STRANGERS IN A NEW LAND: AN ANALYSIS OF MIGRANTS AS “OTHERS” IN PAT AMADU'S NO PAST, NO PRESENT AND NO FUTURE

Abstract

Africans transit en masse to Western world for myriads of reasons which are triggered by push and pull factors such as economic downturn, desire for better healthcare, foreign remittances, hunger for quality education, war refugee, political factors, oppressive military regime, forced migration, poor social services and religious conflict. These constrained circumstances have resulted in seeking for improvement in their economic lot. The phenomenon of migratory and diasporic trajectories which are as old as human history are witnessed by people who disperse across the globe to survive in better conditions compared to their current dilapidated and pitiable life. The study explored how Pat Amadu’s novel, No past, No present and No future captured migration and the concept of Other. It examined how migrants are treated as sub humans and being seen as inferior and thus referred to as ‘the Other’, this virtually affects their total existence in a foreign country, in turn their hopes are dashed and they become disillusioned. The study adopts Frantz Fano’s postcolonial concepts to explore the Othering of Africans when they migrate to the Western Countries. Frantz Fanon highlighted the dehumanizing aspects of colonial rule, the imposition of colonial identities, and argues for strong resistance. The paper concludes that there should be a concerted effort to bridge this inequality by creating employment and conducive environment so as to deter people from migrating.