A Review of Godwin Akpan The Crowded Corridor
Title:The Crowded Corridor
Author: Godwin F. Akpan
Place:Uyo
Publisher: Darin Publishing Press.
Publication Year:2005
Language: English
Edition:copy right edition
Preliminary pages:i-iv
Main Pages:1-52
ISBN: 978-38365-2-8
REVIEWER:
PURPOSE OF THE BOOK: The crowded corridor is written about the struggles and manipulations of political elites who sort for power at all cost. Godwin Akpan shows dexterity that will surpass even tested writers. It is written to enlighten the youth about having their full rights and not allowing those in power to brutalize them; and also aspire for greater height in terms of good governance.
Organisation of Content:
The Crowded Corridor has a preliminarily pages and main pages. The preliminarily page consist of the title, the author’s name, place of publication ISBN, dedication, forward and the poem is written in two sections. The author has arranged the sections in this book technically.
Evaluation
Akpan’s Crowded Corridor is a play that is well written to portray the poor situation of Nigeria caused by our politicians. The author uses a simple plot and settings to convey his message the author as master of words relays his message subtly. The play shows struggles and manipulations of the political elites who strive to get into power even against. The play is rich in vocabulary and the use of figures. The salient issues observed so far in the play is that most of the actions in the play are randomly typed some are italics and embolden in a bracket form while parts are not embolden and part are starts with initial caps. The characterization is not well arranged because the rolls of the characters are not included in the character list. The actions and conversations in the play are mixed together. The book is remarkable in it content and the use of simple tenses as a style shows the level of the author dexterity in literary work.
The art of remembering in psychosocial dramatic is a literary litigation against the power that be and those who have misused the said power to the detriment of others in the society. The pay is a satiric play which mocks the type of politics that is play in Akwa Ibom , Nigeria , Africa and the world at large, the characters in the play depict that of Nigerian politicians who during the quest for political power will go round the entire state and country saying what they will do to the people when they get into power but immediately when they enter the office the poor electorate who voted for them will still remain in abject poverty . the playwright uses “Bakassi Boys” to portray the level of our teaming youths who takes sight with the political office holder to silence any opposition that may rise to oppose them,
A Review of Godwin Akpan The Crowded Corridor
The playwright also portray the level of political struggle in our today society because politics seems to be the only short way of making money and of such it corridor are often crowded with opposition, killing, blackmailing just to get into the corridor of power so has to be able to loot and divert public funds to themselves and this make them to eliminate anybody that stands on their way to prevent the from getting into the corridor of power.
Corruption constitutes a serious impediment to the effectiveness of resource mobilization and allocation in Nigeria; hence, it diverts resources from vital programs and projects that should reduce poverty and sustain economic development. Corruption weakens the domestic banking system, which is inimical to growth since it reduces savings and investment and results in low standard of living for the people. Also, resources received from corrupt practices are either moved out of the country to foreign bank accounts and investments in foreign businesses or are spent on the import of luxuries for private consumption or both. The many reports of money laundered by the political class to foreign bank accounts attest to the above notion
THE THEME OF POWER TUSSLE IN AKPAN’S CROWDED CORRIDOR
The struggle for political power has become the business of the day a typical example is the tussle between governorship aspirants in Akwa Ibom State Pastor Umo Eno versus Obong Bassey Albert A.K.A (OBA) and Barr. Anofiok Luke of the People Democratic Party, due to the support give to Umo Eno by the incumbent Governor to as the would be governor of the state, this has led to a lot of tussle between politicians in the state.
Everyone including the clergy men who were supposed to be absent from the game of power are seen in the fore front of politics due to the quest for firm and wealth and example is the new forum of the acclaimed “Young Pastors For Umo Eno”, the corridor of political power has become the most profitable business that nearly every individual goes into because it is seen as the easiest way of making wealth and firm and because of this ideology, the corridor of power has become more crowded by those who wants to dance for power and firm and Akpan uses the character of “Ette Idung” to portray the ambitiousness of our politician who are ready to do anything to dance and entered into the corridor of power irrespective of how crowded the corridor of power is.
A Review of Godwin Akpan The Crowded Corridor
Akpan portray the nature of our politician who goes around during campaign claiming to touch the lives of the electorate fooling them in order to get their votes and after which the vanish to the air living the poor electorate to continue in their abject poverty , Akpan further mirror out the nature of our Nigerian politicians who goes around spending the wealth which was supposed to be used to provide the citizens with the basic social amenities has been diverted by our leaders and kept for their next stage of dance in the crowded corridor of power thereby continue to keep the society in an under-developed state this could be seen thus:
Eteidung: I have called you here this afternoon to congratulate all of you for standing solidly behind me these past three years. It has actually not been an easy ride. Petitions and opposition from left and right – but thank God for His mercies, we were able to overcome our detractors. Well, our people say that the defiance of a he-goat does not prevent it from being sold out and, that a war, long predicted does not kill the cripple.
