Leadership in Postcolonial Africa: a critical study of Chinua Achebe’s a man of the people and Anthills of the Savannah
Abstract
This research work centres on how Post-Colonial African Leaders in Achebe’s A Man Of The People and Anthills of the Savannah have shifted from democratic leadership to an autocratic type of governance. The paper denotes a form of corruption that departs from cherished values and ideas of Post-colonial Africa. The key method of this Paper is textual analysis. The Paper seeks to show the socio-economic disillusionment of an independent African Society. The leaders abuse the posts to enrich themselves at the nation’s expense. They seek to show how the black People’s quest for shared power and freedom has been thwarted by the post-colonial African governments. The paper also dwells on how the misuse of power causes the offices of African leaders to be sources of evil and wealth creation for a few selected individuals.
1.1 Background to the Study.
Chinua Achebe’s generally adapt to the notion that independence is a sources of disillusionment to most black Africans because it has failed to deliver the key objective that triggered the call for independence. The two authors introduces a paradigm shift from the culture of blame shifting which is characterized mostly by polemics (defending by attacks) against colonialism towards a culture of internal focus. The sad aspect of current African politics is blaming colonial encounter as responsible for misgoverning, yet most of the blames lies on endogenous factors behind that such as corruption, nepotism, manipulation of media, politics of lies, demonization of democratic values, politics of deception, self aggrandizement, ethnicization of politics and naturalization of election violence in a sense, it is not a fulfillment of expectations but a nightmare, an illusion that generated a false sense of arrival.
Leadership in Postcolonial Africa: a critical study of Chinua Achebe’s a man of the people and Anthills of the Savannah
Post colonial elite of independent Africa championed the first movement of African nationalism, which coerced its political demands in terms drawn from European nationalists’ thought when colonization came to Africa accepted it as a beginning of a new era to bring and deliver a human right culture and a democratic dispensation. Bad leadership and oppressive government are the worst forms of government affecting every society of the world today. This is why Chinua Achebe the problems of Nigeria that are not left out of the evils of bad leadership and oppressive governance. These writers used their literary works as arsenals for effective change in their societies.
1.2 Statement of The Problem
Leadership in Postcolonial Africa: a critical study of Chinua Achebe’s a man of the people and Anthills of the Savannah
The colonial encounter left the legacy of capitalism and its related system of exploitation. After independence, some Africans thought they were welcoming victory in its fullness but their fellow blacks used their powers improperly, replicating the colonial forms of repression. Africa has slipped off the noose of colonialism but then their governments are not different from colonial governments because at independence, it was realized that black oppressors replaced colonialists there was mere substitution.
According to Mbeki, it has also been argued that Africa was re-colonized at independence by black oppressors. African leaders run their economies according to American standard and the governments have been taught. The system of self interest and told to forget the ancient songs that glorified the notion of collective good. African leaders in positions of authority are cushioned in extravagance, yet the majority is suffering. In post-colonial Africa, cultural dislocation is coupled with political betrayal by the indigenous crop of African leaders.
Leadership in Postcolonial Africa: a critical study of Chinua Achebe’s a man of the people and Anthills of the Savannah
Leaders betray people in that independence in many countries remained in the hands of founding fathers and there was negation of power sharing thereby undermining democratic principles. Nationalist leaders at independence engaged in politics of violence, exclusion and inclusion, hence, independence brought nothing but suffering. This is the reason why this research looks at the following problems:
- The reason why Africa is yearning for independence
- If Africa is suffering as a result of the foundations laid by colonial masters.
- If African predicament is caused by the fact that Africans are incapable of handling their affairs.
Leadership in Postcolonial Africa: a critical study of Chinua Achebe’s a man of the people and Anthills of the Savannah