley is also accused
of betraying the confidence Nimi reposes in him despite the fact that
he is a Reverend Father. Don on the other hand is an arch traitor who
has no human feeling for any body. The state of Pikibo and the chiefs
that poison Nimi also reveal some form of betrayal. One may argue that
if Nimi is truly loved by the people for his struggle for freedom, why
then do the chiefs plan to kill him. This is deceit in the highest
order. Again, there have not been good measures by the government in
managing the situation before it deteriorates. This can also be seen as a
betrayal of the common people.
However, I can argue that Mr. Yerima is neither with the government
or the people. According to him, everybody is culpable. He is being
objective for the reader to judge. This is what is called objectivity in
literature. His concern is with deplorable and pathetic human
condition faced by ordinary people. He is advocating for peace or
dialogue.
Conflict
The conflict in Baba's home represents the conflict in the Nigerian
society. As can be found in the Niger Delta in particular and in the
Nigerian society in general, there are many factions who are in conflict
among themselves. There is no unity between father and son and by
extension among different factions in the Niger Delta crisis.
Sometimes, it is a case of a kingdom rising against itself.
There is also a conflict between faith and human nature. Despite all
the wrongs which have been done to Nimi and his family, the Christian
faith expects them to forgive but this seems to be the most difficult
thing to do at the moment. Throughout the play, these characters
continue to struggle between their natural inclination and the
Christian doctrine of forgiveness which they have imbibed for years.
Therefore, I can conclude by saying that
Hard Ground portrays both internal and external conflicts.
Poverty
Whether we like it or not, the major cause of the senseless killings
in the Niger Delta is poverty. It is an irony that people could go to
bed hungry in a region where billions of naira is churned into the
coffers of the Nigerian Federal and State governments monthly. It is
this poverty that drives many of the militant youths to violence. Since
Mama felt ill and could not pay the fees of Nimi, (no thanks to the
father who has found a new love) Nimi becomes a drop out and joins the
militants to fight. In order to free themselves from the ferocious grip
of poverty, Mama advises his son to go back to school. Like Moll
Flanders in Daniel Defoe's eponymous novel, I can say that poverty
drives many young men in the Niger Delta region to the militant groups
but avarice keeps them in.
Complex Nature of Crisis
Hard Ground also deals with the complex issues surrounding
any crisis. While some truly want the crisis to stop, others like
Inyingifaa wants it to continue because of what they can gain from the
situation. The proliferation of different factions within the militant
groups also makes the crisis situation more complex. Even if the
government want to dialogue with the group, one wonders which faction
in particular the government will dialogue with.
Infidelity
The infidelity in Baba's family is a symbolic of the infidelity in
the government. Although marriage is for better or worse, Baba takes on
another wife and abandons Mama to her fate. This abandonment can also
be related to the abandonment of the Niger Delta by the Nigerian
government. Just as Baba abandons Mama and goes to the house of the
strange woman to squander his resources at the expense of his family,
Nigerian government has also squandered the resources of the Niger
Delta and leaves it in a reckless mess.
Love
One is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the world today.
This is because love means different things to different people. This
could be the major reason why we have different kinds of love. Since
Hard Ground (I
may say) is conceived in deception and given birth to in violence,
there is no overt display or portrayal of the so-called romantic love.
The only form of love displayed in the novel is filial love between
Mama and Nimi. Again, this love between Mama and Nimi is contrasted
with the hatred both have for Don. There is no doubt that there is no
love lost between Baba and Mama. If there was any true love between
them, Baba wouldn't have left Mama for another woman during her
sickness.
Deceit
Apart from love, deceit is another major theme in Mr. Yerima's
Hard Ground. For
example, Baba's pretention as Don is a portrayal of deceit going on
not only in the Niger Delta but throughout the country. People are not
who they pretend to be. Those who are praised today can turn out to be
mocked and those who are mocked can turn out to be praised. Such is the
deception of life. The deceit in the play therefore makes it ironical.
It is ironical that Don whom Nimi despises, is the same he admires and
loves in his father who pretends to be Don.
here is also an angle of double dealing as Tonye and Christy poison
Nimi. Baba acts like an irresponsible man, as a camouflage for his real
identity as the Don. Mama also has the intention of killing Baba while
she was sharpening the knife.
