Oil On Water By Helon Habila: A Book Review
Venturing into the Niger Delta is risky business, for veteran journalists, authors, and even the readers in their armchairs.
In Oil On Water, Helon Habila presents the sordid reality of the Niger Delta through the eyes of a young journalist. Rufus hunts down a story in search of his big break. He accompanies his mentor, Zaq, a man haunted by his past into the winding creeks. Their mission is to find the wife of an expatriate oil worker, held for ransom by militants. The journey is punctuated by an army intervention, run-ins with militants, and illness. In the end, Rufus finds another truth, one which he had not been seeking.
The title of the book itself is philosophical. Oil and water abhor each other, never mixing. In the event that they do, they are both rendered useless. This is an apt representation of the endless cycle of death and decay in the Niger region. Corrupt oil companies exploit small communities, supported by the greedy government.
The militants in Helon’s book are not black nor white they blow up the pipelines, polluting the waters. To them, it’s the only way to get the attention of the companies that break lives while looking for new places to sink their pipelines. The people are not faultless with greed sometimes overcoming rationality.
Oil On Water is not a particularly happy book but Helon Habila’s skill with imagery kept me turning the pages. I could see the damaged waters, the dead fish, and the burning villagers. The yellowed eyes of hungry souls and the looks of terror in the eyes of men whose lives were cut shut. It made the book beautiful to read because I could see and hear the characters and their world.
Oil On Water is also a social commentary. Helon shows how politics has permeated every inch of our relations. How poverty and oppression has pushed a narrative of silence even on the ones who need to speak the truth. It makes one wonder if Helon sees no end to all the madness. But some characters do find happiness and new homes. There might be hope after all.
If you want to peek into the Niger Delta from the safety of your armchair, you should pick up a copy of Oil on Water.
