Neo-colonialism and the burden of social realism in wale Okediran’s strange encounters and Chris Egharevba’s canopy of thunder

Abstract

The post-independence Nigerian has for a long time sought vehemently to obtain some form of liberty, not from the government of the colonial masters but from the government of their own people – the very same people whose reign was heralded by optimism and the joy of freedom. What was expected was not to be as these new set of leaders became the masses’ nightmare – taking undue advantage of the power bestowed on them and wantonly misappropriating national funds. This corruption was however, not peculiar to the people at the nation’s highest cadre as down the ranks, individuals who have been granted positions of authority even at the lowest levels grossly abused these responsibilities. This paper examines and eviscerates the place of the masses versus the powerful in a society that is characterised by debauchery and amoral practices. This paper particularly examines the incidents in Wale Okediran’s Strange encounters and Chris Egharevba’s Canopy of thunder in a bid to bring to limelight, issues pertaining to the denigration of the nation. His paper concludes that the plight of the masses and, in fact, corruption can be significantly alleviated if the people jointly rise against the factors that promote their occurrence.