The Successors is a fititious novel about two family generations: The Atsens and the Amehs. Starting in January 1967, during the civil war of which Otukpo was a hot zone because of Ojukwu's regular bombing and the ibos who were arrogant and considered themselves untouchable because they were most educated and travelled controlling everything from businesses to the civil service but later became unsafe after Ironsi's overthrow, with two friends Terkura Atsen and Okoh Ameh who were co-workers in the provincial hotel, Makurdi. Terkura was a porter. Their regular customer and Terkura's role model was Mr Eze, who later died in a Kano riot. This sad news was made known to the two young men by the hotel expatriate manager Mr Gordon Finlay.
Terkura Atsen
Terkura wanted to be very rich. He saved up his salary and used it to fund himself after paying a visit to his family in Tar-Mbalim close to Obudu in Ogoja province on 28 July 1967 to inform his father, Mr Matthew Atsen, a catechist, teacher and farmer, of his intention to further his education, Okoh covering up for him at work. Although his father would rather he become a priest and his mother would rather he got married to Torkwase, however they didn't object. Terkura thus furthered his education from Provincial College, Yandev for Higher School Certificate to The Ahmadu Bello University, in Zaria, at thesame time his younger and only brother, Terngu, got married and conceived David Atsen. He also studied in UNIJOS.
M. Atsen aged 21 who was a catechist before marrying Magareth aged 18 in 1938, had a daughter (not son) in 1939 as their firstborn who died before they had another daughter preceding 5 other surviving children (i.e 6 children). He lived with his family on the southern part of the parish with 4 mud buildings- he stayed in one with his family, one was for his nephew and two youths, one was the kitchen and the the last was used to keep foodstuffs and livestock. He was proud that his son still respected his elders, by seeking his father's consent/opinion, notwithstanding the western influence. He was happy his son was quiting his hotel job because he didn't find it appropriate.
Later on, Terkura started a small company, Tesen group. He finished a project which he had pleaded to get, for chief Samson Ofega, a weathly known man who had refused to pay up his balance of N418,000. He had made an ultimatum with an empty threat of him and his partners destroying the chief's properties. The chief later went to his office where Terkura swallowed his pride and confessed his ordeal, and after taking a ride in the chief new car, he got paid his balance. He paid his debts and gave Helen his secretary, who had gotten her own part of the ordeal from the angry debtors who were threatening, cursing and accusing her. Only the rep, though more threatening to the company, from the United Exchange Bank was calm and quiet (Silent but deadly indeed.), N150 which she used to buy land in Demekpe a fast developing area in Makurdi. The chief became a stepping stone for Terkura to grow his business and amass wealth. He ventured into real estate, agric produce buying, construction, oil & gas distribution, and transportation. He was later considered the richest man in the state by some people.
He died at age 51 in his sleep, and the usual naija rumour went about that maybe he had died as such because he had made a pact to become rich and famous, under the condition that he doesn't marry and will live for a certain period of time. He didn't have a wife nor a legitimate/illegitimate child. So he willed his wealth to his nephew (his brother's son) David Atsen. Although some family members, long time employees, institutions he attended, tertiary institutions in Benue, churches and orphanages had a fair share of the cut, the lion's share was for David alone.
Okoh Ameh
Okoh wasn't ambitious. He wanted to keep on working in the hotel and perhaps get promoted. He thought Terkura's aspiration was impossible. He also believed it wasn't neccessary to go to school for someone to be rich. After Terkura had quit, 23 years old Okoh who was now an assistant supervisor at the provincial hotel, went to Otukpo via rail and thereafter to Upkoro via taxi to get married to 19 years old Maria on 24 April,1968 who he had seen three times and was chosen for him by his parents. Maria was eager to be a wife as well as travel to Makurdi. Before departing with his wife, his mother Eyun advised them. She was a petty trader (looking better than her mates who assisted Okoh's father Retired Sgt Onyilo Ameh in his farmwork) whose business was monopolized and booming after the ibos departure to the East.
