Department of English, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Campus, Anambra State.
In this study, “Environmental Degradation in Isidore Okpewho’s Tides,” the researchers set out to portray how the writer criticised the events in his society, and how the story serves as a reflection of the problems of the masses and the downtrodden in our society. The novelist made use of the literary medium to satirise the leaders in Africa and their styles of exercising reins of power which, instead of ameliorating the problems of the people and bringing in even development, only succeed in creating more suffering, pain and disappointment. Isidore Okpewho shows the humiliation, oppression, insensitivity, waste of lives, exploitation, cruelty of the ruling class, especially the military, on the citizens, as a result of greed and capitalist tendencies, which impoverish the citizens further. The researchers used both primary and secondary sources in the analysis of data. The findings showed that the citizens of the Niger-Delta experience betrayal, oppression, deprivation, and environmental degradation as a result of oil exploration. Unfortunately, their leaders do not care much about their problems as they are only interested in selfish acquisition of wealth to the detriment of the people.
Corruption, Gullibility, Power Mongering, Bribery, Leadership Problems, Degradation, Environment
