CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines corruption as a

dishonest or illegal behaviour especially of people in authority.

In philosophical theological or moral discussions corruption is

spiritual or moral impurity or deviation from an ideal. In economy

corruption is payment for services or materials which the recipient is not

entitled to under the law. In government it is when an elected representative

makes decisions that are influenced by vested interest rather than legitimate

or established government or party regulations.

In life there are political moral and systemic corruption or abuse of

power. Moral or political corruption involves the abuse of public power

office or resources by elected government officials for personal gains by

extortion embezzlement soliciting or offering bribes or other forms of

inducement. Official corruption is a specific form of a misconduct designed

to obtain undue benefits personal gains or career advancements. Police

Officer for example sometimes flout the police code of conduct in order to

secure conviction of suspects through the use of falsified evidence.

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Systemic corruption is the complete subversion of a political or

economic system – which is primarily due to a weakness of an organization

or process. It can be contrasted with individuals officials or agents who act

corruptly within the system. Lack of transparency low pay injustice

greediness exploitation and poverty are the factors that encourage

corruption.

Corruption poses a serious development challenge; it undermines

democracy and good government by flouting or even subverting formal

processes. Corruption in election and in legislative processes reduces

accountability and distorts representation in policy making. Corruption in

the judiciary compromises the rule of law and corruption in the public

administration results in the inefficient provision of services. It violates

basic principles of the country regarding the centrality of civic virtue.

Corruption facilitates environmental destruction. There is also industrial

corruption; this occurs when bribe is pride by a supplier to an industry or a

manufacturer in order to sell low quality goods at the price of good quality

products.

Corruption is a harmful force that hinders government and represses

individual in many countries throughout the world. It is generally a word

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used to qualify the existence of common social ills that affect the entire

aspects of our society.

Victimization is the process of being victimized becoming a victim or

being unfairly punished. Victimization means making someone a group of

people to suffer unfairly because you do not like them their opinions or

something that they have done. The trauma of victimization is a direct

reaction to the aftermath of unfair punishment. Victims suffer tremendous

amount of physical and psychological trauma. The physical injury suffered

by victim may be as apparent as cuts bruises or broken arms and legs. It is

common for victims to be fatigued unable to sleep or have increased or

decreased appetite.

Many victims believe that the stress caused by victimization

endangers or exposes them to physical or psychological problems later in

life.

In our society people are victimized because of or for many reasons.

In the ancient days and still in some places women are being victimized after

their husbands' death and when they are unable to give birth to children.

Women are often socially and psychologically victimized in the absence of

their husbands and children. Men who are impotent or childless suffer

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victimization by not allowing them to comfortably air their opinion in their

fellow men’s social gathering.

When one is denied of his rights and possessions and is maltreated for

no justifiable reasons he is being victimized. Such a person often tries to

avoid society and especially the company of his victimizers or those opposed

to his way of life.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Nations Organizations Institutions and individuals especially those

mentioned in the novels understudy participate in or experience corruption

in different ways that are often overt or covert. Euphemisms are often used

to make corruption and/or victimization less offensive or palatable in the

society. Often their perpetrators are ―honourable‖ or important people in

short ―sacred cows‖ in the society—Those people ―respect‖ or fear to

confront. This study intends to explore the terminologies the culprits invent

and often use to hoodwink the society.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This research work is conducted as it is an area where nobody has

worked on. The study is being made to expose the problems caused by

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corruption and victimization and their effects on the national and private

sectors of our national life and economy and possibly proffer useful

suggestions/solutions to the malaise.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY/LIMITATIONS

Basically the study is focused particularly on corruption and

victimization as explored in Tides by Isidore Okpewho and Children of

Oloibire by Anthony Abagha. References to Okpewho’s and Abagha’s

other works and works of other writers journals magazines and newspapers

would also be made to enrich the study.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research has both practical and theoretical significance to the

general public especially social organization institutions social activists

psychologist leaders and literary artists who should understand the level of

corruption and victimization operating in the society. It will also bring to

limelight the impacts of corruption and victimization on individuals and

society at large. This work is undertaken with the intention that the result

will be of help to the leaders of the nation at all levels of government serve

as a good material to students and scholars as well as concerned persons who

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may like to make further research on this subject matter in the interest of all

and sundry.

METHODOLOGY

Since this study is based on Okpewho’s Tides and Abagha’s Children

of Oloibiri the methodology will basically be literary in terms of what the

library and the internet will offer by way of critiques journals magazines

newspapers and interviews on Niger Delta literature and environment.

