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Research Paper | Arts and Humanities | Benin | Volume 7 Issue 12, December 2018

Unlawful Enrichment and Underdevelopment in African Societies in Alobwed Epies The Death Certificate

Celestin Gbaguidi | Theophile Houndjo ^[2] | Mickael Dimon Adimi

Abstract: Scores of post-colonial narratives revolve around the detrimental impact of colonisation on the development level of Africa. As opposed to those works which put forth a discourse of white men as the source of the underdevelopment of African countries, a fictional narrative by Alobwed'Epie - The Death Certificate which is a novel of disillusionment- shifts attention from the white and focuses on the practices of Africans themselves which hinder development on the continent. Through the lens of Socio-criticism theory, the objective of this paper is first, to show how tribalism and clannish management weaken the fictional postcolonial state Ewawa. Second, it points out how weak state institutions offer a favourable ground for African elites who profit from their positions to achieve an unlawful enrichment. To answer the different questions contributing to reach the objectives of this paper, a qualitative research method has been used.

Keywords: Unlawful enrichment - Corruption - The Death Certificate - underdevelopment

Edition: Volume 7 Issue 12, December 2018,

Pages: 614 - 620