About the Author

Patrick Ugo Maidoh is a UK trained Investment Manager

with many years of experience in the UK Banking sector.
He is a mentor and a motivational speaker with a desire to
reach the next generation and give them a second stab at
life.
He holds an MBA degree from the Business school at the
University of East London and is a member of both the
Chartered Insurance Institute and the Institute of Financial
Service in the UK.
Patrick was born in Nigeria where he spent many years; he
would continue to hold deep roots and affection for his
birthplace. He is married to Chigozie and they have two
wonderful boys, Henry Kosisochukwu and Austin
Chukwubuikem. They live in Bricket Wood, St Albans,
Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.

Dedication
This book is dedicated to two sets of people and to my
Alma Mater
THE LOVING FATHER
To the loving father who loves his child unconditionally
regardless of the childs failures or successes, the father
who does not judge or condemn, but rather encourages,
edifies and nurtures his wonderful gift of life.
A father who helps his child discover their purpose in life
and is keen to help them along the straight and narrow road
that leads to eternal life, helps them on the way to fully
maximising their potential in life.
A father who says to a child all is well, In spite and
despite what the past situation was, what the current
circumstance is and what the future holds.
A father who would gladly give up his own life as
atonement for the shortcomings of his child without a
second thought.
THE LOST SHEEP
This book is also dedicated to all those people who have
been given a second chance on this side of eternity and are
making the most of their second chance. Those who are still
struggling to grasp and make the most of it, keep the faith
as weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the
morning.
MY ALMA MATER
To my Alma Mater, an institution that gave me a
foundation in life, an institution vast in the history of
turning boys into men of substance, purpose and integrity
as encapsulated in this prayer:

Oh God Our Father, Thou Searcher of Men's hearts.

Help us to draw near to Thee in sincerity and truth.
May our faith be filled with gladness and may our worship
of Thee be natural.
Strengthen and increase our admiration for honest dealing
and clean thinking and suffer not our hatred of hypocrisy
and pretence ever to diminish.
Encourage us in our endeavour to live above the common
level of life. Help us choose the harder right instead of the
easier wrong and never to be content with a half-truth
when the whole can be one.
Endow us with courage that is borne of loyalty to all that is
noble and worthy: Loyalty to our parents, loyalty to our
class, loyalty to our COLLEGE and loyalty to our country.
Loyalty that scorns compromise with vice and injustice and
knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy.
Guard us against flippancy and irreverence in the sacred
things of life. Grant us new ties of friendship and new
opportunities for service. Kindle our hearts in fellowship
with those of cheerful countenance and soften our hearts
with sympathy for those who sorrow and suffer.
Help us to maintain the honour of our COLLEGE
untarnished and undiminished, and to show forth in our
lives the ideals of CHRIST THE KING COLLEGE: Bonitas,
Disciplina, Scientia, in doing our duties to Thee Oh Lord,
to our COLLEGE and to our country.
All these we ask in the name of our great friend and
Master, Jesus Christ. Amen!

REV. FR. N.C. TAGBO

Ex-Principal CKC Onitsha

Copyright Patrick U. Maidoh (2015)

The right of Patrick U. Maidoh to be identified as author of
this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section
77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the
publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to
this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil
claims for damages.
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any
resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely
coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the
British Library.
ISBN 9781785545832 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781785545849 (Hardback)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2015)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ

Printed and bound in Great Britain

Acknowledgments
This pacey and riveting story would not have been
conceived without the following people contributing their
time, effort and encouragement.
I would like to say a big thank you to the Raymond
Ukadikes of this world, they have inspired me to tell a story
and I hope that I have done a good job at it.
This book was prompted by Dr Okey Onuzo, who pointed
out the need to leave an enduring legacy for the next
generation Thank you sir.
A special thank you would have to go to my spiritual
father, Pastor Agu Irukwu, despite your gruelling schedule,
you spent late nights reading this story and giving
constructive feedback. You saw the potential in this book
from the start and you shared your vision regarding this
book. Your feedback inspired chapter 25 of this book.
The foreword written by Professor Sylvester Monye was
second to none, it portrayed the deep rooted passion and
belief that you have for the next generation and I strongly
share that passion with you. Thank you for your time and
the potential that you see in The Protagonist A Tale of
Two Halves.
A mention must go to Pastor Chizor Akisanya for your
welcomed feedback on this book, I still remember my
manuscript being returned and riddled with red marks and
underlines. Your constructive feedback inspired chapter 2
of this book.

