Investig130ating the Leadership Challenges and Problems in Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah and Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus

Abstract

Leadership is one of the most contentious issues in all societies and organizations. It has fascinated people since the dawn of recorded history. It is of upmost importance in every society, state, nation and organization. It requires aptitude and men who are good. Leadership requires potentials, personality and good-oriented attitudes because the leader influences the course of events and people’s behavior and approaches to issues, their morale and efforts towards higher standards. Reference to both good and bad leaders in the literature of every age gives testimony to the search for good leaders that has been a common thread running through human civilizations. In fact, an effective leader coordinates the efforts of people within the environment towards good achievements. Leadership influences the behavior of people and motivates them to achieve set goals. It is against this background that the paper sets out to investigate the leadership challenges and problems in post-independent African countries as highlighted in Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah and Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. Data is got from both primary and secondary sources. The theoretical framework adopted is that of Marxism. The research revealed that cruelty, intolerance, insensitivity, pride and negative acts of un-patriotism have become endemic in our society and all threaten the need for an egalitarian and functional society.