DECEPTION IN AHMED YERIMA’S THE TRIAL OF OBA OVONRAMWEN AND THE SICK PEOPLE

ABSTRACT

Ahmed Yerima’s The Trial of Oba Ovonramwen and The Sick People reflect a society where people see deception as a means to an end. These people lie and live pretentious life in their desperation to enjoy life to the fullest. Some use deception to exploit others. Yerima’s The Trial of Oba Ovonramwen satirises the way the British turn Africans against themselves just to have their way. Colonialism comes as a bearer of light but unfortunately it uses deception as a weapon to achieve its goals in Africa. The British featured in the play reveal that the white are full of tricks. That is, they are able to steal from Benin Kingdom through their local contacts who betray fellow Africans for material possessions. The exploitation of Benin Kingdom is examined as one of the effect of deception in the play. The deceptive way the British use leads to the invasion of the kingdom which is aided by Africans who sell out their own people.