The complex realities of man’s world tend to drive him to orbit independently of the creator. His feelings are mostly laden with self appeasement, cramped in a false concept of self superiority which places every other person as subhuman. It therefore becomes a task to rescue man from dropping into stuffy mold of himself.

This burden and task of renewal in the society is placed on the shoulders of the writer. Through his artistic projection, the writer becomes the torch bearer that lights the pathway of mankind.

As the custodian of the conscience of society, the writer is expected to animate and sharpen the sensibilities of his audience by keeping them in touch with contemporary issues of development, devoid of material inclinations, distortions of facts and subjective biases.

He must be in earnest in appealing to his audience and dispassionately present his views without allowing them to be marooned into sentiments.

But personal biases or subjective feelings cannot be entirely ruled out in writing. As humans, every writer has his innate content and reflections which may be viewed analytically with a sense of suspicion.

As mirrors of the society, writers try to present the true picture of societies at times based on their reflective feelings. Most writers are therefore seen by society as casuits and sophists, engaged to promote particular causes of sectional interest. This accounts for why various versions and approaches exist in works of arts.

Every work of art is therefore a reflection of the true image of the writer. Like the sculpture who transforms a formless mass of clay into vagrant beauty, the writer reaches out to the ugliness of the world and translate it into tangible beauty.

But while doing this so many things come to play. His work, to a large extent is influenced by the society and environment he operates.

The earliest Nigerian writers were caught in the web of cultural conflicts, their works were fiery and propelled by the vile precepts of colonialism and imperialism. Looking up to the first opportunity for self governance, the Nigerian writer became a revolutionary and committed their works to nationalistic struggles to extricate the society from the shackles of imperialism.

These earliest writers pre-dominantly engaged their creative abilities in trying to correct the wrong impressions advanced by colonial history about the black race.

Apparently concerned about the trusts that constitute the nobility of service, which is the service of truth and freedom, these earliest Nigerians, nay African writer battled to rescue the black race from a jaundice version of African history writers by the white man.

In serving the cause of truth and freedom, the writer became the hero as he was lionised by the people. This concept, however, drifted on attainment of self rule, as the tempo with which the writer fought the colonial powers subsided.

Efforts were now geared toward galvanising support for indigenous governance and the writer with a critical out look became stigmatised.

Noble laureate and literary icon, Prof. Wole Soyinka who reposted indignantly against the corrupt tendencies of leadership earned a prison term. It was dangerous signal for Nigerian writers. The message been that the writer must stomach the excesses of governance and rather write to project the image of government since the sustenance of leadership role rests squarely on the artistic projection of the writer who is seen as the bastion of knowledge.

But in the real sense of it, this role is best served when the writer is given the free-will to express his thoughts.

It behoves the government as part of the audience to allow the writer play his role without interference as this is the best way it can tap from the writer’s projection.

Leadership images and profiles are drawn and carved by writers, but ultimately, the writer should try as much as possible to live above board in serving his society.

They should be able to get to the dark interior of the society to bring out its vagrant beauty. They should set agenda and drive society to a point of concensus by discouraging diversionary motives.

In developing countries, like ours the writer’s duties are enormous. Unlike politicians who revel in noble sentiments and unfulfilled rhetorics, the writer must consistently stand for everybody’s interest and avoid doing the biddings of favour seekers. He must radiate superior reasoning to earn society’s respect and honour at all times.

However, in displaying creative talents which set the writer apart, he is confronted with economic factors. As revealed by society, Nigerian writers pursue writing as a past time as he cannot depend on creative writing to earn a living. The yearning to earn money therefore becomes his major pitfall, as he assumes other roles to enhance his fortune and resort to writing as a mere creative exercise, perhaps engaged in futility as the apathetic readership culture of Nigerians is equally not helping matters.  

The sad realities of the country, no doubt, presuppose that the writers who engage in chastising the country towards the conquest of ignorance and achieving other noble aspirations is pursuing poverty.

Taneh Beemene