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CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

PREAMBLE

The topic of this project - - corruption and victimization in Isidore

Okpewho’s Tides and Anthony Abagha’s Children of Oloibiri - - is an

interesting one. Corruption and victimization are moral social political

systemic problems and so on. The novels for study are Niger Delta based.

They are so intriguing especially as the area involved is a region so rich in

natural resources that people find it so easy to plunder while hardship and

victimization go on in different ways. It is therefore not difficult to access

relevant literatures in this regard.

Because of availability of literary materials on corruption and

victimization as well as on the Niger Delta and the novelists whose works

are being studied we intend to be very selective on citing such relevant

materials. Whenever corruption is being discussed no one ever forgets The

Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born a novel which lays particular emphasis on

real decay and corruption in Africa. It emphasizes physical decay which

makes one see more clearly the depth to which the society we live is corrupt.

A library of critiques exists on this text.

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Kaine Agany in Yellow Yellow shows how the village head

Amananawei could not do anything after getting report on how the oilpipe

that runs through the village has exploded and spilled on the farm because of

the ransom he receives from the officials of the oil company. The

implication here is that like the officials of the NAFCOM the Amananawei

is aiding and abetting corruption and even the despolation of the Niger Delta

environment the ecosystem.

A man of the People by Achebe Shows the strameless corrupt and

uncultured minister of culture in the person of Nanga anxious to elbow his

way to greater patronage and wealth. He is the man of the man of the

people only Ironic sense. While he openly proclaims his affection for the

people ―Do the right and shame the devil‖ (2). He does everything to

undermine their welfare. He is not only a confirmed agent of an entrenched

system of political corruption he is willing to betray the interest of the

nation in his dealings with the firms like ―Antonio and sons‖. In him the

acquisitiveness and unrestrained corruption which dominates life reach their

peak. He is motivated in all his actions by self interest when for example

he arranges for a road to be tarred it is only because an election is near or

that he has ordered ten luxury buses of his which will make use of the road

he is an embodiment of corruption.

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Odili himself confesses that as long as men are swayed by their hearts

and stomach and not their heads the chief Nangas of this world will

continue to get away with anything. When Odili gets involved in politics he

starts behaving like chief Nanga.

In T.M Aluko’s Chief The Honourable Minister there is political

corruption which is so widespread that wherever the novelist turns his

attention he discovers crude political misbehaviors and inordinate attempts

to ride on the backs of others to achieve political success. There is little to

choose between the government and the opposition. The government is

corrupt and the opposition employs unscrupulous methods to destroy it.

Emeka Nwabueze in his Parliament of Vultures explores corruption

on various levels the way corruption has even extended to our homes even

the homes of our leaders. Madam Omeaku throws all morals and ethics to

the wind introducing her daughter Nkechi to high class prostitution despite

the attempt of her husband to stop her.

Through the caustic exchange of words between madam Omeaku and

her husband the author satirizes the corrupt nature of the education sector.

According to Mrs. Omeaku one does not necessarily have to attend a

university before obtaining a degree certificate having the right connection

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assures one of (a) certificate (s); ―What matters now is not what you know.

But whom you know‖ (10).

People with better certificates are not getting a befitting jobs but the

illiterates ones. Even the poor masses are also corrupt because of their poor

conditions they are used as instruments by the politicians to carry out their

evil acts using them as thugs assassins and kidnappers and the masses

chanting praises of the politicians even through they know they are corrupt;

they do this to obtain favours from them.

In our society corruption is as pervasive as victimization. Childless

women suffer victimization in their matrimonial homes. Writers like Flora

Nwapa Femis Osofisan Buchi Emecheta and others through their novels

explore such hostile reactions from people who should exhibit better

understanding of issues involved.

In Flora Nwapa’s One is enough Amaka suffers untold humiliation

(Victimization) embarrassment and oppression in the hands of her husband

and mother in law because her marriage is bereft of children. Her life is

made miserable in her marital home that she has to quit the marriage and

vows never to remarry.

Osofisan in Wuruola Forever demonstrates that a childless women

are monsters and are treated as nuisance in the society. Wura the heroine of

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Wuruola Forever Passes through such a crucible because of her

childlessness.

Paul Emema a writer makes it known that corruption is not only in

government but in all segments of the society. Hence people should not

look at he government as the only corrupt institution but also look at

themselves as culprits. According to him

―We as individuals eventually become part of government and when

people are corrupt before they go into government they will eventually be

corrupt when they become part of government. Corruption has never left

and it has now taken a new dimension every day in the country‖. (Daily Sun

March 8 202 39).

The chairman of Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) disclosed that

the team uncovered N5 billion fraud and traced the sum of f6 million to a

bank in the United Kingdom.

