SUMMARY OF THE SUCCESSORS (NO 1)
The book explores the significant shift that occurs in inheritance as a means of showing the challenges that patterns succession – displaying how at the end,one has to choose a path that either leads to success or failure.
The beauty, ugliness, morality or otherwise of the path is not the ultimate message in this book. ‘The Successors’ is the story of who comes next and how they got there – in this case, thefictional life history of Okoh Ameh and Terkura Atsen and the succession by David and Ifenne. And what they learnt – that Industry and hard work pays.
So, the story is mainly of these two young men Okoh Ameh and Terkura Atsen who met in a hotel as junior workers. Terkura is very ambitious and dreams of one day
owning a hotel as big as the one he is working in. Okoh on the other hand is the opposite – very unassuming. All Okoh wants is to do well at his job, get promoted, marry a nice and obedient girl with whom he’ll forever live happily. All these he did but because of his limited ambition, he feels inadequate as he observes that his mates, Terkura inclusive, had done very well for themselves. Inferiority complex thus drives him into drinking and womanizing. So much so that he neglects his family.
As a consequence of his neglect, his eldest son joins a gang, begins to skip school and took to smoking marijuana.This drives Okoh further into despair. Terkura on
the other hand goes on to finish university and is lucky to meet a benevolent who helps further fuel his ambition. He becomes very rich and influential. Although, he never got married nor had children to bequeath his wealth to.
Ifenne, son of Okoh continues in the difficult and destructive path his father had chatted for him. He struggles at every turn to make ends meet. He becomes a bus conductor and in a twist of fate, manages to own a bus of his own. Terkura, transfers his wealth to his nephew David.And the young man overwhelmed by the magnitude of his disposable wealth embarks on a frivolous life style that sees him flying all over the world, attending and holding the most ostentatious and lavish parties.
In an ultimate twist of fate and by the author’s design, Ifenne and David joined up and put together a grand plot beyond everyone’s expectation.
Summary of the Characters of The Successors…By Ose-Presh
Okoh Ameh
Terkura Asten
Matthew Asten (Terkura’s father, who is also a farmer and a catechist)
Margaret (Terkura’s mother)
Sgt. Ameh Onyilo (Okoh’s father)
Eyum (Okoh’s mother)
Onyema and Enewa ( Sgt. Ameh Onyilo’s other wives)
Ezekiel Onah (Margaret’s father)
Rev. Fr. Mckinnon (the current reverend of the church)
Fr. Martin Wolfgang (the man that wedded Terkura’s parents)
Adole (Okoh’s step-brother)
Mr. Eze (Provincial Hotel’s regular client and also Terkura’s friend)
Mr. Gordon Finlay ( the foreign manager of provincial hotel where Terkura and Okoh worked)
Torkwase (the lady Terkura’s parents wanted him to marry)
Mwoicho Ako (Okoh Ameh’s primary school friend)
Msendo, Ngodoo, Terngu, Mimidoo and Mwuese – the Asten’s (Terkura’s siblings)
Maria (Okoh’s wife)
Ochai Ojobo (Maria’s father)
Terngu (Terkura’s brother)
Nguher (Terngu’s wife)
Mathias Tyowua (Nguher’s father, who is also the village school master)
Chief Samson Ofega (Terkura’s client who wasn’t ready to pay what he owe Terkura)
Helen Tyona (Terkura’s secretary)
Ifenne, Agbo, Veronica, Innocent, Emmanuel, Ada and Ene (Okoh Ameh’s children)
Mfa Agera (Okoh’s drinking mate who gave him a bad advice on what to do with Ifenne)
Cecillia (Okoh’s woman friend)
Josiah (Cecillia’s new man friend)
Onyeche (Ifenne’s crush)
Nato (Notorious bus service conductor)
Oga Olu (Ifenne’s boss)
David Asten (Terngu’s son and Terkura’s nephew)
Agnes (David’s woman friend)
Mwuese Ayem and Ene Anyebe (Graduating
secondary school students of St. Elizabeth)