Family Tragedy
Hard Ground is a domestic tragedy which mirrors what is
happening or can happen in the Niger Delta and by extension, in any
other part of Nigeria. It also dramatizes the effects of the Niger
Delta crises on the family. It is set in the Niger Delta region of
Nigeria in the home of Baba and Mama. The Niger Delta is one of the
richest parts of Nigeria and it produces oil. What makes the play so
sad is because; it is at the point of family destruction. The subject
matter is relevant and topical. It is a story of a young man, Nimi, who
engages in a fight for freedom from oppression. The play has a lot of
suspense and it is a tragedy. The dramatic suspense is maintained all
through. The play is all about the struggle in the Niger Delta. The
playwright looks at it from human angle. With the death of Don, the
family might not be the same again. Even the group that supports Don
might not even be the same with the death of Don. The play therefore
draws on a sad history of Niger Delta. The greatest impact of this play
is the impact it has on individual like Mama.
The whole family is now in turmoil and there is no one to help them.
This is the human angle which the play attempts to explore. Nimi is
alienated from his own family and his parents are total strangers and
enemies to him.
Language
The novel is also a portrayal of language. At the level of language,
one could see local colour. The speeches of the characters are quite
realistic because they reveal their gender and level of education.
Hard Ground is
a straight forward play and easy to understand. Although we do not see
the action in the real sense, we only hear Nimi's account of the
fight. There is no attempt at all to look at the conflict level.
Instead, we hear it retold by Nimi who is now apprehended by those who
pretend to love him.
Motifs
(Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text's major themes.)
Self Preservation: Throughout the play, we see
attempts by individuals, groups or governments to preserve themselves
and their interest. In order for Nimi to preserve himself and his
family, he drops out from school to join a militant group which has
taken up arms against the State in order to preserve their region from
total annihilation. The politicians who recruit and arm these young men
only do that for their selfish interest. The States and Federal
governments of Nigeria on their parts use the security agencies and
silence to clamp down on the militants in order to preserve the oil
wells for their personal and collective aggrandisement. Arguably, self
preservation is the first law of survival but when we try to preserve
ourselves at the expense of other people, we often receive violent
reactions from those we hurt. This is exactly what we see in
Hard Ground. Therefore, self-preservation is really a hard ground to tread.
Symbols
(Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colours used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.)
Tingolongo Kala Epkasiaba: This masquerade is not just a character but
a
symbol which represents the gods and the tradition. His presence in
the play is very important. Although the activities of the militant
youths are hidden from the eyes of men, they are open in the eyes of
God. Tingolongo Kala Epkasiaba therefore symbolizes the God who sees
all human activities and the motives behind them.
Summary and Analysis of Sections in Hard Ground by Ahmed Yerima
Sections
The First Day
The play begins in the sitting room of Baba. Nimi was sent to school to
learn but he joined the gang of armed groups who fight for the
emancipation of the Niger Delta region. He is now a drop out who returns
home from the camp after the parents have paid a ransom for his
release. He has been accused of killing twenty people. Nimi is very
angry at the way things are and is ready to take on the parents at
least to vent his anger on them. The parents are afraid that their only
child has turned a monster. There is altercation between Mama and
Nimi, her only child. The source of Nimi's anger is not really from the
parents but from the uneven distribution of resources in the entire
region and by extension, the whole nation. Poverty is the source of his
anger.
While the parents are apprehensive about the fate that awaits their
only child, Nimi is happy that he is part of the struggle to emancipate
his people. He tries to convince his parents of the need to fight for
their rights and to eliminate those who have been feeding fat on their
resources. He explains to the pensive parents that he did not kill
anybody but rather it was the soldiers that killed eighteen members of
his group.
Mama condemns Nimi's action which she believes it is thoughtless and
lacks any consideration for their emotional state. Nimi explains to
her again that all he did was to follow the instruction of Don, their
leader. Mama is afraid that she will soon lose her son to the same man
who masterminded the death of her brother ten years earlier. After Nimi
has told the parents how a girl he impregnated was killed, Mama urges
her husband to rise and save the situation. Baba, a thoughtful and
perhaps, a fearful man, cautions her to be calm.
