Entertainment/Arts/Culture
HOW I. HARRY HAGHER WARS IMPERIALISM IN HIS DEBUT NOVEL : THE CONQUEST OF AZENGA
A preview By Cletus Akwaya, Ph.D.
Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher does not take his pen to issues lightly. The former High Commissioner to Canada, Ambassador to Mexico, former Minister and Senator is a high profile writer.
He is among the less than one percent of writers in the world to debut a novel after seventy one, having made a name for himself as academic, prolific playwright and writer on leadership themes.
Hagher was aspirant to the presidential ticket in the 2019 election. He lost. But he won the prestigious Gani Fawehinmi integrity award in 2020.That he returned to his first love ( writing) after his abortive presidential bid is understandable.
Heinemann Publishing House is poised to release his magnum opus, his debut novel: The Conquest of Azenga, this February. The Daily Assets Newspaper is pleased to write the preview of the novel here.The story of the novel is narrated through the odd obsessive omniscient eye of God; Professor Martin Bent, a ruthless District Officer in the British Colonial administration who had regretted the genocide and culturecide of the British imperialism in the Sofalian colony in the colonial period. The whole novel, the writer tells us; in the prologue, is Bent’s legacy bequeathed to him, as inheritance memoir, by the remorseful late professor.
This breakaway, breathtaking opening of the novel ushers the reader into the epical saga of the clash of civilization theme of the novel. It is the clash between the civilization of the British Upper Class versus Azenga egalitarianism. Lord Payne the leading poster child imperialist was the leading proponent of the Empire’s right to ruthlessly save the native savage tribes from themselves by forcing them to become civilized or eliminating them.
The novel opens with the recall of Lord Payne for his genocidal impulses, having wiped out the city of Kidina in the company of the Caliph of Sobikathanu Hadj Omar Hafiz Aatif, and now was on the verge of moving to wipe out the Azenga tribe which had earlier defeated the British Army under his command. The British Colonial Office and the Parliament were aghast at his conduct,
“ The Colonial Office, and the Parliament, accused Payne of being blood thirsty and war-mongering and against British character and taste for decency and Pax Britannica”.
Payne was adamant and showed no remorse at all and was even more determined to go back to London and win a new mandate to come and finish the job of wiping out the Azenga tribe as retribution for their having defeated a British military expedition and killing six Sandhurst trained officers with their poisoned arrows.
The Azenga were quite prepared militarily to stave off any attackers and were ready to face the enemy. When Lord Payne returns to Sofalia several years later having combined with his wife, Lady Liliana Payne to mount a successful propaganda, it was to a higher office as Governor general of Sofalia. He was now more powerful, and regarded as Founder of the new country: the British Sofalia, having amalgamated the Northern and Southern Protectorates.
He was even more resolved to destroy the Azenga civilization without putting a single British military boot on Azenga soil. He went after their war making structure by attacking their elders, the council of gerontocrats. A battle Royale ensued and the rest of the novel is the narration of this war of civilizations and how it affected both the Azenga and the British Empire.
The novel is structured in non-lineal twenty four chapters. It starts with a prologue and ends with an epilogue. In between these; the novel is populated with a wealth of characters that are symbolic and complex.
Each character represents a peculiar world view on the race question, national question, ethnicity question and helps the reader to delve into the mind of the Empire and the colonized. The battle against the Azenga and the use of the Lynch Method, to create a dependent slave colony three hundred years after the British granted independence to Sofalia is surreal. It is culturecide in its deep meaning.
As the novel progresses, the Azenga are increasingly aware of the menace and danger posed by the British Imperialist. But they are even more horrified that the British Indirect rule had somehow created chiefs out of the most unworthy scum “ the drum chiefs” who betrayed the tribe and this led to several suicides of Azenga elders who chose to die rather than be humiliated by British injustice.
Through the characterization of Payne and his wife, Hagher paints a picture of unalloyed ambition and blithe disregard for other cultures and other lives. Hagher is saying that this attitude allows the growth of corruption as the individual has the right to seek his own survival by any means possible.
The novel forces the reader to question the nature of British imperialism, after it is observed up close, away from the glitter of propaganda. What emerges is to question the buzz concepts of authority, duty and even Pax Britannica as sham decors to a more sordid preoccupation of Empire as greed, corruption, brigandage and the wiping out of non- western civilizations.