Testifying at the public hearing organized by the Nigeria Senate Joint

Committee on Establishment and states and Local Government Maina; the

chairman disclosed that when the team was set up in June 2002 it went into

investigation and discovered in the process that some people who did not

qualify for pension had their names on the list while some genuine

pensioners were omitted. He further stated that a list of 258000 existed

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when the team began work but after the verification the team discovered

that only 4765 were genuine pensioners and 44320 genuine pensioners

were left out of the scheme. (The Guardian March 8 202 ).

In Dan Amadi’s Trials Of The Militants the political aspirants bribe

their ways to emerge candidates of their parties and buy victories during the

election. Rigging of election becomes the order; people no longer win

election according to the number of votes they obtain and the leaders prefer

to steal the ballot boxes and disturb the conduct of election.

The author also show how corruption has made our leaders to throw

all morals and ethic principles to the wind by cheating on their wives

keeping concubines and abandoning their families to suffer.

In the same spirit Tanure Ojaide in The Activist uses his work to show

how the people of the Niger Delta are oppressed exploited and victimized in

spite of being the goose that lays the golden egg.

Even when people have good intentions to serve their government and

their people they do not escape being harassed and victimized unjustly.

Achebe in Anthills of Savannah shows the victimization imposed on

the people by the various military regimes that have ruled Nigeria. The

picture of Africa under military regimes is that of a large prison with the

citizens as the prisoners. They are usually arrested detained oppressed

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tortured dehumanized and even murdered. In a society where the powers –

that – be are insensitive and corrupt and vicious who can survive?

Reuben Embu at the 30

th

Annual Conference of African Literature

Association 2010 on the topic ―Drama and Environmental challenges

in Niger Delta‖ talked about how federal government set up the Niger

Delta Development Board (NDDB) as special agency to tackle the

developmental needs of the people bearing in mind the peculiar nature

of the area.

Similarly the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission

(OMPADEC) and the Niger Delta created by the military under Babangida

and the democratic rule of Obasanjo were geared towards resolving the

incessant conflicts. Despite these commissions the communities in the

Niger Delta are largely underdeveloped and this is attributed to bad

leadership entangled in corruption.

Achebe in an interview with the Christian science monitor January

2008 at New York said;

―Corruption is the root of the current fuel strikes crisis and that

the only way to set Nigeria on democratic path is for Nigerians

to select better leaders and to punish those who steal from the

state corruption is endemic because we have had a complete

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failure of leadership in Nigeria that has made corruption easy

and profitable‖ (www.sahra reports.com>Home>Interviews).

Countless critics and opinion leaders have devoted tons of papers on

articles condemning the insensitivity of corrupt and tyrannical men in power

but the problems continue unabated. We are familiar with names like Chinua

Achebe Wole Soyinka Ayi Kwei Armah Emmanuel Obiechina Ernest

Emenyonu and many other voices in the wilderness that keep on crying for

sanity. With the efforts of our present government of president Goodluck

Jonathan that has zero tolerance for corruption and victimization and the

influences of many other Non-Governmental organizations (NGOs) there is

hope for light at the end of the tunnel: Nothing lasts forever.

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CHAPTER THREE

CORRUPTION AND VICTIMIZATION IN ANTHONY ABAGHA’S

CHILDREN OF OLOIBIRI

Oil was first discovered in Nigeria in 1958 at Oloibiri now in the present

Bayelsa state of the Niger Delta. But Oloibiri as portrayed in the novel is an

independent nation. A rich nation with numerous mineral resources.

Children of Oloibiri are the lazy children of oil indolent children with oily

mouths some of who have over the years learnt to eat without working and

have in their unbridled greed deprived majority of their compatriots who

have worked without eating.

Children of Oloibiri by Anthony Abagha is a satire exposing the

conditions and situations in our country the ills and many aspects of

corruption and their effects on the citizens and the nation as a whole. They

become forms of victimization of individuals institution etc.

The author avers that corruption has come to stay; it cannot be wiped

out thoroughly but can be only alleviated and tolerated because it has eaten

deep inside the citizens and the nation as a whole.

ONAFCO in the novel is a fiction capturing some of the things that

make NAFCON – National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria to fail. The

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author shares his experiences which he gets as a contractor and a vendor in

NAFCON; the occupation he breaks away from to write.

ONAFCO is a national institution which means Oloibiri National

Fertilizer Company. The idea of this company’s establishment is muted by

Dr. Bomo to Oloibirians in the diaspora and later to the government with

hope that it shall improve their agricultural system ―and this plant shall form

the basis for a real agrarian revaluation in our land and the entire continent

of Africa‖ (83).