Mr. Aduke (Teacher at St. Elizabeth)
Torkwase (Mwuese’s mother, who is also the lady Terkura was expected to marry by his parents)
Iorfa Achir (Mwuese’s fiance, who later died of
AIDs)
Iorfa (Matthew Asten’s errand boy)
Mwuese (Ifenne’s fiancee)
Mercy Lovefest (The lady at the telephone exchange room whom Ifenne was lusting after)
Ada (Ifenne’s other fiancee aside Mwuese)
Sylvester Oguche and Andrew Tor (David’s Asten’s luxury friends)
Dolly, Esther and Doris (David, Sylvester and Andrew’s girlfriends)
Jacinta, surnamed Immaterial (David’s girlfriend who went with him to Port Harcourt)
Ene Okoh (David’s fiancee whom he later married)
Ezekiel Agaku (Patron of MRC 1950)
MRC 1950 (Makurdi Reform Club 1950)
Professor Daga (Governorship aspirant)
Chief P.L.O Atetan (Ifenne’s competitor for the Governor’s seat)
Justice Azenda Ver (Swearing in judge, who is also the chief Justice of Benue state)
Aper Aku (Ifenne’s predecessor, the former governor before Ifenne)
Dr. Aondona Agber (Ifenne’s deputy governor)
Ibrahim Babangida Square (Venue for Ifenne’s inauguration and 42nd independence day celebration)
The two political parties are National Republican Party (NRP) with Chief P.L.O Atetan as the flag bearer and Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) with Ifenne Ameh as the flag bearer.
Mwuese’s brother was a protocol officer at the Ministry of Defence, Abuja.
USUAL QUESTION TYPES
1. The writer’s Intention.
2. The title you would have given the passage.
3. The writer’s mood.
4. The writer’s point of view.
5. What figure of speech an extract is
6. What is conveyed in a given statement.
7. How a word is used in the passage.
8. In choosing the best options don’t ever add your own meanings to any of the passages probably because you know and event described in it before.
9.Note that Potters Wheels has 10 questions for 15marks while The Successors usually has 5 questions
FROM myschool.com.ng
ANOTHER SUMMARY (NO 2)
A SYNOPSIS
The Successors is a fiction written by Jerry Agada. The story began with Terkura Atsen and Okoh Ameh (Okoh was from Okporo), who were working in Provincial hotel at Makurdi (Provincial Hotel is, government-owned).
Mr Eze was a richman who usually visited the Provincial Hotel and always gave the twosome money, just to assist them. One day, Terkura dreamt that he owned a hotel and narrated it to Okoh who jeered at him. Later that day, they learned that Mr Eze, their benefactor had died in a riot at Kano. Mr Eze was not educated but was a businessman and had influenced the two boys. He also made them believe they could still make it with or without education.
Mr Eze was a trader and dealer,he had visited most of the countries in the world except the USA and the United Kingdom. Eze was proficient in many Nigerian languages and was regarded asa multi-linguist.
COMPREHENSIVE SUMMARY (NO 3) BY KUNLEXIC
Characters
Tekura Atsen – potter in provincial hotel who later became a tycoon, 2nd child of Matthew Atsen, born 1945.
Okoh Ameh – co-worker of Tekura who ended up living an impoverish & miserable life.
Mr Eze – rich customer of provicial hotel & Tekura’s role model. Died July 1967 in a riot in Kano.
Mr Gordon Finlay – expatriate manager of the provincial hotelwhere Okoh & Tekura worked.
Matthew Atsen – Tekura’s father. A farmer and catechist. Teacher at St Gregory Roman Catholic Mission (RCM).
Magareth – wife of Matthew, mother of Tekura & daughter of Ezekiel Onah from Obudu.
Msendoo – first child & daughter of Matthew Atsen, born 1942.
Terngu – third child and 2nd son of M. Atsen, born 1947. Teacher at RCM school in Adikpo.
Mwuese – 4th child & daughter of M. Atsen, born 1949. Married to a soldier.
Ngodo – 5th child & daughter of M. Atsen, born 1951.
Mimidoo – 6th child & daughter of M. Atsen, born 1953. She was the one who gave Tekura food when he visited home.