Another person whose business was striving after the departure of the ibos was Owoicho Ako, Okoh's mate in primary school, who Okoh was happy to see but whose company wasn't enjoyed by Okoh because of his repeated thumping of his shoulder and his obstruction of Okoh's cuddling with his new wife, as they sat together on the train heading to Makurdi. After being aided to unload the train by Owoicho, Okoh took his new bride to his one-room apartment. Aside from the inconvenience of the compact single room, the compound was full of children and always noisy, and the environment, very marshy, was a breeding ground for mosquitoes, that Maria no sooner got ill. Shortly after their marriage, Maria procreated a boy on 27 January 1969, who Okoh wanted to name Monday but was named Ifenne one month later by his father who didn't like the name Monday. Three months after the baby’s arrival, Okoh and his family relocated away from the flood-prone and mosquito-infested areas to a better accommodation. Thereafter they had six more children named Agbo, Veronica, Innocent, Emmanuel, Ada, and Ene.
One day, Okoh returned early from work to rest only to find 16 years old Ifenne smoking who he rebuked. After dinner, the children watched a TV program the hopefuls while Maria went to take her bath. She raised the issue of the children school fees that needed to be paid, a reason Ifenne was at home when he was caught smoking, but Okoh flared up blaming her for their family's failure and Ifenne's smoking and left the house to seek haven in an ogogoro spot owned by Mama Faith. There he narrated his encounter with his son to Mfa Agera and his friend who supported Ifenne thus annoying Okoh more that he left there without paying for his drink and went to Cecillia house but was denied entry. So he went back home drenched by the rain. It then dawned on him that he had failed miserably with his responsibilty to his family, he neglected them and went about going after women and alcohol. Maria alone had tried to keep the family together and worked as seamstress who contributed to the feeding of the family. Out of pride, he couldn't seek succour (help) from his successful peers like Terkura. He became ill and three months later, he died and was burried at Ukporo. Terkura died 8 years after Okoh's death.
Ifenne Ameh
Ifenne who chided himself for his father illness decided to desist the path of destruction that he was trodding. After his father's death, he had to hussle to get some cash to assist his mother in providing for the family and to pay his school fees. After completing his secondary education in 1986, he became a conductor to a well-to-do driver named Oga Olu for 6 years, who became his mentor, telling him his future was bright. He went to Benue State University at age 24 (1993) to study political science, having 3 buses on the road and other petty business. Three years after serving in the youth corp, he met Mwuese Ayem, his ex-girlfriend in the university, at the Express Trust Bank, where he wanted a loan and she worked as a credit assessment officer. (He served in Abia while she served in Jigawa). They rekindled their love for each other and got married. He also ventured into agro-allied business and the extravagant David Atsen was one of his client. It was this deal (fertilizer business) that set him off to Lagos where he although married, tried to lure Mercy Lovefest to bed.
David Atsen
After receiving his new wealth, David alongside his new friends Sylvester Oguche and Andrew Tor, went about living a life of promiscuity and profligacy, throwing paties, buying expensive clothes, travelling here and there, etc. Later at age 30, he discovered he was on the wrong path and retraced himself back to a responsible path. He stopped his flamboyancy and worked hard to sustain and regrow his diminished inherited empire. To regain standard, he joined the top hierachy of the prestigious Markurdi reform club 1950, of which Ezekiel Agagu was instrumental as his reference. He couldn't fill in his uncle shoes of sponsoring projects as Ezekiel had sugested at his entry party because he needed to spend the remaining resources at his disposal judiciously. He also stopped his lecherous activities and got married to Ene Okoh, the chairman of the wedding being Ezekiel.
David urged Ifenne to campaign for governoship and when he yielded, David used his tatics, connections and resources to aid Ifenne under the umbrella of the Democratic Party of Nigeria to win the election and become the governor of Benue. He was sworn in 1 Oct, 2002. He tried to leverage his authority over David his sponsor but David didn't take advantage of it. Rather he told him to promote the state's products and indirectly his newly acquired Ben Cola.
