Volume 9, No. 2, December 2009
The African Symposium (ISSN# TX 6-342-323)
127
The African Symposium: An On Line Journal Of African Educational Research Network accepted at one time as a friend, rejected as an enemy at another, and finally smuggled in through the backdoor as an accomplice (1983:5). Expectedly, the myriads of social vices bedevilling Nigeria have provided themes, motifs and ideological leanings for Nigerian writers. Nigeria is seen as a mere geographical expression devoid of unity and national patriotism. This has affected the dream of pan-Nigerian vision of our forefathers enshrined in the country's national anthems: The Old National Anthem: Though tribe and tongue may differ In brotherhood we stand. Help us to build a nation Where no man is oppressed, And so with peace and plenty Nigeria may be blessed. The New National Anthem: O God of creation, Direct our noble cause; Guide our Leaders right: Help our Youth the truth to know, In love and honesty to grow, And living just and true, Great lofty heights attain, To build a nation where peace and justice reign. What is experienced in the country is a shattered hope. The vision of the country's nationalists for unity in diversity has become a nightmare. Achebe's comment on this vision is worth quoting: A dream in which a citizen could live and work in a place of his choice anywhere and pursue any legitimate goal open to his fellows; a Nigeria in which an Easterner might aspire to be premier in the west and a Northerner become Mayor of Enugu (Achebe, 1983: 6). Osundare (2007) opines that the writer is a righter. To him, African writers must write ―not to entertain and please, but to change the world in the process‖ (30). This role may sound an unrealistic ambition, but an attempt is made to prove the contrary in this paper. Literature has both temporal and spiritual power. However, it has no instant power to precipitate change, but the writer's ―strategy is a slow and painstaking process of appeal and persuasion‖ (Osundare, 2007:7). The role of contemporary Nigerian literature in conflict management and resolution has not been given adequate scholarly attention. This paper seeks to fill this critical gap by countering the opinion that literature may not be so effective in conflict management and prevention, because it is often disputed that knowing the good is different from acting to secure the good. The belief is that literary inspiration is momentary, and since human beings are instinctively selfish, they are recidivists who go back to their ills after having an encounter with a literary piece. Akporobaro's (2001) claim is paradigmatic of this school: Even if a folktale inspires us, this will be momentary at the sitting session. When we plunge ourselves into our daily duties we forget the lessons, inherently portrayed by the stories. Man is

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