The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

 Abstract

This project is on the Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola’s The Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba’s The Labourers’s Blood.

The study showed that Corruption and Exploitation were the major cause of our Nigerian predicaments.  It is also reviewed that the social injustices, exploitation, corruption and disillusionment were the major societal challenges confronting the poor masses in our Nigerian society as seen in the two selected texts.

The study also showed that the rich and the political leaders were the cause of this corruption and exploitation in our contemporary society which the poor masses went through. In The Wizard of Law, Sofola portrayed how the evil of exploitation and corruption were affecting the poor in our contemporary Nigerian societies using lawyer Romini.

He used him to portray elements of exploitation over Rafiu the cloth-seller who gave out his clothes to double his money. This showed an element of exploitation.  In The Laborer’s Blood, chief Obazee also exploited his workers and also imposed pain and poverty on them.

The study therefore recommended that government should intervene on this issue of exploitation and corruption in our Nigerian society as exposed in the texts under investigation.

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background to the study

This research work examines the theme of exploitation and corruption in Zulu Sofola’s The Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba’s The Labourer’s Blood.

With post-colonial experiences as an embodiment of social-political turmoil, exploitation, corruption and violence, these two playwrights use their works to expose how the masses are grappling with social injustices and oppression, from the privileged ones in the face of appalling political mismanagement, exploitation and corruption that have become an endemic monster that devastates our nation, Nigeria. To prove this point, Chinua Achebe opined that:

There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian society, character, water, seas, but that Nigeria’s problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to their responsibilities (1).

Achebe maintains the opinions that, Nigerian leaders are corrupt because the system makes corruption easy, profitable and will cease to be corrupt when corruption is made difficult end inconvenient.

In the same vein, Wole Soyinka attacks the political intimidation and repression in Nigeria’s second republican government using his autobiography novel, Ake to portray the campaign for freedom, equability and justice in past colonial societies (8).

Also, Soyinka while in Ghana during his exile … used his editorship of the journal, Transition, to attack Africa’s military dictatorship.

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

Furthermore, Emeka Nwabueze in his play, A parliament of vulture explores says:

The effects of corruption, violence, exploitation and political domination in the Nigeria’s social and religious, moral, economic and most especially in the state holders in the Nigerian’s politics… that, the Nigerian political elite, criticizing and making the people see and feel the weaker activities of their hypocritical leader (24).

He further paints a vivid image of what is going on in the Nation’s political arena, especially as it concerns law makers, who were elected to represent their different constituencies in the states and national assemblies.

In a similar vein, playwright like Tenure Ojaide in his novel, The Activist exposes to his people what is happening in the Niger Delta areas. He went further and asserts that: The literate in the society are the chief criminals…? Exploiting, aborting one another in the name of leadership (46)

From the foregoing it is clear that African playwrights use their literary works to expose the evils that is happening around their environment.

The study examine more on the root causes of corruption, exploitation, violence, political domination affecting the masses in our contemporary Nigerian society using Sofola’s The Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba’s The Labourer’s Blood.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

The level of exploitation and corruption in our contemporary Nigerian society attracted the concern in these two plays under investigation.

Throughout the colonial period, most Nigerian were struck with poverty because of corruption and exploitation as seen in the two selected novels under investigation.

1.3     Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this research work is to identify and portray the issues of exploitation and corruption in Zulu Sofola’s Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba The Labourer’s Blood, its consequences to the society and to find a way to abolish them and affect a charge to this problem of exploitation and corruption that is affecting our contemporary society.

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

1.4     Significance of the study

This research will help researchers who have interest on researching on corruption and exploitation in African literature using the two plays under investigation and other. The study will also be of significant to the Nigerian government to look into this problem of corruption and exploitation affecting the Nigerian society.

1.5     Research Methodology

The main sources of this work will be the use of Zulu Sofola’s The Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba’s The Labourer’s Blood. Other sources of the study will be the library, text books from African writers, internet journal and reviews of related texts.

1.6     Scope and Limitation of the Study

The scope of this research work is limited to Zulu Sofola’s The Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba’s The Labourer’s Blood.

1.7     Objectives of the Study

The objectives of this study are:

(i)      to examine corruption and exploitation in the two plays in this study.

(ii)      to proffer solution to consequences of corruption and exploitation    to the lives of the Nigerian society.

(iii)     to investigate the cause of corruption and exploitation that have brought a lots of hardship in our Nigerian society.

1.8.1  Bio-Data of Zulu Sofola

Zulu Sofola’s was born on the 20 of June 1935 and died on 5 of September, 1995. She was born to Bendel state to parents who were Igbo from issele-Uku in Delta state.

She spends her adolescence and early womanhood in the U.S.A, there she studied at southern Baptist seminary, and she earned a B.A English at Virginia Union University and MA in drama in 1965 from the catholic university of America. In 1966, she returned to Nigeria and became a lecturer in The Department of Theatre Arts at The University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria where she obtained a Ph.D.

Sofola also taught drama at the University of Ilorin, Kwara state, Nigeria, where she was appointed head of department for the performing Arts.

She was a singer, dancer, as well as a profile playwright. She wrote and directed many plays for stage and television, including her own work, such as King Emens. Sofola’s plays range from historical tragedy to domestic comedy and she use both traditional and modern African setting.

Sofola’s most frequently performed plays are: Wedlock of the Gods (1972) and The Sweet Trap (1977). The selected works includes: The Deer Hunter and The hunter’s pearl (1969) The Operators (1973) King Emene (1974), The Wizard of Law (1975).Sofola’s died at the age of 60 years.

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

1.8.2  Bio-Data of Chris Egharevba

Chris Egharevba is a senior lecturer in The Department of English, University of Uyo, Uyo Nigeria. He is the pioneer chairman of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Akwa Ibom State Branch. Some of his published works include; Canopy of Thunder (1995), Songs of the New Breed (1996) The Labourer’s Blood (1998), Night Mere of Our Day (1999) Clouds of Blood (2001) and Legacy of Thunder (2001) Broken Chains (2002).

1.9     Definition of Terms

Exploitation: May be defined as the act of using resources or the act of treating people unfairly in order to benefit from their efforts or labour.

Corruption: May be defined as a dishonest or illegal behaviour, especially of people in authority. It is also the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain without considering the masses.

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood

The Theme of Corruption and Exploitation in Zulu Sofola the Wizard of Law and Chris Egharevba the Labourers Blood