Did Tomorrow Die Yesterday?

 In the backdrop of oil politics, corruption and environmental degradation, there is no future for the children of the Niger Delta

Reviewed by Iniobong Umoh. Jan, 2024

Tomorrow Died Yesterday (2010) by Chimeka Garricks opens with the kidnap of an oil expatriate by a militant group called the Asiama Freedom Army group of militants in the Niger Delta. This event sets the tone for the rest of the book bordering on the complexities of life in Asiama Island, a community in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Written in the first person narrative with characters narrating their stories, we follow the complex lives of Doughboy, Tubo, Amaibi, Kaniye, Deola, and Dise.

Brain Manning, a staff member of Imperial Oil, is kidnapped by the dreaded Kingpin Doye. As a result, Imperial Oil drafts environmental activist Dr Amaibi Akassato to negotiate and deliver the ransom. The money gets delivered, but unfortunately, Manning is dead. Amaibi is arrested and detained for months, a highly agitated court case ensues, the stakes are high, and we journey into the world of the characters and see how they are inextricably linked.

The plot is well-woven, with subplots and flashbacks. The flashbacks illuminate the reality and help the reader better understand the characters’ decisions and actions. The rich use of imagery by the writer makes the descriptions of scenes, people, and places vivid, and the dialogue is rich and enables the reader to gain knowledge following the conversations between the characters. 

This novel sheds light on the intricacies of kidnapping in the Niger Delta oil zone. It unveils the deep-seated corruption that enables characters like Chief Ikaki, Mr Wali, Tubo and top management staff of oil companies to inflate ransom amounts and run a sleazy racket. Garricks also delves into Nigeria’s intense and complex world of oil bunkering. The conversation between Doye and Soboye is instructive: 

“Who owns the oil?” 

“A few very powerful people in the country. I’m not sure who they are but the rumour is that they include Generals in the army and some, mainly Hausa civilians in government and business. Afonya and others merely work for them.” 

“If they own the oil, why are they also stealing it?” 

“Don’t ask questions like a small boy. Oil bunkering is not the same as stealing meat from somebody’s pot. The government has a hand in it’ (99)

This book has little to dislike, but I struggled with the numerous flashbacks. The issue with flashbacks is that a reader could lose the narrative flow if used too often. The italicization of Indigenous food names indicates that this book, like most contemporary Nigerian fiction, is written for the Western audience. 

Chimela Garricks, in this debut effort, sends the grim message that in the backdrop of oil politics, corruption and environmental degradation, there is no future for the children of the Niger Delta. Their tomorrow is already dead. It died yesterday.

Genre – Novel.
Author: Chimela Garricks
No of Pages: 381
Publisher: Paperworth Books, Lagos, Nigeria