Nigerian writer captures religious hypocrisy in new novel

In the year 2013, young Chilee Paschal Onyejelam, who was then a Law student at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka in Anambra State, had written the first draft of his debut with the title, The Last Fortress: A Seminarian’s Tale.

Onyejelam was passionate about correcting the wrongs among his country’s religious and politicians. He made several attempts to get the book published for many years, until 2016 after several redrafts.

Onyejelam’s The Nigerian Boy follows the travails of young Chike, an innocent teenager whose encounter with homosexuality and pseudo-atheism prevalent in the system would discourage him to exit the Catholic seminary. Out of the seminary, the ethnic bigotry, religious intolerance, political mischief and deeply rooted decadence in the Nigerian society, makes him wonder once again whether he has made the right decision.

The Nigerian Boy does not only promise to be a great addition to the country’s bubbling literary space but also carve a niche for itself among the rare classics of black Africa’s literature.

Chilee Onyejelam’s creative piece is coming in a thoughtful period in our nation’s history, when insecurity, tribal riot, political corruption, religious intolerance and sexual immorality, which the novel represents, are the order of the day.