Social Deprivation in Tony Nwaka’s "Lords of The Creek" and Tanure Ojaide’s "The Activist"

Abstract

This paper analyzes the impact of corruption on environmental management in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria, drawing on existing literature, specifically Tony Nwaka’s “Lords of the Creek” and Tanure Ojaide’s “The Activist”. Adopting Marxism as its theoretical framework, the study highlights the corruption depicted in these prose works. Findings indicate that corruption contributes significantly to environmental degradation in the region. Furthermore, the evident class structure—where the marginalized proletariat grapple with poverty, illness, and death from oil spillages, while the bourgeoisie oppress them—fuels social depravity, leading to vices like kidnapping and subsequent conflict. The study concludes that corruption has grave consequences for the environmental management of the Niger Delta, fostering various vices. It further concludes that the oppression stemming from the class structure provokes the marginalized proletariat to engage in counter-attacks and vices as a means of seeking justice and reclaiming their legitimate benefits.