Eto-Okuk: Your-Highness, you speak in parables, and we may not understand you.
Eto-nwed: Your Highness, don’t mind him. Maybe he is still a baby that washes only his stomach when bathing and in any case, (talking to Eto-Okuk) you are to be seen and not heard. This meeting is not at your instance
Eteidung: Can we have some peace here. What are you both struggling for or do you also want to be like my enemy. Fred? (Calls) Kubiat! Come here quick.
Kubiat: (RUNS INAND BOWS) Yes, Your Highness, May you live long.
Eteidung: Serve the people with kola quickly and tell other callers to wait that I am in a meeting.
Eto-okuk: (STANDS AND BOWS) Your Highness, before now, you were addressing us. May you please continue.
Eteidung: (CLEARS HIS THROAT) Thank you. As I was saying. I am interested in retaining the stool of Eteidung and I am prepared as usual to make all of you smile. You will agree that I have done marvelously well. During the years, new roads were built, and others repaired. Hospitals and schools were renovated, pipe borne water was provided, electricity supply improved. I travelled extensively for the economic betterment of the people, our young ones were financially empowered through the award of contracts. (Kubiat arrives with “Ghana must do” sack bags and places them by the side of each of them)
Eteidung: You see what I mean. Inside those sacks you’ve got ten million naira each. I am prepared to do more and I count on your unalloyed support. But before then, you’ll swear to an oath, after that we must get to work and act fast to put our house in order (calls out) Kubiat!
Kubiat: Your Highness. I am coming (RUSHES IN)
Eteidung: Go to the courtyard and bring in the Baba. I hope he has finished his preparation. Go quickly and tell him we are waiting.
Baba: (ENTER BABA) I bring greetings from our forefathers to you all. I am sorry if I have arrived behind schedule. I was on an emergency trip to the land of the spirits.
Eteidung: You are welcome! Custodian of our tradition, you are aware of the forthcoming dance I have an opponent. Fred by name, these are my faithful supporters and I want you to give them an oath to Swear that the money they are collecting would be used for this purpose.
Baba: (GRINDS HIS TEETH) O! That’s no problem. Ete-nnyin Iboku! Asa! Ndem Ida! Come, drink be with us. Guide us now and always. Where are they? (ETO-OKUK AND ETO-NWED MOVE CLOSER). Remove your shirts – yes- do it fast. the spirits are already here. Each of you, take a kola nut from this calabash Put it into your mouth. Close your eyes.
Eto-Okuk: (CRIES) Baba, please my eyes-o, my eyes-o! Help me!
Baba: Shut your mouth! The spirits have started working on you. Repeat after me – I swear by ikpaisong to stand by the Etidung in his quest to retain the stool in the forthcoming dancing competition. I shall always sing, clap and drum for him.
Eteidung: (CALLS KUBIAT) KUBIAT, bring a bag for the baba (kubiat arrives with a bag containing money and hands it over to baba)
Baba: Thank you, May your reign be long. Anybody who sets his eyes on your stool, may he cease to see, may he lack the buttock to sit; may the stool be too hot for him and may he miss the dancing steps. Let the ground be slippery for him.
Eteidung: Okay! Bye Bye-a! Sanga Sung-a’ Ete. Greet my forefathers.
The struggle between “Ette Idung” and his opponent symbolized the incumbent government and the breath of new era of “change “who always sing the same song of change but at the end no positive change is felt by the citizens who voted for them into power.
A Review of Godwin Akpan The Crowded Corridor
Conclusion
In conclusion, Godwin F. Akpan through dramatic lamentation chronicles the different gender and class of those killed in this government inspired war. Crowded corridor reveals the impact of the pogrom and the war on the writers psyche. The play becomes a form of remembering and re-echoing the voices that the author has internalized, making it an element of his muse. To Godwin F. Akpan, the process of listening involves speaking out from the premise of trauma to counter-narratives that anathematize the survival of the traumatized people. The play is revealing what is to befall Akwa Ibom State in Later 2022 and 2023 general election in the state.
Recommendation
Akpan’s crowded corridor is a play which is highly recommended for our teaming Nigerian youths who are fooled around by the politicians during election to go around shading blood of innocent Nigerians just to install the politicians in the corridor of power and by the end of the day; no positive change is felt by their position in governance
Work cited
Godwin F. Akpan, The Crowded Corridor, Akwa Ibom State, Darin Publishing. 200.
A Review of Godwin Akpan The Crowded Corridor
A Review of Godwin Akpan The Crowded Corridor
