Who is afraid of solarin

Isola, a rascally and irresponsible traveller, is mistaken for the dreaded Public Complaints Commissioner, Solarin The late Dr. Isola, a rascally and irresponsible traveller, is mistaken for the dreaded Public Complaints Commissioner, Solarin, by the corrupt officials of the Local Government Council. He plays on this until the real Commissioner arrives.

The classic play was first published in ; and this new edition includes the first Tai Solarin Memorial Lecture, delivered in by Femi Osofisan. Get A Copy. Paperback , pages. Published December 29th by University Press, Nigeria.

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Rating details. Sort order. Start your review of Who's Afraid Of Solarin? Isola, a rascally and irresponsible traveller, is mistaken for the dreaded Public Complaints Commissioner, Solarin, by the corrupt officials of the Local Government Council. He plays on this until the real Commissioner arrives. The classic play was first published in ; and this new edition includes the first Tai Solarin Memorial Lecture, delivered in by Femi Osofisan. Femi Osofisan. Femi Osofisan is a prolific Nigerian critic, poet, novelist, and playwright whose work attacks political corruption and injustice, was born in Erunwon village in the old Western Region of Nigeria and educated at the universities of Ibadan, Dakar, and Paris; he is a professor of drama at the University of Ibadan.

Among the literary awards and commendations he has won are prizes from the Association of Nigerian Authors ANA for both drama and poetry and in he was awarded the Nigerian National Order of Merit NNOM , the highest academic prize in that country.

Home Literature Drama. It is also a means of augmenting his salary. He does not see anything wrong in taking kickbacks. Today, taking kickbacks or ten percent is the vogue in both private and public sectors. This is openly denounced by Osofisan. We also recall here Chinwe, the house help of the Juokwus in The Album of the Midnight Blackout who insists on taking a bribe before she can run an errand of letter delivery:.

Have you seen a house maid taking money like this to betray her master? Bribery's such a dirty thing! Just take the twenty naira, and in future you will bring my letter directly to me. CHINWE: In fact, if you could add just another twenty sir, to make it a round forty naira, I can be bringing madam's own letters to you first, sir Album Osofisan portrays these people who represent the elite as corrupt, unjust and oppressive. They embezzle and direct public funds that are meant for the welfare of the people into their personal accounts.

Prince Lanusen misappropriates the money that is meant to provide good drainage in his local council area. This is why Chief Ekuroola questions the unexecuted flood canals projects which have already been paid for many years ago: "But your Council could have started with building a good drainage for instance, Lanusen.

You know the money was voted, the plan approved. The records also show that the money was spent. Years ago. Besides, like Jimoh in Midnight Hotel who is title crazy and who insists that everybody must address him as Chief Jimoh a honorary Chieftaincy title bestowed upon him by the people of Ifetedo, Ekuroola, because of his obsession for Chieftaincy titles bribes every member of the Chieftaincy-Award-Committee including Lanusen using money and building of houses in order to win their support.

Ekuroola reminds Lanusen of this when he says: "You had no choice, it was the title of my fathers and my grandfathers! And I paid you well for it, damn it! It was my money that made you change your mind, Lanusen!

The house I built for you in Alagbede quarters, your sixth wife still lives there! Deny it! Osofisan further pursues the issue of corruption in Birthdays are not for Dying His concern in this play is the depiction of the craze for wealth, greed and the oppression of the poor. Kunle the focus in the play insists on enforcing his father's will that empowers him to take over the leadership of his father's company on his thirtieth birthday.

Mother warns him to give up the company matter because those who killed his father are very much around to do the same to him too. To Kunle, mama is old fashioned. He is in a new world.

Kunle thus concludes arrangement to take over the company. All the necessary papers have been signed. There are oppositions especially from Major Ajaka who insists that Kunle being a baby is incapable of taking over the company. The removal of Major Ajaka unilaterally from the Board of the company by Kunle worsens the situation. Even though Kunle receives many gifts on the anniversary of his birthday, the celebration ends up in tragedy.

On Kunle's thirtieth birthday, he presides over the Board meeting of the company and tells the Board of his determination to take over the company as its president. The members are provoked and want to buy off the company from Kunle instead. Major Ajaka a man who is very desperate refuses to accept the leadership of Kunle and decides to strangle him. This results in the death of Kunle. Kunle before his death says that life is full of cannibals and only the toughest survive.

