by Carole EnahoroKnopf Canada
~ Review in Halifax Herald, May 2010
Chief Ogbe Kolo, Nigerian Minister of Natural Resources, is the consummate politician, a chameleon, working tirelessly to be all things to all people. But always foremost in his thoughts is his business empire and he sees each day as another profit opportunity. When the Kainji dam bursts, killing thousands of people and wiping out hundreds of towns and villages, Kolo sees opportunity. He makes a successful bid for the presidency and positions his company to own “almost all the fresh water in Nigeria.” He hooks up with TransAqua.
Enter Mary, an acquisitions executive for TransAqua, ambitious, humourless and with a chip on her shoulder the size of the Niger river she is attempting to privatize. Her sister Barbara, whose dress style is usurped from various world cultures in a clashing mismatch, is an anger management consultant. Mary hates Barbara more than just about anything. So when Barbara’s inept muddling takes her to Nigeria to join with activist Femi Jegede, Mary’s rage sparks a downward spiral which bodes ill for all in her path.
Doing Dangerously Well is a hilarious mix of satire, political intrigue and environmental mis-management on two continents. Underlying it all and bringing a more serious context to the narrative is the frantic jockeying for the international control of water resources in Nigeria, and in Africa generally.
Enahoro’s characters are larger than life as they bumble, manipulate and bribe their way through the political landscapes of Nigeria, Europe and Ottawa. They are flamboyant, larger than life, but never cross the line into stereotyping. Enahora moulds her people, paying careful attention to each of them as they jockey for position within their personal realms. The reward for her readers is a vibrant international story, satirical, funny and unafraid as the various players battle for control of water resources on a continent where access to water can be a daily struggle.
