SLAVERY AND DEHUMANIZATION IN NIGERIA MIGRANT DRAMA: A STUDY OF AYAKOROMA’S ONCE UPON A DREAM

Abstract

The study examines the destabilizing effect of migrant experience on Africans, especially with the Nigerian foreigner in an immigrant nation. It elucidates on the dehumanizing relationship between the slaves and their masters who actuate the oppressor and oppressed dichotomy in immigrant slave trends. Ayakoroma’s Once Upon A Dreamprovides copious background to the sordid tales emanating from foreign countries where Nigerians are treated as second class members, or in the worst form, as animals. The subject is problematized by the need to throw more light on the dangers associated with migration without a good knowledge of the destination city’s law and history. Most Nigerian immigrants care less about the consequence of leaving one’s country to another with culture contrast, ideology and politics. They appear more hurried to leave because of the country’s problems, forgetting that nobody will solve Nigeria’s challenges unless they do.The result has been devastating and counter-productive, in most cases.Thus,the increasing search for new frontiers by the unemployed and unskilled forceas occasioned by bad leadership, economic poverty and political instability in many African nations has dealt a blow on migrants’ personal dignity and self-worth. There is need for engaging and reinforcing resistance to slavery and the dehumanizing of immigrants. Nigerian migrants needa humane and pragmatic approach to decolonizing wealth and achievement that is in tune with contemporary realities. The study adopts content analysis of the qualitative method of inquiry.