The conquest could not have been brought out at a more auspicious time when there is an overwhelming outcry in Nigeria (Sofalia?) at the mounting insecurity and cries by ethnic separatist groups denouncing the Lugardian amalgamation.
There is need for a national conversation on identity politics, national culture, tribal bigotry, national cohesion, and security within national borders. By making these the nodal issues of his novel, Hagher’s Conquest of Azenga is an important contribution to the canons of literally fiction that explores European Imperialism. The allegorical fiction is full of hard facts about Africa’s colonial legacy. It is universally compelling.
Hagher’s debut novel is brave and extraordinary. His narrative prose is lucid, tantalizing and the reader is constantly titillated. The author unflinchingly wars against external and internal imperialist forces and is in command with his characters, that his playwright skills allow him populate his novel, to express his disgust with imperialism which merely debases humanity.
The characters in the Conquest of Azenga are all defeated souls that lose their dignity, their morality, their sense of shame and even their lives. Everybody in Sofalia is conquered. Hagher’s tone is allegorical, picaresque, satiric and irreverent.
Finally, it is necessary to conclude that I. Harry Hagher has established himself a multi-talented cross-border genre maestro of fiction in the struggle for the establishment of humanism and social justice. His novel posits a unique literary style that combines the epic with the episodic and literal reality with magical reality. Let the reader decide.
Akwaya, Publisher /Editor-in-Chief, DAILY ASSET Newspaper is a Journalist, Political Scientist and Student of Literature.
Record producer and music executive, Michael Collins Ajereh, popularly known as Don Jazzy, has revealed that letting former Mavin artist, Di’ja, go was one of the most difficult decisions of his career.
Speaking in a recent episode of the Crea8torium podcast, Jazzy recalled that the moment was tense, and Di’ja also noticed that he was uncomfortable during the announcement.
He explained that it was emotional because he sees every one of his artists as his child.
“One of the most difficult decisions of my career was when I had to let Di’ja go. That was difficult, and I don’t think I will let any artist go again by myself.
Tega and Rima handle that now if they need somebody to leave the label.“Everybody on my record label is like my child. So, that was hard for both of us. And she [Di’ja] knew that it was hard for me. She even questioned the guys in the room why they had to involve me in that. All of us started crying. It was hard,” he recalled.
Di’ja signed a record deal with Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records on 14 February 2014. Between 2014 and 2017, she released multiple singles as well as an EP under Mavin Records.
In 2023, Dija clarified that she never formally left Mavin Records, but “life happened.”
Rev. Fr Hyacinth Iormem Alia is marking his 60 years today in this wonderful world. It has been 60 years of determination, reverence, and a purposeful determination to offer succour to those in need, both spiritually and otherwise. As Governor of Benue State, the last three years have been all about service to humanity, delivering a benevolent leadership that has transformed lives, infrastructure, and the well-being of the people God has entrusted in him to serve without fear or favour.
Indeed, life without purpose often ends up being worth nothing. Nothing gained to oneself, nothing impacted on others and the society at large.
It is this kind of life that Governor Alia has been striving to change through various empowerment programmes, to give hope, focus and purpose to those who seemed drowned by the vicissitudes of life. So far, the impact has been remarkable.A man who started from a humble beginning, Governor Alia has grown into an outstanding leader and statesman. A man who through his service to God and humanity, was ordained a Catholic priest.
Born on 15th May 1966, in Mbangur, Mbadede Council Ward, Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State, Rev. Fr Alia began his educational journey and trajectory to leadership and service at St. Francis Primary School, Agidi, Mbatyav, Gboko LGA, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1977. His calling as a servant of God began from that stage, as he proceeded to St. James Minor Seminary, Makurdi, completing his General Certificate of Education (GCE) in 1983.
Answering the divine call to priesthood, he gained admission into St. Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos, an affiliate of the University of Ibadan, where he earned a Diploma in Religious Studies. He later enrolled in Urbaniana University, Rome for his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sacred Theology in 1990.
In recognition of his services to the Lord and the Church, Hyacinth Iormem Alia was eventually ordained a Priest of the Roman Catholic Church on 7th July, 1990, by His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr Athanasius Atule Usuh, the then Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese.