Iorfa – Matthew’s nephew.
Nguher – wife of Terngu, mother of David Atsen & daughter of Matthias Tyowua (the village school master).
David Atsen – son of Terngu, nephew of Tekura who inherited his wealth, born 1971.
Fr Martin Wolfgang – German priest who conducted M. Atsen & Margareth marriage in 1938.
Rev Fr Mckinnon – wiry irish presiding Priest.
Torwase – girl Magareth wanted Tekura to marry.
Anthony Ngtsay – marriage to be conducted by Rev Fr Mckinnon. Iorfa sent to him to inform delay of his wedding.
Sgt Ameh Oyilo – Okoh Ameh’s father and war veteran who fought in Burma during world war 2, married to Eyum, Onyema and Enewa.
Eyum – mother of Okoh Ameh, whose petty-trade was booming & monopolized as a result of the effectual departure of the ibos caused by the Biafra war.
Adole – Okoh’s step brother. Helped him carry his load when he went home for his marriage.
Maria – Okoh’s 19 years old wife & daughter of Ochai Ojobo (palm wine tapper).
Owoicho – Okoh’s classmate, met on train, supplies grains, yams & foodstuffs via train, taking advantage of the effect of the war on the ibos’ businesses.
Okoh’s Children – Ifenne, Agbo, Veronica, Innocent, Emmanuel, Ada & Ene.
Helen – Tekura’s secretary at Tesen.
Mama Faith – ogogoro seller in Makurdi who moved there in 1976 from Ughelli.
Mfa Agera & friend (not named)- fellow drunkards with Okoh, who saw nothing wrong with teenagers smoking. His friend was a mini drug dealer who claimed it helps teenagers become creative/ great artiste.
Chief Samson Ofega – rich man living in GRA & Terkura’s client who at first didn’t pay him his balance but later paid it.
Cecilia – Okoh woman friend (lover) who had left her husband & 4 children in the village.
Josiah – Cecilia’s patron who had the intention to fight Okoh when he was knocking on her door with no response.
Onyeche – classmate of Ifenne in secondary school who he wanted to date/attract whose house he went to only to be scared off by her dogs.
Oga Olu – rich disciplined hardest working bus driver in Markurdi with 6 other buses, whose children were in tertiary institutions, for whom Ifenne worked for as a conductor.
Agnes – married woman & mother of two, once won a beauty pageant in Benue State poly in 1985 who had a secret affair with 20 years old David Atsen.
Mr Aduke – staff in St Elizabeth Girls secondary sch who wanted to see Ene & Mwuese before they left the school.
Mwuese Ayem – daughter of Torkwase (maybe the girl Magareth wanted Terkura to marry), who later got married to Ifenne.
Ene Anyebe – Okoh’s last daughter & roommate of Mwuese in St Elizabeth. Later got married to David Atsen.
Mary Ejembi & Dooshima Hemba – school/class mates & friends of Ene & Mwuese.
Iorfa-Achir – 23 years old man who I inferred (1) isn’t the Iorfa/nephew of M. Atsen (2) disvirgined 18 years old Mwuese Ayem, who later died 2 years later of AIDS.
Ezekiel Agugu – influential life patron & former president of makurdi reform club 1950 (1950 is when the club was established). David chose him as his referee to get himself among those on top hierachy & as the chairman of his wedding.
Chief I.O Afeten of NPR – Ifenne’s opponent for governorship.
Justice Azenda Ver – white-haired state chief judge who swore in Ifenne as governor.
Mercy Lovefest – phone operator at the hotel Ifenne lodged, who he tried to lure to bed but failed because of the hotel staff policy.
Jacinta – high class wh*re who David took from Lagos to PH beauty pageant.
Sylvester Oguche & Andrew Tor – friends of David who joined him in his lascivious & extravagant lifestyle.
Dolly, Esther & Dora – students engaged by David & friends in their lasciviousness.
Sharon – another of David’s lovers.
Ada – girl Ene caught Ifenne with when he was cheating on her.
That’s all the charaters in the novel, The Successor.
