ABSTRACT: This research work focuses on Corruption and Injustices in Festus Iyayi’s Violence and Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People. The two novelists are regarded by critics and scholars in the review of related literature as Nigerian popular writers whose writings expose a non-fictional lifestyle in Nigerian society and how the Nigerian leaders exploit and imposes various afflictions to the poor Nigerians. Their works also portrays how the masses live in object of corruption, injustices, exploitation and oppression. In Violence, Iyayi criticizes Nigeria as a capitalist country where little or no opportunity is given to the poor. He uses a wealthy business woman, Queen and her business mates to sample the way Nigerian leaders deliberately exploit their labourers, despite their sincerity and obedience. He also uses the health workers as agents of dehumanization where doctors have no sympathy over the sick one as seen in the novel under investigation.
Corruption and Injustices in Festus Iyayi’s Violence and Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People
In A Man of the People, Achebe uses Chief Nanga as a greedy and corrupt Nigerian politician whose aims into politics is for his personal gain and not to serve his people. He also oppresses the masses and members of the cabinets through corrupt lifestyle. At this point, Iyayi and Achebe see the Nigerian business men and women as well as the politicians as greedy, corrupt and bias in their leadership style. They also see the causes of Nigerian predicaments like corruption, violence and poverty as the downfall of the country because of corrupt and exploitative leaders and business men. The study therefore recommends good literature novels using the above authors to the learners and pupils and students in Nigerian schools as it would enable to eradicate the issues of corruption and injustices in Nigeria as a country.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Festus Iyayi and Chinua Achebe are Nigerian prolific and proficient writers who use their novels to reflect the corrupt practices, injustices, oppression and exploitation of Nigerians. They depicted the suffering of the poor masses within a particular historical background and show a sense of growing disgust and unrest. According to them, Nigeria is a society that has started to emerge from the ‘colonial complex caused by years of denigration and self-abasement. They explore the condition of the working class in such a way that, a grim picture of their abject condition of living is revealed. In Violence, for instance, Iyayi reflects the suffering of the working class, the masses and how they are down-trodden, oppressed and exploited and made credible with vivid imagery. For example, the dialogue amongst the wretched of the Nigerian society attests to this view: it is so unfair. One man has enough to eat, so much that he throws some away. Yet we are hungry. Well, all fingers are not equal. Everything is God’s work Patrick said. Kai, it is not God’s work, it’s man-made…Omoifo disagreed (20).
The above quotation is a clear illustration that, Iyayi holds the capitalist system for the plights of the down-trodden. Iyayi identifies himself with the masses by trying to expose their suffering and aspiration and conscious efforts of the proletarians to organize themselves to effect some positive changes in their conditions of living.
From the foregoing, one can therefore rightly say that ‘corruption and injustice’ are an integral part of exploitation simply because the non-producers in position of power utilize their advantage to deprive producers and their family of their rights. It is on the above bedrock the researcher investigated the effect of corruption and injustices in Festus Iyayi’s Violence and Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The problems facing the contemporary Nigerian societies are multi-dimensional and in phases. Day in and day out, the country is racked by afflictions, corruption, injustices, ill-treatment, disasters, macro-economic crises and dysfunctions, debt over-hang, high level of illiteracy, squalor, disease, hunger and other negative and destabilizing conditions thrown up the greedy and unpatriotic ruling class. These writers therefore, mentioned the above as a result of the myriad of social, political and economic problems facing the country and bad leadership styles that have refused to change for the better in spite of the rapid developmental trends all over the world today.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study is to portray how corruption and injustices in Festus lyayi’s Violence and Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People affects the fictional characters with reference to our contemporary Nigerian society.
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study will be of immense significant to the reader of this research work with a view of having more knowledge on the effects of corruption and injustices in Festus Iyayi’s Violence and Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People, will serve as a good material to student’s research. The research work will also show how the government plays their role and make the citizens to suffer due to corrupt leadership role and various injustices corruption has disordered everything.
Corruption and Injustices in Festus Iyayi’s Violence and Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People
1.5 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study are to:
- examine the corruption and injustices in Festus Iyayi’s Violence and Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People.
- portray the effects and consequences of corruption and injustices in the fictional characters in the two novels.
- investigate the authors aims of writing the two novels and provide solutions to the issues of corruption and injustices in the Nigerian society.
1.6 Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The scope of this study is delimited to corruption and injustices in Festus Iyayi’s Violence and Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People.