Upon his ordination, Fr. Alia embarked on a priestly journey that touched lives across Nigeria, the United States, and Sierra Leone. His pastoral placements spanned across parishes, hospitals, universities, and international missions, where he served as chaplain, counselor, administrator, lecturer, and healer.
In his quest for continuous learning, His Excellency, Rev. Fr Dr Hyacinth Iormem Alia pursued advanced studies in the United States of America, obtaining a Masters Degree in Religious Education, Psychology and Counseling, from Fordham University, New York, in 1999. He later bagged another Masters Degree and Doctorate in Biomedical Ethics from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2005. He further enriched his expertise with specialized training in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and Catholic Health Administration at St. John’s University, New York. Fr. Alia has authored impactful publications and delivered scholarly papers on topics ranging from health ethics, to pastoral psychology, contemporary social challenges, and so forth.
For a man whose life revolves around people, people at the grassroots, those in the urban slums, the traumatised civil servants, who stayed for months without salary, those displaced by conflicts, and the totality of those, who everyday pray for a better tomorrow while those on the corridors of power seem to be looking elsewhere, it is little surprise that he tilt towards finding solutions rather than listening to their lamentations. He decided to join politics. Not just that, he chose to aspire to lead the state, a state of over six million people.
It was a landslide victory at the March 18, 2023 governorship elections in Benue State, and was sworn-into office as the 6th democratically elected Governor of the state on 29th May, 2023, ushering in a new era of governance characterized by vision, discipline, frugality, transparency, accountability, grassroots development, and infrastructure and industrial development.
So far, he has not disappointed. His three years in office have been remarkable, setting bold and lasting blocks for a greater Benue. A Benue that works for all, listen to all and build hopes and visions.
It is a period that is marked by the resuscitation of the civil service, massive infrastructural development in the areas of roads, healthcare, education, agriculture, human capital development, empowering farmers and advancing food security, as well as fiscal reforms geared towards accountability and sustainability. The Alia administration has also been remarkable in youth development and social interventions targeted at the poor, displaced persons, and vulnerable groups.
For a man with purpose, this is not a surprise. His life has been guided by the principles of justice, compassion, and inclusion. These, he has demonstrated at every step to the Glory of God.
It is therefore reassuring that the people of Benue and other Nigerians have appreciated this remarkable leader, who is lighting the path to growth and development of Benue State, and earning numerous awards along the way.
As “The People’s Governor”, Rev. Fr Alia has demonstrated that as a leader, his decisions always reflect both pastoral care and public responsibility. A core disciplinarian yet deeply humane, Governor Alia embodies humility, integrity, and faith-driven service. His governance is anchored on fairness, inclusivity, and development without discrimination.
Beyond politics, he remains a bridge-builder and unifying voice, transcending ethnic, religious, and social divides.
The recognition that came his way was many. Awards that rolled in to celebrate iconic leadership. He was the 2025-2026 Best Governor of the year in Infrastructure and Economic Development, awarded by Accolades Dynamics Limited at the Accolade Yellow Ball in Abuja. This recognition is for promoting urban renewal and rural road networks.
The Governor also earned the UK based African Eagle Award as the 2025 Best Governor in Socio-Economic Development. It was a thumbs up for Governor Alia’s transformative leadership.
In 2025, Alia also bagged the Digital Excellence Award presented by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) for the administration’s digital revolution and infrastructure modernization. From his pastoral colleagues, the governor was recognised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) North-Central zone as “Pillar of Excellence and Good Governance”.
The Arewa Youth Award also bestowed on him the award of “Garkuwan Matasan Arewa/Vanguard of Good Leadership and Epitome of Peace”.
It is imperative to state without an iota of doubt, that these recognitions were not only well deserved but also products of visible transformation being anchored by the administration of Governor Alia.
At 60, the Reverend Father and Governor of Benue State has distinguished himself in many ways. The biggest being driving development not witnessed for a long time in Benue State.
His infrastructure revolution and impactful economic development are clear steps to turning the sordid history of Benue State, which was run aground by the immediate past administration. In fact, the governor, on assumption of duty in 2023, met Benue state in very dire condition.
