Untitled - Memorial University of Newfoundland

in the first place••..(foreign powers] wouldn 't have taken. liberties at
meddling 50 brazenlyin the affairs of our nation. and consequently
dictating lhe scopeof our national tragedy (62).
The prob lems that continue to exist under neo-colonialism are intrins ically tied to the
co lonial powers. Althougb. the Europeans officially handed over to the colonized
durin g independence, they still exert tremendous influence. particularly in a co untry
like Nig eria that is rich in IWUra1resources. For examp le. the conflict between Shell
Oil com pany and the Ogani people in southeastern Nigeria led to the 1995 execution
of many Ogoni leade rs by the ruling military leader.
Pos tcolonial countries contin ue to face the divide-and-rule policy. tainted with
greed and hatred . During slavery . the Africans captured andsold each other: durin g
co lonization. the colonial masters bad African district interpreters who were paid to
betray other Africans; and after independence Africans scl1 each othe r for power.
Reliance on foreign control creates complex social . political and economic problems in
ex-colonized countries; dramatists utilize such themes as forms of resistance .
Rodmi envisions that his role as a dramatist in his commitment to his society is
not only to entertain but to teach. to presen t something of social relevance. Chidi
Amuta, in The Theory of African Luerasure, suggests that -the rise ofrevolutionary
drama in a given society requires {Iu! existence of social. economic and political
suuasions requiring revolunonaryinrervenrion" (156); and asserts:
[O]rama is very amenable to revolutionary expression and can become
very instrumental to revolutio nary situations for reasons that are
intrinsic to the nature of both drama and revolution. Drama is addressed
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