I would like to acknowledge Dr Matthew Offord, MP for

Hendon. Thank you for giving my manuscript a read and
the commendation that followed.
This book would definitely not have come to light without
the support and backing of my wonderful family my wife,
Chigozie and the boys (Henry and Austin) and my siblings
(Albert, Daniel, Hetty, Charles and Michael).
My sincere appreciation to my late father, Justice
Augustine Nwanneamaka Maidoh, a tough disciplinarian
but a wise man. I wish you were still around to have seen
this book published.
To my mother, Chief Rebecca Maidoh, I say thank you for
all your effort in my upbringing. I hope that this book
makes you proud.
To Uncle Ray Ugboh aka Godfather and Pastor Attah
Ogbole, thank you for your contribution.
Thank you to everyone who has helped give life to this
book in one way or another, your labour of love can only be
rewarded as this book begins to touch millions of lives.
It would be a travesty not to acknowledge my best friend
and master, the one who gives seed to the sower, the one
that had inspired the story and had given me the ability to
express the story. Thank you God.
I strongly believe that we cannot afford to lose the next
generation, if we lose them then we would have lost
everything. Let us join hands together to heal our children
for the simple reason they are the next generation.

Commendations

I truly believe that everyone in life should receive a second

chance, and this book is a great advocate of that philosophy.
Throughout the novel Patrick demonstrates how with hard
work, determination and a little guidance one can turn the
darkest of situations into a life full of light and inspiration. In a
world where we so often find ourselves confronted with
challenges, both big and small, this book will offer a
thoughtful and informative read on how to meet these
challenges with courage and integrity. I commend Patrick on
such a fantastic debut novel and cannot recommend it highly
enough.
Dr Matthew Offord MP, Hendon UK
This is a must read for both the young adult and parents. It
opens your eyes to what exists out there and how if not careful
can lead to a wasted life. Every parent would need to be
extremely watchful. On the other hand, it makes you
appreciate the greatness and mercy of a loving God.
Pastor Attah Ogbole. Author of Apples of Gold
Patrick Maidohs The Protagonist is the latest addition to an
increasing body of work written by members of Nigerias
post-Biafran War generation, Nigerias Generation X. And
like all of the others, it is a worthy addition.
Dr.Eghosa Imasuen. Author of The Fine Boys and To Saint
Patrick
Gripping, intriguing., compelling, awesome narration, I
just could not put this book down once I had picked it up. This
book demonstrates the power of salvation and its ability to
change lives. Well done Patrick, I am proud to be your sister.
Hetty Ugboh

FOREWORD
The true story behind The Protagonist - A Tale of Two
Halves is a very compelling and intriguing one. It is a book
that tells vividly, the story of how good morals could easily
be corrupted; it is a poignant reminder of the need to heal
the next generation and the importance of a new beginning.
This is a must read, especially for young adults and their
parents!
This is one book that is crying out to Nigeria, especially
young Nigerians, in secondary schools and universities, to
buy it and read, digest it and NEVER FORGET the story it
encompasses.
The author has done his country and his God a service in
writing this much-needed book. He has provided an insight,
a much-lacking one, into the nether world of cultism and
cultists. He has provided secondary and university
authorities with a road map into the murky alcohol and
narcotic-world of cultism.
How critical is the cultism problem in Nigeria? Has the
level of the problem been fully appreciated? Nigeria has
been in great danger of this problem, much-talked about
but less addressed and even lesser understood. But this
author has in The Protagonist A tale of two halves
exposed the magnitude of the problem, the festering sore
that has afflicted universities and from there to the
ministries, the state and legislatures, and where cultists
themselves run the universities ... much like the proverbial
mad people running the asylum.