Today, he has lived up to his commitment: not fail the Benue people by ensuring that his government is rebuilt and make the state better for all.
This he has been doing boldly, without doubt in the provision of solid infrastructure, developing human capital through entrepreneurship, industrial revival, agricultural and educational transformation,and providing a vibrant healthcare system, among others.
Benue State is indeed witnessing a remarkable wave of infrastructural renewal aimed at reconnecting communities and stimulating economic growth.
There are massive road construction and urban renewal projects across the state, with dozens of intra city roads in Makurdi and other major towns completed, while hundreds of kilometers of rural road networks, bridges, and drainage systems designed to mitigate flooding, improve transportation, trade, and access to essential services are dotted across the state.
The transformation is also being felt in public facilities and institutions. Schools are being renovated, new key state structures such as the Makurdi and Gboko underpasses, the modernization of the State Secretariat, and rehabilitation of critical public infrastructure are giving Benue a modern and functional outlook.
The benevolent leader has been quite busy. over 390km of roads under construction across the 23 Local Government Areas, 16 township roads completed, and 25 more underway in Makurdi, the multi-billion Naira Cancer Centre being built at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, the completed Otobi Water works in Benue South Senatorial District, the massive renovation and construction of schools, including a new university at Ihugh, Vandeikya LGA, and the recruitment and training of teachers, are testament of a committed, focused, purposeful leadership being provided by the governor.
It did not end there. Ali is also revitalizing the dormant industries in the state. The Benue Brewery Limited is back to life, producing Zeva Premier Beer, the Benue Fruit Company has rolled out the BENfruit, and the Taraku Mills is giving signals of resuming production. These are not just new sources of revenue but also of massive direct employment and indirectly along the value chain.
In digital transformation, three key digital platforms are breathing life into the economy. The Benue State Geographic Information System (BENGIS) Portal, Electronic Document Management System (EDMS), and Benue Youth Startup and Innovation Support Portal.
These projects and more aim to improve access to healthcare, education, and public utilities while boosting economic growth and mobility in the state.
Governor Alia’s administration has also been working on several other initiatives to boost Benue State’s economic development. In agriculture, the government has subsidized fertilizers, provided tractors at affordable rates, and launched initiatives to boost agricultural productivity, aiming to restore Benue’s national lead as an agro-industrial hub.
Security and job creation are at the heart of any development. These are being pursued relentlessly. The dire security situation in the state when the administration came in 2023 has now been confined to three out of seventeen local government areas facing existential threats from armed groups and terrorists. The government not only set up a 5,000- strong Benue Civil Protection Guards but also created jobs through youth empowerment programs.
No doubt, these projects have improved the quality of life for Benue citizens and are driving growth and positioning the state as a hub for innovation and investment.
The infrastructure projects are transforming Benue State, bringing numerous benefits to local communities, enhancing mobility and access to markets, schools, and healthcare facilities, providing clean water to residents, enhancing access to education, and ensuring overall economic growth.
These are testaments for the governor’s inclusive governance and purposeful leadership. A conscious effort from a leader whose 60 years of life have been dedicated to the service of God and humanity, a benevolent leadership committed to matching Benue state to unprecedented greatness.
What every responsible person in Benue needs to do is not just to wish the governor more years in good health and dedicated to making Benue great, but also contributing positively to make that possible.
Happy birthday, Sir.
Hon Bridget Tikyaa is Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Media Publicity and Communications Strategy
Former Big Brother Naija winner, Josephine Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has claimed that she is still single because Nigerian men are scared of confident and independent women.
Speaking during a recent livestream on Twitch, the reality star claimed that most Nigerian men prefer women they can control when choosing a life partner and avoid independent women.
Phyna explained that expressive women like her are the worst hit because most men judge them by their social media rhetoric and decide to avoid them even before meeting them.
The actress said she is, however, not bothered by the trend, stressing that she can’t change herself to fit into a man’s expectations.
“I am a ten over ten. The thing is just that men are scared of bold and confident women. There are someone women that by mere looking at them you know that you can’t control them. But our Nigerian men like women that they can control.
“They don’t want women who have says or are exposed. So, we that are very loud about how we are, even without they meeting us, they are already scared and forming assumptions. But I really don’t care,” she expressed.
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