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SAFEGUARDING THE CITADEL: SOCIAL DISILLUSIONMENT AND 
THE MORAL QUESTION(S) IN IKECHUKWU ASIKA'S CORD OF LIFE 

By
Obi, Gladys Nwakaego
Department of English

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University
Igbariam Campus, Anambra State

nwakaegoobi@yahoo.com
08035522897

Abstract
riters, undoubtedly, use their pen to create awareness on all that is happening in their Wsociety to the general public. A writer is, therefore, an educator, a diviner, a seer, moulder, a 
spokesman as well as a preacher. As a preacher, a writer writes to criticize and moralise 

the evil vices in the society. Hence, his aim is to correct these ills via his writings. Research has 
shown that there is a gross reduction in the moral standard or values with which the youth especially 
the students operate in our universities today. This work shows that the moral standard in our society 
has deteriorated to the point that our students no longer care about the consequences of living a non-
conformity life style. The gut with which they display these clandestine behaviours is one to be 
questioned using Ikechukwu Asika's Cord of Life. This paper is critically examined through 
moralistic theory. The work serves as an insight to all the mayhem being carried out in our 
universities today as well as the aftermaths of such behaviour.
Keywords: Moral, Awareness, Students, Consequence, Society

Introduction
In recent time, writers basically convey their message(s) through their writings. It could be either 
they want to inform, educate, interpret, instruct and preach the general public on the issues of 
national, social, political and moral concern. Unethical behaviour among our students in our present 
day varsities is quite perturbing to the parents and society at large. For this and more playwright 
largely feels that it is within his power to cause a change in his society. Hence, the social significance 
of a dramatist can never be over emphasized since all he has in mind is ambition to cause his audience 
to react appropriately to the social, economical, political and moral issues in his society. 

If the words of Ama Aidoo is anything to go by the crux of a dramatist borders on social 
responsibility. In an interview she had with Maxine McGregon in October 1967, at the Havard 
International Seminar in the United State, she said: “I cannot see myself as a writer, writing about 
Lovers in Accra because you see; there are so many other problems... I feel a responsibility and feel 
that it is the same type of responsibility I think black people all over feel” (19). Rather than practice 
art for art sake knowing full well how drama stimulates – dramatists thought of being socially 
responsible to speak and to frown at clandestine behaviours of our today's youth – through their work 
of art. It is pertinent to point out that so many other unethical practices and social problems of social 
and moral concern such as cultism, kidnapping, abduction, drug abuse, corruption, rape, and 
underage abortion are very common among our students and they are portrayed basically, to call 
attention for correction. 

Asika Ikechukwu's Cord of Life is a call among many others that has portrayed the above mentioned 
attitudes as actions leading to a decline in the progress of the society at large and the individual 
involved in particular. When a student leaves what he/she goes to school to do (his/her goals) and 

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then engages in other negative activities or unvalued lifestyles that are detrimental to himself and 
people around him, of course, such student constitute a definite pointer of outright failure both to 
himself/herself and the society he/she belongs to. This work, therefore, projects playwright as a 
realist for he does not write outside what is happening in the society which he populates. Certainly, 
Literature is a mirror of totality of life in its reality. Duranty sees “realism as incestuous child of 
materialism that has a lot to answer concerning public morality” (Asoo, 2006). 

Public Morality here is not different from social values, norms, etc. Society tends to align itself with 
systematic way of living, a conformity living. When one individual misbehaves, he/she is out rightly 
judged by the already existing standard of laws and regulations. Our African society, specifically 
Nigeria society has code of conduct which everyone irrespective of age, status, class, race conform 
to. It is very disheartening that our students in most of the universities have gone wired in their   
behaviours. They no longer listen to the advice of their parents or elders, neither do they think before 
taking certain awkward actions. They are also not doing what their parents did. Instead they have 
recreated and generated their own actions of negativity. They leave one to marvel at the gut with 
which they display all these unimaginable atrocities which are disappointing and disillusioned to the 
people. 