Summary
The Successors is a fititious novel about two family generations: The Atsens and the Amehs. Starting in January 1967, during the civil war of which Otukpo was a hot zone because of Ojukwu’s regular bombing and the ibos who were arrogant and considered themselves untouchable because they were most educated and travelled controlling everything from businesses to the civil service but later became unsafe after Ironsi’s overthrow, with two friends Terkura Atsen and Okoh Ameh who were co-workers in the provincial hotel, Makurdi. Terkura was a porter. Their regular customer and Terkura’s role model was Mr Eze, who later died in a Kano riot. This sad news was made known to the two young men by the hotel expatriate manager Mr Gordon Finlay.
Terkura Atsen
Terkura wanted to be very rich. He saved up his salary and used it to fund himself after paying a visit to his family in Tar-Mbalim close to Obudu in Ogoja province on 28 July 1967 to inform his father, Mr Matthew Atsen, a catechist, teacher and farmer, of his intention to further his education, Okoh covering up for him at work. Although his father would rather he become a priest and his mother would rather he got married to Torkwase, however they didn’t object. Terkura thus furthered his education from Provincial College, Yandev for Higher School Certificate to The Ahmadu Bello University, in Zaria, at thesame time his younger and only brother, Terngu, got married and conceived David Atsen. He also studied in UNIJOS.
M. Atsen aged 21 who was a catechist before marrying Magareth aged 18 in 1938, had a daughter (not son) in 1939 as their firstborn who died before they had another daughter preceding 5 other surviving children (i.e 6 children). He lived with his family on the southern part of the parish with 4 mud buildings- he stayed in one with his family, one was for his nephew and two youths, one was the kitchen and the the last was used to keep foodstuffs and livestock. He was proud that his son still respected his elders, by seeking his father’s consent/opinion, notwithstanding the western influence. He was happy his son was quiting his hotel job because he didn’t find it appropriate.
Later on, Terkura started a small company, Tesen group. He finished a project which he had pleaded to get, for chief Samson Ofega, a weathly known man who had refused to pay up his balance of N418,000. He had made an ultimatum with an empty threat of him and his partners destroying the chief’s properties. The chief later went to his office where Terkura swallowed his pride and confessed his ordeal, and after taking a ride in the chief new car, he got paid his balance. He paid his debts and gave Helen his secretary, who had gotten her own part of the ordeal from the angry debtors who were threatening, cursing and accusing her. Only the rep, though more threatening to the company, from the United Exchange Bank was calm and quiet (Silent but deadly indeed.), N150 which she used to buy land in Demekpe a fast developing area in Makurdi. The chief became a stepping stone for Terkura to grow his business and amass wealth. He ventured into real estate, agric produce buying, construction, oil & gas distribution, and transportation. He was later considered the richest man in the state by some people. He died at age 51 in his sleep, and the usual naija rumour went about that maybe he had died as such because he had made a pact to become rich and famous, under the condition that he doesn’t marry and will live for a certain period of time. He didn’t have a wife nor a legitimate/illegitimate child. So he willed his wealth to his nephew (his brother’s son) David Atsen. Although some family members, long time employees, institutions he attended, tertiary institutions in Benue, churches and orphanages had a fair share of the cut, the lion’s share was for David alone.