Inyingifaa reveals that Don is planning to kill Nimi because he
thinks he is the one that caused the death of Ngofa—another militant
boy. Nimi then accuses Father Kinsley of disclosing their plan to the
police because before the raid he had gone to him for confession. Mama
cannot bear the revelations brought by her son so she excuses them to
go to bed. Baba then advises Nimi to reorder his steps even as he
expresses his fear for his life. Nimi assures him that nothing will
happen to him. Inyingifaa laments over the senseless killing of
tribesmen even as Nimi continues to defend his innocence.
There is an altercation between Nimi and his uncle who accuses him
of masterminding the death of his boys. In the meantime, Father Kinsley
comes in and Nimi uses this opportunity to vent his anger upon him
since he believes that it is him who has been feeding the police with
information about their militant activities. Inyingifaa comes to the
rescue of Father Kinsley who continues to defend his innocence.
Inyingifaa assures Nimi that he will tell Don that he is innocent and
with this assuring word, Nimi releases Father Kingsley from his grip.
After being intoxicated by the poisoned alcoholic gin he has gulped,
Nimi has a dream where he sees the headless body of Pikibo carrying
his son. He becomes apprehensive about his dream but his mother tells
him that it was an alcohol induced dream. She tells him that all will
be well with his wife and son. She narrates the story of how she came
to marry his father after the latter had forced her to have sex with
him. She pleads with him never to go back to fight in the creeks for
fear of being killed. However, Nimi assures her that he will come back
alive with his wife and son. She then advises him to go back to school
so that he will have a good job to cater for the family.
Nimi's mother also tells her son how she felt ill when he was just
eight years old and since then his father has abandoned her to her
fate. The scene ends as Mama bids Nimi good night and advises him not to
heed the call of Don if he sent for him.
This scene graphically presents the tension and conflicts in the
families in the Niger Delta. Baba's family is used as a microcosm of
the macrocosm of the larger society of the Niger Delta region. The
problem of the Niger Delta started at the discovery of oil in
commercial quantity at the dawn of Nigeria's independence in 1960.
Since then, oil has become the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. Oil
politics has therefore become the bane of Nigerian society. Yerima uses
this scene to describe the chasm in family relationships in the Niger
Delta region.
The Next Day
Chief Alabo and Tonye visit Nimi to appreciate him with some gifts
for his patriotic work in fighting to emancipate his people. The duo
particularly salutes the courage of Nimi in masterminding the removal of
Chief Tomfort whom they claim was feeding fat on the resources of the
people. Nimi tells his guests how they were recruited by greedy
politicians who later dumped them and then they began to fight for the
people. He is optimistic that they will succeed in the fight for the
emancipation of the people of the Niger Delta but Chief Alabo advises
against using violence to achieve their aim.
Not quite long, the merry gives way to mourning as Nimi lies dead in
alcohol. He is believed to have been poisoned by his detractors.
Because of his state, Baba and Mama begin to fight as they blame each
other's carelessness for being the cause of Nimi's misfortune.
Tingolongo, a masquerade figure, visits Nimi to blame him of his
error in killing two men who ran to his shrine to take refuge. Nimi
pleads that he only acted under instruction from Don. Tingolongo tells
Nimi that the gods are angry with their actions and for this reason, he
cannot escape the punishment. He says by killing the people, the gods
have been robbed of worshippers who will pour libations at their
shrines.
After the departure of Tingolongo, Nimi goes back to sleep only to
be aroused by a fearful dream in which he sees Pikibo carrying his dead
child. Before Nimi could recover from his apprehensions, Inyingifaa
comes in to tell him about the death of his wife, Pikibo. Nimi becomes
too wild for anybody to control as he runs out of the house threatening
to fight back. Father Kinsley admonishes Nimi to confess his sins and
forgive his enemies but the latter finds this the most difficult thing
to do at this moment. Nimi seems to see salvation only in the jungle
where he is planning to go back. At this point, his mother comes back
from the market and pleads with him not to go back to the jungle.
Father Kinsley reminds the family of Don's proposed visit to the family
but this news sparks a fresh violent revenge thought on Nimi's mind.
Mama begins to prepare the house for Don's visit even as she summons
the gods to protect her house from every evil. Inyingifaa gives Mama
an envelope which he claims contains the money she paid for the ransom
of Nimi. As the play comes to an end, Baba disguises as Don and visits
the family as expected and Nimi unknowingly hacks him to death.
This scene reveals a lot of issues that have national significance.