The question now is: Is there really a standard moral code in the society these days? And the answer is 
yes. Yes, while most people follow society's law they are abide by certain social mores which are 
governed by morals. While morals tend to be driven by personal belief and values, there are certainly 
some common morals that most people agree on such as: one should always tell the truth, one should 
not kill fellow human being, underage abortion should not be encouraged, abduction, kidnapping, 
child trafficking, immoral sexualities and so on, these are typically Africa values. It is unfortunate 
that today's youth especially our students have shun our values and now do all source of evil things. 
Go to our schools today, the students kill; they practice cultism and are involved in drug abuse; they 
kidnap, abduct, smoke, sleep with their opposite sex in one roof, and so on. What a pitiable situation 
we find our student in? 

Theoretical Framework 
The theoretical framework used in this work is moralistic theory. A moralist is a person who behaves 
in a morally commendable way. And of course, moral theory is a theory of how we determine right 
and wrong conduct. Also, moral theory provides the framework upon which we think and discuss in a 
reasoned way, and so evaluate, specific moral issues. Morality has to do with matters of taste, 
personal preferences, or subject attitude and opinion. Muraino and Ugwumba State that: “it is 
believed that morality socially upholds principles, concepts, ideals and actions, rules and regulations 
that culture deems reasonable, correct and appropriate and under which members of community are 
tied” (Muraino and Ugwumba 2014).
Also, Mark Timmons opines that; a moral theory is a set of statement used to systematise and codify 
our judgments concerning standards of conduct or behaviour” (Timmon 2002). So, moral theory 
provides us with an account of what we should do (i.e duties or obligation) what is good worthy of 
pursuit (i.e moral values) what is fair or just, and how we should live our lives. It is therefore, the 
interest of this playwright Asika Ikechukwu that our student all over the nation should abide by the 
societal moral standard values and save the society from aching from their recently clandestine 
behaviours. For the youths they said are the leaders of tomorrow.

Students and their Unsatisfactory Acts in Ikechukwu Asika's Cord of Life
Playwrights specifically, have a unique way of molding their cast to enact and imitate situations in 
their environment via their work of art. Societal moral/values have recently deteriorated to a pitiable 

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and worrisome level. Our youths are no longer disciplined. They have shunned the pleasing past life 
of decency and have embraced the “new normal” modern life which they tagged “jet age” where they 
stage all source of atrocities. 

Ikechukwu Asika's play Cord of Life is one among many plays that depicts the level of moral 
decadence in our varsities. To think that students feel indifference as to the result of their clandestine 
behaviour and its aftermath poses a great worry to the members of the society. Asika Ikechukwu did 
not miss words in portraying to the public the terrible life style of most of our contemporary students 
in our present day varsities. Asika's Cord of Life tells the story of a once decent village girl, 
Nnedimma who was admired by all for her beauty, intelligent, moral decency but upon her entering 
into the university become a different story all together, a sorrowful one at that. The playwright's 
striking description of her early personality states that: 

Her name is Nnedimma, beautiful like goddess, tall as Okeosisi from Awgbu Clan, 
fair like Queen Apunanwu of Okigwe town, slender like Nwanyioma… She 
blossomed into perfect beauty. Her journey through her early education was with 
beauty, elegance and pride. Our hopes were high as we borrowed, and gathered all we 
had to send her to a university since education now rules the world (7)

What a remarkable description. Her story unfortunately, changes when she gets admission into the 
university and gets associated to (bad company), wrong peer and so does her name for she now bears 
Natasha…. This is typical of most of our students, some students are not known with their real name. 
If one goes to the universities today, one will be hearing some funny names like: Starboy, Greencity, 
Blackstar, Macky, Sundot, Diehard, etc.  The playwright stresses that upon entering to the university; 
Natasha forgets her goal and focus of interest and then starts to pursue shadows that lead to her 
destruction.
To start with, all the “miss” awards in the campus were given to her as the playwright succinctly puts 
it:

MC: She is bomboclat dance hall queen; her steps are unrivalled, unmatched and 
unequalled! I am talking about the former Miss Fresher of the campus, the former 
Miss Valentine Eastern Region. The former Miss Campus Queen of this University 
and Current Miss Hot Legs International. Ladies and gentleman give it up for best, the 
most beautiful, the fairest one of them all, Miss Natasha Williams! (13). 

