Home >> Africa >> Nigeria & Niger  Email  Print The Long Harmattan Season Uche Nworah - 2/12/2007 Perhaps the harrowing journey to the west through third countries over a three-month period could be responsible for the desire in author and UK-based lecturer Uche Nworah to want to make a change in his native Nigeria, a country he says he still loves from the depth of his heart despite the dashed hopes of many like him who risked their lives for a better life in the west.
Describing his experience, Nworah said that he “left Nigeria without a valid visa and without a dollar in my pocket, it was just about the only option during the Abacha days”. After three months on the road, journeying through Egypt, Turkey and Bulgaria, “I ended up in Germany; the rest as they say is now history”. Nworah is not bitter and even counts himself lucky to have survived his migrant experience. “There are those that didn’t make it, some died en route, some others were deported back while some ended up in prison”. “Our problem is not with our country Nigeria, but with the politicians”, he concludes.
Nworah’s sense of patriotism drives his weekly syndicated columns on various social, economic and political issues facing Nigeria. He shares some of these as well as other autobiographical short stories in his new book aptly titled The Long Harmattan Season, a book he says parodies the Nigeria situation but “unlike the not-so- pleasant harmattan season which does eventually come to an end, Nigerians continue to face social, political and economic challenges”, he said.
The book is a worthy companion to other autobiographical essays on Nigeria, but goes a step further in its wit, humour and daring which are the hallmarks of the author’s writings who also won the ChickenBones journalist of the year award in 2006.
The Long Harmattan Season, 308-pages long is available on amazon.com, iuniverse.com and other book sellers. Uche Nworah has a Master's from University of Nigeria. He's currently pursuing his Doctorate at the University of Greenwich in London. Mr. Nworah has extensive management and marketing experience having worked as an independent investment adviser in Germany and for Leading Edge Consulting Ltd, Lagos as a management consultant. He also worked for Sunrise D'Arcy Lagos, as Head of Events and Public Relations. He currently teaches Business and Marketing at NewVic, London. His articles have appeared in leading African newspapers, journals and websites. Uche Nworah can be reached at uchenworah@yahoo.com
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