But the corrupt practices by the officials would not allow the company to

grow and achieve its aims. India built their fertilizer company at the same

time with ONAFCO but India has built their ninth urea and NPK plant and

ONAFCO remains the only one plant since ten years ago. ―Here ONAFCO

plant is replete with buccaneering activities and is about to witness the

auctioneer’s bell toll‖(83).

In ONAFCO there are over invoicing suppliers recycling and other corrupt

practices.

The company gets a new procurement head as an answer to the crisis

rocking the company. The Man as he is called is the third procurement head

in the last one year. The Man for the last one month he is employed has

been viewing piles of requisition files. He attends to a particular requisition

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paper containing four items each marked ―emergency‖ and this catches his

attention and it reads thus:

Item one: Hand digging machine

Description: tempered steel blade alloy of steel and

aluminum 30cm by 1mm by 35cm blade size 70 degrees

blade to head angle.

Head and handle of treated Amazom wood cured to

withstand tropical weather elements.

Minimum stock level: 50 No.

Maximum stock level: 50 No.

Quantity in stock: 10 No

Quantity required: 140 No

Price per unit: N20000.00

Total Amount N2800000.00

Item Two: Hand cutting Machine

Description: Broad steel cutting structure tempered to

1000 – degree Celsius. Smooth firm and curved

handler’s end complete with protective jacket and

operator’s manual.

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Minimum stock level: 50 No.

Maximum Stock Level: 150 No.

Quantity in Stock: 5 No

Quantity required: 145 No

Unit Price: N10 0000.00

Total amount N1450000.00

Item Three: Urea – tank fasteners

Item description: Alloy of copper and steel two inches

Head to end. Smooth Threaded – 0.08mm thread pitch

Broad head American’s Kellogg Fertilizer – plants

standard.

Minimum stock Level: 5000 No

Maximum stock level:10000 No

Quantity in Stock: 200 NO

Quantity required: 9800 No

Price per unit: N1000.00

Total amount: N9800000.00

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Item Four: Aqua Canopy

Item Description: Kellogg – Type with stainless

handler’s post.

Multi-colour design tempered polyethylene based

material complete with storage jacket and operator’s

manual.

Minimum stock level:1000 No.

Maximum stock level: 5000 No

Quantity required: 4500 No

Price per Unit: N5000.00

Total amount: N22500000.00

Grand total: N3655000.00

Amount in words: Thirty Six million five hundred and

fifty thousand naira only (22and 23).

The four items; hand digging machine is ordinary hoe; hand cutting

machine is cutlass; urea – tank fasteners are screw nuts and acqua canopy is

just umbrella. These names are given to these items to make them look

special and important. The buyer of these items is an intelligent criminal

and he is known for ciphering of the names of technical items in order to

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inflate their prices and he does this taking undue advantages of the office

messengers and cleaners.

According to the Assistant store supervisor when he is called by The

Man for explanation he says that the four items are priority items and

priority ―e‖ (emergency) for that matter. ―But sir they are priority items

priority ―e‖ Sir‖ (26). So they mark the items emergency because the

company has the tradition of not delaying the procurement of priority items.

The company has the tradition of not delaying the

procurement of priority items.

The Assistant super glibly lectured: This is because of the

pressure – loaded nature of fertilizer companies all over

the world. Here in ONAFCO we have priority 32 and

priority ―e‖ the red priority. This arrangement is

proactive and adequately checks the well known risk of

ammonia leakage‖ (26).

This is not the first time they are doing this kind of evil practice. It

has become their way of business and corrupt acquisition. The supervisor

when he is called by The Man over the paper blames himself for not being

able to damage that particular paper when he damaged similar ones.

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―He admonished himself greatly for not being able to

discover and destroy this particular paper when he

destroyed similar ones in the wake of the reforms that

accompanied The Man’s employment‖ (77).

ONAFCO is victimized as it is raped by some of the officials. The

company looses a lot through the monsters called fertilizer racketeers

selling its two bulldozers on the basis of high maintenance cost but they are

bought by an individual; a senior management staff in ONAFCO. Is this not

another means of impoverishing the company as he hires it out still to

ONAFCO at a daily price of twenty five thousand naira each day.

In the novel Children of Oloibiri there are different forms of

corruption and victimization but there is more of corruption than

victimization. There is political corruption police corruption systemic

corruption and other kinds of corruption or liquidation of the entire

company.

In the first and second chapter of the novel Abagha x-rays the

appetite and love of money of Oloibiri people which start from their

childhood stage as the children of Oloibiri follow the white man asking and

chanting.―Oyibo nyem ego‖ (9).Which means ―white man give me money‖.

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