Here is a typical example and life style of what we witness in our varsities today. Our students in most 
cases forget why their parents send them to school to do while clamouring for a quick and immediate 
fame among themselves. Natasha is a gut. She lives with her lover Poker Man in the same roof. Lust, 
lost and forgotten, she involves herself in all sorts of evil activities; Poker Man being the master 
planner as well as a bad influence. In most varsities, most of our young female students squat with 
their male counterparts in the name of being lovers. Such thing should not be encouraged because 
they only end up being married than the married couple. It is not also a new thing that some bear 
names different from the ones their parents give them. Natasha is of course no different from such 
group of students.

The playwright also pictures some fake students that exist and operate in our modern day 
universities. The writer actually wants to brings to fore that some of the students are not registered 
student, some face one type of personal problem of lack of seriousness, while some have overstayed 
their “congratulations” of being a student in the university. He pictures this group of students in the 
character of Poker Man as he says:

Poker Man: … your words always melt the man in me. You know I should have 
graduated some years back but a voice kept telling me to wait. I never knew I was 

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waiting for you. Those boring days are over, my love. This is Poker Man. Forget your 
classes, assignments, exams. You have me, you have everything. You know poker 
man, you know everybody. I am the only exam you should bother about, the only quiz 
you have to do and the only attendance you need to achieve (15)

Poker Man is a typical fake student found anywhere around varsities across the nation. His statement 
that: “he should have graduated some years back but a voice kept telling me to wait” (15) is a clear 
evidence that his studentship is an illusion. He is in the school to trap other real students and make 
them go down with him or rather drop out of school like him.

th
Poker Man piloted “the flight that crashed them”. Having aborted 4  pregnancy for him (Poker 

thMan), the 5  was born and was sold off to Doctor Ekeh, according to Poker Man's arrangement. It 
was a deal and a signed business between Doctor Ekeh and Natasha as well as Poker man, the lover 
being in the picture through it all and the playwright puts it thus:

Doctor Eke: Are you done signing the papers?
Natasha: Yes, the agreement is sealed (hands over the signed document to the 
doctor).
Doctore Ekeh: (takes time to survey the document till he is satisfied). Yes, that is 
okay. I hope you know and should remember that with this signed agreement you will 
not lay claim to this child ever again it belongs to us now. Hope you understand that 
dear?... (Fishes out a cheque). Here is a cheque four 1.5 million naira as agreed (25-
26). 

What an act of wickedness? Imagine a mother selling off her own blood, her child! A sheer 
wickedness. This is decay in morality. Our youths have sold off their conscience. They do not think 
about the future. There is this adage that says “who knows the head that will be crown a king”. No, 
this is not part of their thoughts. They are not in line with their ancestor's that propagated the saying. 
They are actually living their future now. To think that the young man, Poker Man, who double as the 
lover and father of the sold infant engineered everything and followed it up through till the end. 
His involves as the finally receiver of the cheque is pictured in this manner as the playwright. Says:

Natasha: (Beams with smiles as she collects the cheque and inspects it for 
confirmation). Thank you doctor thank you, you are an honourable man (Hands the 
cheque to Poker Man who has been silent waiting for the moment (26).

The playwright pictures these groups of youths who in their bid for selfish interest encourage 
immorality, underage abortion, prostitution, drug abuse, murder, child trafficking and so on. 

Nwabunwanne is the name of the child Natasha and her dubious lover sold off. Ochiora becomes his 
foster mother. Nwabunwanne is being taken care of until upon the death of the foster parents who 
adopted him as their son. Before her (Ochiora) death, she traced Natasha and Poker Man and handed 
their child over to them with some huge about of money for his upkeep and education. Though they 
collected the money, yet they still abandoned their son to his fate. Because he has no one else to care 
for him, he suffered a great deal. Eventually towards the end of the play, Nwabunwanne succeeded 
by providence and also by hardworking, having suffering for so long.

