Deconstructing political corruption in post-colonial Africa : a literary investigation into Armah's the beautiful ones are not yet born

Abstract

The advent of Post-colonial Africa filled people with hope of a better life for all in terms development in different sectors such as education, health and welfare, social justice, governance and general economic stimulation. Capacity building initiatives would also be established to reconstruct and rebuild the continent. However, corruption has eroded and reversed all the gains made by many African countries during the fight for emancipation from colonial regimes. The attainment of independence meant the new beginning which was full of glorious promises for Africa. However, uhuru became a nightmare, courtesy of corruption. This paper seeks to deconstruct the effects of political corruption in Africa with special focus on Armah's The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born (1968). It is a qualitative study which is underscored by Post-colonial, Afrocentric theory for a better understanding of the harsh conditions under which Africans live in the post-independence period as a result of corruption as reflected in Armah's The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born. Textual analysis was employed as a research design to help gain a detailed understanding and deconstruction of political corruption in a free Africa. Purposive sampling was used to select Armah's The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born. As primary data of the study, the novel was thematically examined. The study concludes that because corruption results from moral bankruptcy, it can, therefore, be eradicated through moral regeneration undergirded by the ubuntu philosophy (African humanism) lest it spirals out of control. Keywords: African development, Afrocentricity, Corruption, Moral regeneration, Post-colonial theory, Ubuntu