It is wickedness for people to kill because of wealth. Kunle's father is killed supposedly because of his wealth. His son too is killed because of his father's wealth bequeathed to him. Even when the will that empowers Kunle to take over the leadership of the company has been signed by a lawyer and it is even made open to all, yet, the Board members refuse to accept the authority of the will of Kunle's father.

They are bent on dispossessing Kunle of his father's property. This is utter disregard for the rule of law. The action is barbaric. The world is full of cannibals indeed. Kunle on the other hand acknowledges the fact that he is rich already but he is of the desire to become richer. He refuses all the honourable appeals that his mother gives him. Since he is the toughest, he does not survive in the hands of the cannibals. He is a mere weakling, a boaster and a "dumbclot" as Honourable calls him.

Birthdays In The Inspector and the Hero , Aduke, the wife of Chief Ereniyi Eson engages in all manners of shady businesses such as smuggling of contraband goods into the country using fake names and secret bank accounts. Any attempt to expose her fraudulent activities is always fraudulent activities is always resisted with violence.

She even goes to bed with men. Her husband, Chief Ereniyi a gubernatorial candidate is reported to have killed a young innocent boy straight from the Youth Corps Service because he attempts to report the events surrounding the missing lorries containing the seized contraband goods. Obviously, Chief Ereniyi and his wife are behind it all. Some of the charges levelled against the Esons are reported by Inspector Akindele and his assistant, Coral:. CORAL: reading from document On 15 November, last year, a sum of N20, was paid into your account by one Mr.

If you remember, the date 5 January, is the day AFTER that "miserable third class officer" as you call him, is found dead near your office, Chief.

A day earlier, on 3 January, he had intercepted a large consignment of contraband during a rather unusual blackout at the border. Coincidence again?

Go on. Peterson pays into the account, a sum of N15, What kind of business, and so lucrative a business, did you carry on with Dr. Peterson, Madam? Or is it too early to ask? Silence Go on Coral. On 7 March, a sum of N70, paid in, again by our Dr. Madam, you know what makes these payments interesting? I'll tell you. Peterson, those extremely prosperous customers of yours, are arrested in Kano. Because for a long time, we had our eyes on them.

But again, like a bad film repeating itself, both of them die before proper interrogation. They were being brought down to Lagos by train-imagine! Not by air, mind you, but by train! The two suspects are found in their cabin, dead! Of food poisoning! Very convenient deaths gain, thank you. Your customers, madam, they have such high rates of mortality!

Fiercely Go on, Coral Go on to the last bit, Spare us the rest of the horror! On 17 June, a stunning payment into the account of the sum of two million and forty thousand! In one day! Even the manager had to report that. That's how we came into it. Inspector Consequently, Chief Ereniyi is arrested. His wife, Aduke, a onetime police officer is thrown into panic and offers a bribe to Inspector Akindele but, committed to the cause of his profession, he refuses and insists on prosecuting the Esons:.

Spare him! I'II pay you anything! She runs for her bag and empties it out. Currency notes and jewels tumble on the floor. All of it for you! And more! All my gold! All our money, have it all!

Runs to drawer, pulls out false bottom, again, notes and jewels fall down. For my sake! For the sake of our children! Our friends! His mother! Mercy for the sake of God [ It's murder. It cannot be done. No one has to live compulsorily by the rules of beasts [ Money and power [ You just won't accept that some of us can dedicate our lives to cleaning up the mess you and your kind insist on making all over the place?

I have no choice in the matter. The oath I took does not make room for exemptions. Not even friendship will I accept as a bribe [ Inspector , , Osofisan frowns at corruption, injustice and oppression in the society. All attempts must be made to resist them or else the life of the nation will remain in danger. Osofisan, in Sunday Times October 22, describes Nigeria and says: "this is a vast and ruthless battle field, filled with corrupt and murderous officials, bribe-hunting policemen, reckless drivers, con-men and touts, thugs and various other violent men living beyond the law.

The likes of the Esons must be fished out and brought to book no matter their level of influence and connection in the society. Such is therefore possible if we have able and fearless and incorruptible leaders who are determined to live and lead by example. This is a leader who can stand upright in the face of temptations, threats and dangers and stand by the oath of his office.

With a leader like this in place, the future of Nigeria can be guaranteed. Osofisan is very optimistic that such leaders can arise.

He portrays Inspector Akindele and his assistant, Coral as good examples of true leaders.