A moralist discourse in Nigerian drama and theatre: A critique Ofogunleye’s Jabulile

Abstract

All the socio-political vices that are actually affecting the development of Nigerian society could be attributed to lack of ethics and morality. In fact corruption, Advanced Free Fraud (419), prostitution, pedophile, robbery, political crises, insurgence and civil unrest, and many more of these are the vices in question. Unless these issues are positively addressed, Nigeria will remain unbearable and hostile for the citizens.To this effect therefore, it becomes a challenge to some of the avant-garde Nigerian playwrights and dramatists to question this ugly experience with the aim of reforming the society morally, using the medieval model of dramatization that was characterized with moral lessons. Paradigmatically, this paper uses Ogunleye’s Jabulileas a template for critiquing the Nigerian avant-garde dramatists who are morally committed to the economic and socio-political growth of the nation without actually using any ideological insinuations and persuasions.