African Prose
AMMA DARKO: Faceless
Examine the significance of Vickoe and Kabria’s visit to the police station.
Explanation
Examine the significance of Vickie and Kabria visit to the police station. Vickie and Kabria of MUTE visit the local police station to request information on the status of the police investigation into the murder of Baby T. This episode, more than any other in the novel, illustrates the moral bankruptcy of the society and paints a bleak picture of the future.
The physical state of, the police station is a metaphor for the decadence which has engulfed the institution. Vickie and Kabria are greeted with the sight of 'broken windows, leaking drains cracked wails and peeling paint". Given the importance of the police in good governance, the appalling lack of basic facilities stands as a testimony to the neglect which state institutions have suffered over the years. The telephone which should be an important aid in police work is dead. The Inspector's table, like the state of the society, is dilapidated. The cabinet in which supposedly confidential files are kept has no lock and is wrenched. We learn from the Inspector that it has been in this condition for at least a decade. In addition to the non-functional telephone, there is no vehicle in the station so the police will find themselves incapable of responding in cases of emergency. The expression which the narrator uses, 'sorry sight", succinctly sums up the situation.
The attitude of the officers manning the station comes under the spotlight. The front desk officer has an air of boredom, only nods in response to the visitors' greetings and points to the Inspector's door. One would expect a more friendly welcome to members of the public, who after all, are the sole clients of the police.
The Inspector, in command at the station, is, if nothing else, worse in his demeanour. When Vickie and Kabria enter his office, he is engrossed in a lotto. Clearly, the visitors are a distraction. This is a public officer who should be on duty. Throughout the visitors' discussion with him, he is nonchalant and sometimes downright hostile. Only when he learns of the interest of the press in the matter does he adopt a near conciliatory tone.
He typifies the public officer whose belief is that his continued occupation of his current position depends on creating a good image in the press, rather than performing his duties diligently. Even this veneer of civility is dropped as soon as the visitors' enquiries become too much for him.
The author intends this episode to serve as a backdrop to the major incident in the novel-the murder of Baby T. It shows that the people whom the police should serve can hope for no protection from them, especially if they are poor complainants. Baby T's case has been 'filed' put away and forgotten. The police have made no attempt at investigating her murder. They cannot be bothered with the brutal murder of an unidentified street girl. Granted, the police are ill-equipped, but the author does not provide any justification for their incompetence and hostility to their clients. However, an organization like MUTE, and their visit to the police station, helps to raise hope for the voiceless.
Points to note;
(a) The visit clearly shows MUTE's interest in Baby T's case.
(b) It brings out the decadence of the facilities at the police station
(c) It reflects the dysfunction in the society.
(d) It brings out the low morale (and unreliability) of the police.
(e) It promises hope (i.e. MUTE'S visit) for the hopeless and voiceless people in the society.