Okoh Ameh
Okoh wasn’t ambitious. He wanted to keep on working in the hotel and perhaps get promoted. He thought Terkura’s aspiration was impossible. He also believed it wasn’t neccessary to go to school for someone to be rich. After Terkura had quit, 23 years old Okoh who was now an assistant supervisor at the provincial hotel, went to Otukpo via rail and thereafter to Upkoro via taxi to get married to 19 years old Maria on 24 April,1968 who he had seen three times and was chosen for him by his parents. Maria was eager to be a wife as well as travel to Makurdi. Before departing with his wife, his mother Eyun advised them. She was a petty trader (looking better than her mates who assisted Okoh’s father Retired Sgt Onyilo Ameh in his farmwork) whose business was monopolized and booming after the ibos departure to the East. Another person whose business was striving after the departure of the ibos was Owoicho Ako, Okoh’s mate in primary school, who Okoh was happy to see but whose company wasn’t enjoyed by Okoh because of his repeated thumping of his shoulder and his obstruction of Okoh’s cuddling with his new wife, as they sat together on the train heading to Makurdi. After being aided to unload the train by Owoicho, Okoh took his new bride to his one-room apartment. Aside from the inconvenience of the compact single room, the compound was full of children and always noisy, and the environment, very marshy, was a breeding ground for mosquitoes, that Maria no sooner got ill. Shortly after their marriage, Maria procreated a boy on 27 January 1969, who Okoh wanted to name Monday but was named Ifenne one month later by his father who didn’t like the name Monday. Three months after the baby’s arrival, Okoh and his family relocated away from the flood-prone and mosquito-infested areas to a better accommodation. Thereafter they had six more children named Agbo, Veronica, Innocent, Emmanuel, Ada, and Ene.
One day, Okoh returned early from work to rest only to find 16 years old Ifenne smoking who he rebuked. After dinner, the children watched a TV program the hopefuls while Maria went to take her bath. She raised the issue of the children school fees that needed to be paid, a reason Ifenne was at home when he was caught smoking, but Okoh flared up blaming her for their family’s failure and Ifenne’s smoking and left the house to seek haven in an ogogoro spot owned by Mama Faith. There he narrated his encounter with his son to Mfa Agera and his friend who supported Ifenne thus annoying Okoh more that he left there without paying for his drink and went to Cecillia house but was denied entry. So he went back home drenched by the rain. It then dawned on him that he had failed miserably with his responsibilty to his family, he neglected them and went about going after women and alcohol. Maria alone had tried to keep the family together and worked as seamstress who contributed to the feeding of the family. Out of pride, he couldn’t seek succour (help) from his successful peers like Terkura. He became ill and three months later, he died and was burried at Ukporo. Terkura died 8 years after Okoh’s death.
Ifenne Ameh
Ifenne who chided himself for his father illness decided to desist the path of destruction that he was trodding. After his father’s death, he had to hussle to get some cash to assist his mother in providing for the family and to pay his school fees. After completing his secondary education in 1986, he became a conductor to a well-to-do driver named Oga Olu for 6 years, who became his mentor, telling him his future was bright. He went to Benue State University at age 24 (1993) to study political science, having 3 buses on the road and other petty business. Three years after serving in the youth corp, he met Mwuese Ayem, his ex-girlfriend in the university, at the Express Trust Bank, where he wanted a loan and she worked as a credit assessment officer. (He served in Abia while she served in Jigawa). They rekindled their love for each other and got married. He also ventured into agro-allied business and the extravagant David Atsen was one of his client. It was this deal (fertilizer business) that set him off to Lagos where he although married, tried to lure Mercy Lovefest to bed.
David Atsen
After receiving his new wealth, David alongside his new friends Sylvester Oguche and Andrew Tor, went about living a life of promiscuity and profligacy, throwing paties, buying expensive clothes, travelling here and there, etc. Later at age 30, he discovered he was on the wrong path and retraced himself back to a responsible path. He stopped his flamboyancy and worked hard to sustain and regrow his diminished inherited empire. To regain standard, he joined the top hierachy of the prestigious Markurdi reform club 1950, of which Ezekiel Agagu was instrumental as his reference. He couldn’t fill in his uncle shoes of sponsoring projects as Ezekiel had sugested at his entry party because he needed to spend the remaining resources at his disposal judiciously. He also stopped his lecherous activities and got married to Ene Okoh, the chairman of the wedding being Ezekiel.
David urged Ifenne to campaign for governoship and when he yielded, David used his tatics, connections and resources to aid Ifenne under the umbrella of the Democratic Party of Nigeria to win the election and become the governor of Benue. He was sworn in 1 Oct, 2002. He tried to leverage his authority over David his sponsor but David didn’t take advantage of it. Rather he told him to promote the state’s products and indirectly his newly acquired Ben Cola.
LAST TWO SUMMARIES FROM NL
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT POST
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