Literature as a Viable Weapon of Managing and Resolving Ethnic Conflicts in Nigeria: An Appraisal of Sunnie Ododo’s Hard Choice

Abstract

Ethnic conflict has been a perennial and a very daunting task to the entire nation. This is because of the enormous degree of the proliferation of ethnic and separatist groups across the country over the years. Consequently, the nation’s peaceful co-existence is under a serious threat with the continuous unabated killings across the nation. Obviously, if this is not properly checked and managed it may further deepen the mutual suspicion and hatred among various ethnic groups in the country. The issue is how can the nation’s present ethnic conflicts be addressed given the fact that various steps taken by the government to manage this menace has not yielded the much expected results? This paper seeks to establish that Nigeria’s ethnic conflicts can be effectively managed and resolved through the moral content of her literature as it fosters tolerance and dialogue among warring factions. It is against this background that this paper explicates conflict management and resolution in Ododo’ Hard Choice. It concludes that managing and resolving Nigeria’s ethnic a conflict requires a continuous use of the moral imperatives in literature to create an enabling environment where the citizenship will be upheld above ethnic loyalties. The paper also recommends that with truthful, patriotic leaders who have the political will and the ability the Nigerian unabated ethnic conflict would be efficiently managed and permanently resolved.