Corruption and Moral Decay Of The Citizens in Joseph Akpabio’s Successful Failure And Ayi Kwei Armah’s The Beatyful Ones Are Not Yet Born
Corruption and Moral Decay Of The Citizens in Joseph Akpabio’s Successful Failure And Ayi Kwei Armah’s The Beatyful Ones Are Not Yet Born
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The growing rate of corruption in Nigeria has adversely affected and accounted for the falling standard of education in Nigeria. Apart from growing and producing half baked graduates, the system witness various crimes and violence as underserved students battle tooth and nail for academic survival and success while parents become over desperate. They bribe to secure admissions and academic success for their wards.
The Educational Institution which is known for character moulding and citadel for high moral standard has completely derailed from the norms values and ethnics as key officer (administrators and lecturers) see academic activities as their sole business enterprise to corruptly make money. These inducements therefore influence and impede them from carrying out their official and legitimate duty. It is against this back drop that his lordship Baramain J’S definition of corruption as quoted by Adedokun Adeyemi in his ‘The criminological perspective’ (1991) becomes pertinent as seen thus:
The receiving or offering of some benefits as a reward or inducements to sway or deflect the receiver from the honest and important discharge of his duties (19).
From the above definition, it is clear that the school officials have abandoned their official and legitimate academic responsibilities and dabbled into corrupt practices. They receive bribes and offer admissions to underserved students, while the deserving ones are frustrated. They fabricate scores and abet them to graduate. The Nigerian beneficiary of these “cut and join” graduates ends up contributing nothing to the development of the society.
This situation is very unfortunate as some employers who have these so-called graduates in their folds end up have their business ruined. These negative impacts thus becomes a nightmare hence, the pro-occupation of writers ass Ime Ikeddeh (75) puts it:
In general sense, every writer and every artist is a society. Even when the writer reaches out into the uncharted areas of experience, the ingredients of his dreams derived from the impact of events around him. Thus his view of the world however affected in the creative process represent at one level confrontation with reality of history past and presents (29).
From the foregoing, the problem such as deprivations, bribery, extortion, examination malpractice, cultism, violence, immorality, and so on which create negative impact in educational system are the ingredients, and these are what the writers pre-occupy themselves in order to expose the destructive consequences, and to teach the ideal life that will create promote and sustain selflessness and good governance.
The research, therefore intends to carry out a critical study of corruption and its damage to educational system in Nigeria. Apart from carrying out a literature review of other, writers, the study will examine critically, the academic corruption and its impact using successful failure and the Beautyful ones are not ye Born.
Literature concerns itself with development in the society hence, it mirrors such activities of man which seem to negate the progress of the society in Nigeria, educational system is drifting (80) backward due to the high rate of corruption. Others social crimes such as violence, examination malpractice, bribery and immorality find their way into the system and impede its educational growth. The Nigerian society becomes the patient as it suffers greatly the negative consequences of this corruption. These cumulative social problems form the background to the study.
Corruption and Moral Decay Of The Citizens in Joseph Akpabio’s Successful Failure And Ayi Kwei Armah’s The Beatyful Ones Are Not Yet Born
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Education is the bedrock of any society. This is why the falling standard of education in Nigeria affects the socio-economic and political systems. In Nigeria, various criminal activities keep springing up daily because of the persistence growth of academic corruption. Hence, the highly revealed citadel of learning is daily degenerating into the lowest ebb. The writer then, through his work reacts to these vices and condemns its perpetrators.
1.3 Significance of the Study
The study w ill provide the Nigerian students with enough reasons to study hard. It will create the awareness in parents to retrain from the habit of seeking admission for their wards at all cost. The exposure and consequences of corrupt practices by the school administrators will help them to re-examine themselves and redefine their activities so as to develop and produce better graduates who will positively move the society to achieve greatness. Above all, it will prompt Nigerian to retrain from acts of corruption.
1.4 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of corruption. It will unravel the parents, the students as well as the school administrator’s contributions to the declining standard of education.
Joseph Akpabio in his successful failure has critically condemned various aspects of corruption in Nigerian Institutions of higher learning. The purpose of the study then is to show how negative impact of corruption on education destroys the lives, hopes and dreams of the masses in particulars and the society in general.
1.5 Scope of the Study
The study is limited to the various corrupt practices in Nigerian Institutions of higher learning where parents and their children, as well as the school officials are involved. The study is limited to two plays so that a critical analysis of academic corruption can be achieved. Also, works from other authors which relate to the study will be thoroughly in order to examine their views.
1.6 Research Methodology
This researcher will use novels of the two authors as the Primary source of information; materials from the library will serve as the secondary source of information. Other sources such as internet may be explored for more information.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
The disappointment in the Nigerian and African society is as a result of the persistent corruption in the entire system, ranging from educational sector, political sector, religions sector as well as the family circle.
This has over the years contributed to the sudden decline in the gro.wth and the development of the entire African society especially Nigeria.
Business men and institutions of higher .learning which .suppose to be a role model and a citadel of learning respectively becomes a trading centre .for corrupt school administrators and lecturers who out of greed and selfishness bend rules in or.der to enrich themselves in affluence. People in higher avenue for bribery and corruption to thrive, thereby depriving good people the opportunity to said through.
Some leaders in different offices and organizations too become desperate in their attempt to secure aggrandized possessions for themselves and their family members alone. Overall, the studies of corruption in various discipline constitution to struggle with a number of themes.
Therefore, the beautiful ones are not yet born by Ayi Kwei Armah, and successful failures by Joseph Akpabio are social and political novels that portray the social and economic situation of some individuals and the class system that prevails in the society.
5.2 Conclusion
The study was on the negative impacts of corruption on the moral decay of the citizens: A study of Joseph Akpabio’s successful failure and Ayi Kwei Armah’s the Beatyful ones are not yet born.
The word corruption, is frequently used in African societies because it prevails throughout the entire society. it is found in both novels. In the novel, the beautyful ones are not yet born, Arimah adequately tries to show case the ill effects of corruption using the man, Estella Koomson on the heap of rubbish.
Moreover, the elites in the novel are portrayed as both government officials and business men who violate the rules in both passive and aggressive wags.
In conclusion, it is seen that, the effects of bribery and kickbacks in the different sector in our society represents the implicit cost of corruption. These incidents therefore transforms corruption into a regressive tax, making the basic services unattainable Johnson T.I.(19).
Consequent upon these effects of corruption inherent in our society, contemporary writers over time, capture, expose and condemns it in various ways.
5.3 Recommendations
Having carried out this study successfully, the following recommendations were made:
(i) The government should ensure that equity and justice prevails in every sector of our economy.
(ii) School administrations should shun bribery in and outside the school so that our student will become meaningful citizens in the nearest future.
(iii) The government and people in higher positions should ensure that the perpetrators of these acts of corruption are punished.
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