The first is the insincerity of the leaders of the Niger Delta. Chief
Tomfort represents those greedy leaders of the region who often betray
the people by conniving with the government and its business partners to
rip-off the people. Although Chief Tomfort cloaks his greed with
philanthropic actions, the people could see through his deception. He
buys guns and recruits other children to fight while his own children
are flown abroad to live and school peacefully. This is the greatest
pain of the whole crisis—the actors and gladiators of the violence are
not usually the victims of the crisis.
The insincerity of the regional governors is also revealed. Despite
their insensitivity to the plight of the people, most of these
governors often attempt to perpetuate themselves in government. Some of
them, as we have seen in recent times, even use the state funds they
would used to develop the region to buy private jets for themselves.
Nimi is bold enough to confront these traitors and he is praised for
his courage. He accuses the President of being bias by always meeting
with their leaders to broker peace instead of meeting with the actual
people who effect and are affected by the war.
Hard Ground also gives a voice to the yearning for resource
control. The people of the region have been unanimous in their
agitation for resource control since the government cannot use part of
their resources to develop their land.
After the departure of Tingolongo, Nimi goes back to sleep only to
be aroused by a fearful dream in which he sees Pikibo carrying his dead
child. Before Nimi could recover from his apprehensions, Inyingifaa
comes in to tell him about the death of his wife, Pikibo. Nimi becomes
too wild for anybody to control as he runs out of the house threatening
to fight back. Father Kinsley admonishes Nimi to confess his sins and
forgive his enemies but the latter finds this the most difficult thing
to do at this moment. Nimi seems to see salvation only in the jungle
where he is planning to go back. At this point, his mother comes back
from the market and pleads with him not to go back to the jungle.
Father Kinsley reminds the family of Don's proposed visit to the family
but this news sparks a fresh violent revenge thought on Nimi's mind.
Mama begins to prepare the house for Don's visit even as she summons
the gods to protect her house from every evil. Inyingifaa gives Mama
an envelope which he claims contains the money she paid for the ransom
of Nimi. As the play comes to an end, Baba disguises as Don and visits
the family as expected and Nimi unknowingly hacks him to death.
This scene reveals a lot of issues that have national significance.
The first is the insincerity of the leaders of the Niger Delta. Chief
Tomfort represents those greedy leaders of the region who often betray
the people by conniving with the government and its business partners to
rip-off the people. Although Chief Tomfort cloaks his greed with
philanthropic actions, the people could see through his deception. He
buys guns and recruits other children to fight while his own children
are flown abroad to live and school peacefully. This is the greatest
pain of the whole crisis—the actors and gladiators of the violence are
not usually the victims of the crisis.
The insincerity of the regional governors is also revealed. Despite
their insensitivity to the plight of the people, most of these
governors often attempt to perpetuate themselves in government. Some of
them, as we have seen in recent times, even use the state funds they
would used to develop the region to buy private jets for themselves.
Nimi is bold enough to confront these traitors and he is praised for
his courage. He accuses the President of being bias by always meeting
with their leaders to broker peace instead of meeting with the actual
people who effect and are affected by the war.
Hard Ground also gives a voice to the yearning for resource
control. The people of the region have been unanimous in their
agitation for resource control since the government cannot use part of
their resources to develop their land.
Questions
- Relate Hard Ground to the socio-political environment in Nigeria.
- Discuss the portrayal of the Niger Delta leaders in Hard Ground.
- How is Hard Ground a critique of the Niger Delta crisis?
- Discuss the connotation of the title of the play, Hard Ground.
- Attempt a critique of Hard Ground as a domestic tragedy.
Details
Full Title: Hard Ground
Author: Ahmed Yerima
Type of Work: Play
Genre: Domestic Tragedy
Language: English
Time and Place Written: Lagos, Nigeria
Date of First Publication: 2005
Publisher: Kraft Books Limited
Setting: Place—Nigeria Time—2000s
Protagonist: Nimi
Major Conflict: The fight between the militants and the soldiers.
Rising Action: Nimi's threatening to kill Father Kinsley
Climax: The killing of Baba who is thought to be Don.
Themes: Intrigue and Betrayal, Conflict, Deceit, Poverty, Love, Violence
Works Cited :
Yerima, Ahmed (2006),
Hard Ground, Lagos: Kraftgriots Books Limited.