This is a scary book; it is not a gay recital, but a grave and

grim one. Were it not a grim recital, I would have
concentrated the readers attention on the spicy ways the
book-writing was executed the story in this book does not
move in a straight form but sections would jump out of the
woods on you like a cultist on a killer-mission. The book
would keep ones adrenaline running on end; but the
masterful way it was written pales before the message that
has been so masterfully packaged.
Hey, is there a soul so dead, a parent so unconcerned about
the state of Nigerian universities that he would not be
scandalized by this? (from a section of the book)
I was in my final year in the department of
Accountancy and was keen to graduate on
schedule. As I sat in my lecture hall of about
one hundred and twenty people, I looked
around and could easily count about thirty
Marauders in my class. I could also count
the numbers of well-known Eiye, Mafioso,
Vikings, Buccaneers and Pyrates in the
same class and it suddenly dawned on me
that more than half of the students in the
hall were affiliated to one confraternity or
another.
We were careful to be cordial to each other
during the day and during lectures but
outside the lecture hall and especially at
night we would split each others throat in a
heartbeat.
I was distracted from my thoughts by a note
passed to me by Theo. Theo was a guy after
my own heart, a very experienced Marauder
who would stand by his word and was not
pious in any way. He was the head of the
2

Council of the wise men and he had the

gravitas required to hold the position; I had
plenty of time and respect for him.
The note read that Oscar, one of the
belligerent Marauders, had been involved in
a fight with two Viking Henchmen at the
NFA joint; the two Vikings had come out of
the fracas worse off and bloodied. I tore up
the note as I made eye contact with Chucks
the deputy seer at the other end of the
lecture hall and I nodded towards him,
which was a cue for him to get me a
situation report.
I got the report from the Seer within hours,
indicating that the Vikings were rallying at
a strategic location with the intention of
bringing down Oscar.
I knew that Oscar was an experienced
Marauder with his own clique within BNM
and that he would not go down without a
fight. I was not scared of a war with the
Vikings as they were a minor group without
much liver punch behind them but I was
not looking for a senseless war either. I
remembered what Charlie Angel once told
me, for you to fight a justified war, you
must first understand the language of
peace. We had experienced a rare period
of peace within and outside the BNM and I
had come to realise that there was growth,
peace of mind and progress during that
time; I was in no hurry for that to change.
I knew that I had to intervene immediately. I
sent a message to Hammer to deploy two
armed squads to the location where the
Vikings were congregating. Another squad
3

was to go and provide backup to Oscar.

However, most important, I sent my hit
squad led by the popular The Bulldog to
the Vikings main man with a clear and
simple message: Make a move and we will
completely obliterate you guys off the face
of the planet. The Vikings knew better than
to mess with us and with our movement on
that night, they knew that wahala fit dey
town. The Vikings backed down quickly and
quietly to lick their wounds; my Seer and
Voice nevertheless kept watchful eyes on
their movement for a couple of days.
Two days after the fracas, I paid Oscar a
visit under the cover of night in the
company of The Bulldog, Bilado and
Alahaji. Oscar got the beating and mending
of his life for disobeying my direct
instruction of avoiding the NFA joint.

Many people would see this book as troubling. That is the

way it should be; the book was written to disturb your
conscience. May it reach as many hands as possible may
people buy it, give it out as gifts to others in millions
and may it bring about a national renaissance as Nigeria
begins to push cultism out of our schools, offices, political
parties and general life.

Professor Sylvester Monye, MFR

President, Africa Institute of Public Policy &
former Special Adviser to
President Good luck Ebele Jonathan on
Performance Monitoring and Evaluation

Everyone has a story to tell. I was born Raymond

Ukadike; some of my friends call me Remy, others call
me Remyleon and this is my story. It describes more real
life events than fiction, so sit tight for the ride.

woke up with a start. I did not have to turn around

to know that my wife of seven years was lying on
the other side of the bed fast asleep; I could hear
her heavy and deep breathing. I tried to guess what time
it was, but had no clue so I turned to look up towards
the clock on the wall. Although I could hear its ticking, I
could barely make out the face, much less tell the time.
After about five minutes of lying there motionless, I
propped myself up on one elbow and reached for my
mobile phone, which was lying on the chest of drawers
beside me. As I turned it on, the time flashed up at me:
3:45 am. What in heavens name was I doing awake at
this time of the morning? My alarm would be going off
at 7:00 am. I have to get back to sleep, I said to myself;
but all efforts to settle down proved unsuccessful.
An event from the previous day kept replaying in my
mind. I had failed an assessment at work, and I hated
the idea of failure and having my name put on the
companys internal communication page.