After kidnapping and receiving of ransom and attempting to murder white man, Mr Dennison, 
Natasha and Poker Man were napped by the police. Here, the playwright wants to let us know that no 
evil goes unpunished. They were caught up by law for all the crimes they committed. As the 
playwright captures it:

Police Man: Do not make any attempt to move or I will shoot. You all are under arrest 
for kidnapping one Mr Dennison and attempt on his life among series of other 
charges connected to you. In your best interest, I advise you to remain silent or 

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anything you say or do will be used against you in the court of law (police handcuff 
them and lead them away). (85).

The life we live will come back staring at us, no doubt. The youths should know that too. Alas! 
Nwabunwanne becomes the judge to decide their case at the court of law. Having been trained by 
hardship and circumstance of life to be straightforward and honest, he was straight and honest to his 
call (duty). Here, the playwright displays his inequity as a great and upright judge; hence no one is 
really above the law, not when the person actually committed the said crime. His parent (Natasha 
and Poker Man) were made to face the penalty of the crime they committed. He did what many will 
fear to do. Pronouncing judgment to his parent as the law demands asand the playwright says:

Nwabunwanne: … Here is my judgment Mrs. Natasha and Mr. 
Clifford Idris and other co-defendants, I have evaluated all the evidence proffered 
against you and defenses proffered by the defense, I found you guilty of all thirteen 
counts against you, prima facie case having been and ingredients on offences 
established by prosecution. The court found that your actions contravened the 
provision of section 312, 321, 324, 361, 364, and 419 of the criminal code Act. You 
are distinctively sentenced to 14 years imprisonment on charges of abduction, 7 
years imprisonment on charges of obtaining by force pretense, 10 years for 
kidnapping and terms of life imprisonment for the attempted murder of Mr. 
Dennison of Global Oil Company. The sentence shall run concurrently. It is in 
finding that you were involved in most nefarious acts perpetuated in this city in the 
past. This should serve as lesson to your likes in the society. (96).

Here the playwright unequivocally depicts that what one sow one reaps. It is also on record that in 
the course of their serving punishment, his father Poker Man dies and his mother falls sick. Hence, 
their attitudes as students do not bring honour to their parent or to the public rather it brings a high 
level of disillusionment to all and sundry.

Conclusion
The message Ikechukwu Asika's Cord of Life is passing across is to advise the students against the 
unworthy, unhealthy and unacceptable way of behaviours and at the same time warn them on 
possible repercussion of such negative attitude. It is worth to point out that there is always a 
payback time, that is, whatever one planted, one shall definitely harvest. You cannot plant wicked 
and harvest peace, hence, wickedness begets destruction. This is the case of the playwright two 
major characters: Natasha and Poker Man. They were serve their own 'dish' prepared with their own 
hands. Good a thing the playwright pin points also that there is dignity in hardworking for their son 
Nwabunwanne is handsomely rewarded for being honest, upright and hardworking. This is a call to 
awaken the consciousness of our students to desist from any negative action that will impaired their 
growth and that of their society in order to avoid had I know.

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WORKS CITED
Asika, Ikechukwu. (2018). Cord of Life. Anambra State; Onitsha: First Class Publishers.
Asoo, Ferdinand. ( 2006). The African Novel and The Realist Tradition. Makurdi: 
           Aboki Publishers.
 Brekus, Catherine A. Gilpin, W Clark. (2011). American Christianities; A History
             of Dominance andDiversity. University of North: Caroline Press. P.50 
Dennis Duderden and cospos Piterse Eds. (1975) African Writers Talking: A Collection of    
             Interviews. London:  Heineman.
Mark Timmons. (2007). Disputed Moral Issues: A Reader. Oxford University Press.
Muriano, M. B. Ugwumba, U.E (2014). Moral Misconduct Among Students of Higher 
            Institution in Nigeria. A Case Study of Elected Higher Institution in Imo State, 
           Nigeria.  Owerri: Oasis Publishers. 

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