Ghandi Ebikeme Orubebe, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) is a prolific writer and a novelist. His two latest novels – Deserts and Missing Daughters, do not only dwell on the myriad of issues troubling the society, Orubebe also carefully combines criminal, social, and cultural issues to point the way forward. It is obvious that with his background as a sociologist, Orubebe’s penchant for corrective measures in his works cannot be faulted. He spoke to Edozie Udeze in his office in Osogbo, Osun State, on his writings, how his wife influences him and more
There is no doubt that prose writing is one of the most tedious things to do in life. For a society where there are already too many distractions, it is even much more difficult for one to sit down and write. But for Ghandi Ebikeme Orubebe, an Assistant Inspector General of Police, (AIG), creative writing has indeed become more than a hobby. To him, it is now a way of life; something that must be done not only to help the society move forward, but to also point out some ills that bedevil the entire citizenry.
Why I write
With his two latest novels – Deserts and Missing Daughters, he has proved that books can equally be used to fight crime and remould people’s attitude towards one another. Reacting to the reason why he even chose this part to greatness, Orubebe enthused: “In the Police Force, apart from the idea of running after criminals, when you are posted to a staff college as part of your official responsibility, you are duty-bound to teach the children well. But again over there, you have plenty of time to read books on your own. So, while I was there discharging my duty, I had time to read and write. Any book that caught my fancy I read in order to learn a lot more about the society,” he said.
Beyond this rare opportunity to acquire more knowledge not only for himself, Orubebe also nursed the urge to render unconditional help to humanity. He said, “Yes, right from the beginning, I had always been in love with novels; in fact all sorts of books. And so, at a point, I felt it was time for me to put down my own ideas for people to read and learn from. And in producing most of my works, I carefully look at the various issues of crime, cultures and the like.”
And because he has decided to make writing a serious affair in his life, Orubebe deliberately retires into his study at mid-night when members of his household have all gone to sleep. “Yes, it is more conducive to write when you cannot be disturbed. This is why I write very well at night. Most of the time, I would be alone in the ambiance of my study. And for me to complete a story, it can take me one or two months. Usually, it depends on the nature of the story and how much time I devote to it. Before I do that, I would first of all gather the ideas together in my brain. After that, the story idea then begins to flow,” he explained.
Dealing with issues
In Missing Daughters, the AIG rummaged into the depth of the male/female syndrome in Nigeria. To him, it is a theme that needed to be revisited and treat well for people to learn from. “Ha, you know in Nigeria, people tend to attach too much importance to male issues. I don’t know why it is so, probably due to male chauvinism. It seems if one doesn’t have a male issue, he is doomed for life. But everything really depends on what your kid can be in life; whether female or male. For me, however, both are good and should be seen so.”
He went on: “But because it is a societal issue that was why I gave it this attention so that people would be able to see how to handle it. No, it is not that I have a personal experience or encountered people with such problems. It was just a spur of the moment, coupled with what obtains in practically in all parts of the Nigerian society. The point also is that as a sociologist, I was trained to primarily feel concerned about societal problems. It is my duty too to correct the ills of the society in whatever way I can.”
As a born again Christian, Orubebe feels it is his moral responsibility to reach out to a lot of people through his works. “Oh, as a born again Christian,” he said, smiling reflectively, “you cannot shy away from being on the part of positivism. When you join these issues together, you have a burning urge to ensure that you do things that help to correct the wrongs in the society.”
While at both the Federal Government Colleges, Bomadi and Ughelli, Delta State, at different times, the instincts to be a writer began to develop. Being a bookworm, young Orubebe promptly enrolled in the debating and literary societies of the schools to further sharpen his brain. “It was then I began to notice that one day I’d write my own books. This was years back. There, at Government College Ughelli while I was doing my Higher School Certificate, I took time to read a lot. Then the books of Professor Wole Soyinka appealed to me a lot. Even though I love African writers generally, Soyinka influenced me most. I love the way he increases one’s vocabulary and makes his works hard.”
Familiar problems
And because of this deep-rooted influence, Orubebe’s works concentrate essentially on basic familiar issues. He said: “Of course, some of the problems tackled in my books can be resolved depending on how you see them. It is just like the Police Force. It is usually said that a society gets the type of police force it deserves. That is exactly what these books should do to the people. If you are talking to a group of people and they are adamant, they don’t want to change and they can never change, no matter how you do it.
“But if the people want to change, little touches here and there can help them to change. You see the example of Jeremiah in the Bible. There came a time when Jeremiah was sent to the people of Israel. But they told him point blank that he was wasting his time. Yet a few of them later turned around for good. That’s what these books can do to the psyche of the Nigerian people. Even though I have written other books, these two are topical and address issues of the moment.”
In the main, Orubebe admitted that he uses his books to tackle crime. Although he doesn’t dwell wholesale on criminal issues, he sees his works as basically corrective. “I don’t deal with only crime. The society has more problems. The cultural issues we have are indeed inimical to societal growth and progress. Take for instance the issue of Osu-caste system in Igboland. Those things are not of God and we need to expunge them from the society. It is not good for man to find himself in those kinds of encumbrances. By the time you handle issues like that the society will be better for all of us,” he further posited.
Patience’s angle
In whatever crime issues he is involved in combating, the AIG sees plenty of stories in them. But in the first place, he made it clear that his wife, Patience, has the greatest influence on him. “Oh, yes, most of my stories were told me by my wife. Each time she told a story I’d make notes. It was her stories that first inspired me to write. After she’d told the story, I’d amplify them to make them into fictions.”
Nonetheless, his books cannot be totally classified as fiction. “I don’t do fiction for the sake of fiction,” he said. “All I do is to use the story told by my wife to create real life scenarios; scenarios that are prevalent in our society. And with this, people can easily draw a lot of lessons therefrom. You see, if you believe in hard work, the end result is that you’ll make it in life. You don’t need to circumvent hard work because that is the bedrock of success. You really need hard work to get to your destination.”
God’s touch
Everything we have, comes from God. He created me to worship Him and I have chosen to worship Him for the rest of my life. For me, there is no escape route from that. That I have been able to come this far, is due to the grace and love of God, the creator of mankind and He has been guiding my senses in whatever I lay my hands on.
“Indeed I am not serving God to please people or to impress anyone. Even if people say oh, how can a police officer be a born again, that is their business. All I know is that I love God and He has been good to me. We have such people in the Bible; even tax collectors. But once God has chosen you to be His own, there is no one to change it.”
Orubebe who studied Sociology at the University of Lagos, also has a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Ibadan. It was after his first degree that he joined the Nigerian Police Force. Today he has over eight books to his credit even though only two – Deserts and Missing Daughters are ready for launch. “Yes, I hope to do the public presentation of the two books on 8th of next month at Asaba, Delta State. This is so because the two books appeal to the fabric of the nation presently,” he explained.
