Interrogating the Nigerian National Question in Selected Plays of Femi Osofisan
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Date
2024-10
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Department of Theatre and Film Studies, River State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Abstract
The Nigerian national question has been a perennial problem, excruciating and turbulent, often disrupting the peace of the nation and sometimes resulting in anarchy, arson, sabotage and retardation for the nation. This phenomenon is problematized by this paper and examined in selected plays of Femi Osofisan, particularly Another Raft and Once Upon Four Robers. The study used the Marxist theory by Karl Marx as a framework to interrogate the plays and found that the Nigerian national question manifests both in inter-group and inter-class forms. The subjects of conflicts are discovered to revolve around key factors, such as ethnic distrust, which is an inter-group phenomenon, intolerable poverty level, and hunger, occasioned by the twin scourge of uneven distribution of national wealth, and humongous acts of corruption, both of which precipitate class conflicts, thus throwing up class struggle. The study, therefore, concludes that if the trend continues unabated, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for peace and meaningful development to be achieved. It is, therefore, our suggestion that the state, exemplified by the political elite, requires urgent self-examination and self-adjustment that result in self-sacrifice, justice, fairness, transparency in the handling of state affairs, accountability, and concern for the well-being of the masses, to move the nation forward, ensure peaceful co-existence and earn the trust of all citizens, including the sub-nationals.
Description
The paper interrogated the incessant conflicts that have characterised the Nigerian nation since independence, putting the searchlight on the divisive phenomenon that have threatened the peace and development of the country as reflected in the Nigerian drama, as exemplified by the dram of Femi Osofisan.
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Citation
Agboola, M.O. (2024). Interrogating the Nigerian National Question in Selected Plays of Femi Osofisan. RSU Journal of Theatre and Film Studies, vol 3: 362-377. Department of Theatre and Film Studies, River State University, Port Harcourt, River State, Nigeria.