CORRUPTION AND GOVERNANCE CRISES IN AYI KWEI ARMAH’S THE BEAUTIFUL ONES ARE NOT YET BORN

Abstract

The attainment of independence and self-rule by any nation is to afford it the opportunity to benefit from the abundant human and natural resources it is endowed with. The Africans were not comfortable with the leadership and service of the colonial masters characterised by exploitation of resources, slavery, deceit, and other forms of negative tendencies. This gave rise to agitation for independent and self-rule by some African elites; hoping for better and satisfactory service for sustainable development until the late 1950’s when the dream started manifesting. This paper examines the state of African continent after independence. It also examines the high level of corruption and governance crises in Africa perpetrated by our African leaders such that it derails the continent of progress and development. The paper identifies some of the major causes of governance crisis aligning to maladministration, ethno-religious crisis, political thuggery, terrorism and other leadership problems in our text of study. It further seeks for positive change to give the Africans a sense of belonging and compete with their counter-parts globally as it has all the needs for such competition and development.