Observation

This question requires the candidates to comment on the theme of family reunion in the novel.

Candidates were expected to discuss the following:

• The theme of family reunion and the search for one’s roots.
• The identification of the characters seeking family reunion:  Nii Tackie is Mama Orojo’s brother, who lives in Ghana, he is Massa’s husband. He works at the Expense Bank but has been struggling to survive on a meagre salary. Mama is a successful business woman and sister to Nii. She lives in Nigeria but travels to Ghana to look for her only surviving family member.
• Purpose of the family reunion: to establish his identity, to escape xenophobia attacks, to gain self-worth, to escape economic hardships in Ghana and to get her complement of family.
• Experiences of the characters during the quest for reunion: Language barrier denies Nii the needed acceptance in his own country, Nigeria, despite his Yoruba tribal marks.  He is harassed and embarrassed by the security officials both at the Ghana/Togo border and in Nigeria. Nii is robbed by the motorbike man meant to take him across the border into Nigeria. Nii is taken advantage of in Nigeria. Mama Orojo is duped by Tally O (I-Put-it-to-me), who sells her a fake gold ring. Mama, in Ghana, misses Nii who has earlier set out to Nigeria.

• Significance of the reunion missions: they advance the plot of the novel. They highlight the danger of xenophobia to African co-existence.

Candidates’ performance was good.