Character of Nanga
v Introduction:-
A Man of the People is a 1966 satirical novel by Chinua Achebe. It is Achebe's fourth novel. The novel tells the story of the young and educated Odili, the narrator, and his conflict with Chief Nanga, his former teacher who enters a career in politics in an unnamed modern African country. Odili represents the changing younger generation; Nanga represents the traditional customs of Nigeria
In his novels Achebe describes the after effects of the colonial rule on Nigeria particularly on Igbo society. His heroes are involved in a world of violence and uncertainty and their characters are put on test in the moment of crisis.
v The corrupt politician:-
A Man of the People shows the foul means adopted by the corrupt politicians to remain in power. It shows how the democratic procedures are corrupted at various levels by the dealings of political parties and wasted interests of individuals. This novel depicts the uneasy Odili Samalu. It does not directly concern legacy chief Nanga is a corrupt politician who provides the novel its ironic title. He is an embodiment of the ambitions and failings of the people. He is a shrewd, opportunistic Machiavellian politician. He represents extreme individualism damaging the African character. Both Odili who represents the young educated Nigerians, and the chief Nanga who represents a type in Nigerian politics, are drawn to alien culture and are corrupted by the new force – power and wealth. Here Achebe fosses his attention on the evils inflected on the African societies, not by an alien race, but by the Africans themselves.
v Minister of culture:-
Here Achebe describes the time of the electoral campaign of October December 1964 and its immediate bitter effects Nanga is ironically portaged as a corrupt politician. He is interested in the greater share of the national cake. Further he steals else Odili’s girlfriend and offers six girls the same evening to Odili and yet he calls himself ironically minister of culture Achebe remarks.
“Just think of such a man going abroad and calling
himself minister of culture ridiculous! This is why
the outside would laugh at us...”
v A fraud:-
Nanga is a fraud not only in political and commercial terms but also culturally the attacks those Africans who have received western education he starts a campaign of an authentic African culture, but he himself hankers after the western things and fills his house with them. He prefers to speak English and his children are also about to forget their mother tongue it. A mirror character who is a simple ‘bush woman’ dismisses both Odili and Chief Nanga in the words, “They are both Whiteman’s people.” Mrs. Naga sends her children to her villager regularly. She says, “Don’t you see they hardly speak our language.”
v Certain positive elements
Some critics opine that Achebe balances the evil aspects of nangas character by introducing in him certain positive elements such as his charming personality his urge so share the national cake with Odili but this is a conventional critical approach where we find a combination of good and bedevil in an individual. In fact Achebe does not portray Nanga as a character at all but purely as a signifier of the finest rogues in Nigerian literature Achebe passes very bitter remarks against Nanga by fivius his crude jokes his permission to white men to address him by his first name and his hatred for higher education.
v A great rhetorician:-
In this novel Achebe shows that different varieties of the English language become an effective political device there chief Nanga the man of the people, finds that speaking to different people with popularity with the Americans, he speaks American English with odili and his gang a type of familiar ‘pidgin’ and with the villages he uses a proverbial style. Thus he appears to be a great rhetorician in order to argue and persuade the people.
v Clever and cunning:-
In a discussion with an interviewer Achebe pointed out, “Nanga is very important he is the only character who has the title of the book. He is very clever and cunning. He knows what he wants to do in a way. It is the tragedy of our situation. Nanga uses such devices to destroy the Society”
Like Ezeulu in Arrow of God, he does not use them to save the system. He applies them in a very narrow, selfish way those may be the worst consequence of colonization that one is utterly alternated from his community. The leader is not a leader if his people. He is totally an alien the matters of interests concerns and comforts of his people that way Achebe point out. “The separation of the leader from those he leads is perhaps the greatest evil”
more and more greedy man:-
Chief Nanga is supposed to be standing up for the traditions and beliefs of the pre-colonial African culture by defending the common man and opposing the European-oriented post-colonial intellectuals. This notion of defending the unique and colorful African culture is evident in another book of his called Arrow of God where he explains in detail the various rituals, artistic creations, clothing, beliefs, politics, and a sense of community and disagreement among tribes in Africa. However, in A Man of the People Achebe focuses more on the politics of West African communities. Achebe shows the switching of power between the old and new styles of politicians and how the old style bush politician, Chief Nanga, is becoming more and more greedy as he learns the political system
v Conclusion:-
Thus, though the character culture the novelist stresses on an individual’s materialism which has knight corruption strife and cynicism. Then novelist has drams with as an initiator of corrupt culture. He signifies the corruption of Nigerian society. HE is the rogue in power. HE is the man of the people African natives. He is the first to get English Education hisr region. So he has a tight ot exercise power and authority over them. 
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