How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The oldest man present [of the Umuofia Progressive Union] broke one of them [kola nuts], saying another kind of prayer while he did it. "He that brings kola nuts brings life," he said. "We do not seek to hurt any man, but if any man seeks to hurt us may he break his neck." The congregation answered Amen. "We are strangers in this land. If good comes to it may we have our share." Amen. "But if bad comes let it go to the owners of the land who know what gods should be appeased." (1.37)
The men of Umuofia Progressive Union express their guiding principles here: that all good things come to them, and that bad things fall on others.
Quote #2
"The civil service is corrupt because of these so-called experienced men at the top," said Obi.
"You don't believe in experience? You think that a chap straight from university should be made a permanent secretary?"
"I didn't say straight from the university, but even that would be better than filling our top posts with old men who have no intellectual foundations to support their experience."…
"To most of them [educated young men] bribery is no problem. They come straight to the top without bribing anyone. It's not that they're necessarily better than others, it's simply that they can afford to be virtuous. But even that kind of virtue can become a habit." (2.27-29; 33)
Obi expresses his opinion that education breeds principles, in part because it offers opportunities that people would otherwise lack. If you lack those educational opportunities, but you still have ambition, you must seek advancement through corrupt methods.
Quote #3
Customs formalities here took thrice as long as at Liverpool and five times as many officials. A young man, almost a boy in fact, was dealing with Obi's cabin. He told him that the duty on his radiogram would be five pounds.
"Right," said Obi, feeling his hip pockets. "Write a receipt for me." The boy did not write. He looked at Obi for a few seconds, and then said: "I can be able to reduce it to two pounds for you."
"How?" asked Obi.
"I fit do it, but you no go get Government receipt."
For a few seconds Obi was speechless. Then he merely said: "Don't be silly. If there was a policeman here I would hand you over to him." (4.3-7)
Obi's return to Nigeria is immediately marked by corruption. He is approached by one of the customs officials for a bribe – but Obi clearly refrains, even though it will cost him more money.
Quote #4
"What department he de work?"
"Secretary to the Scholarship Board."
"'E go make plenty money there. Every student who wan' go England go de see am for house."
"'E no be like dat," said Joseph. "Him na gentleman. No fit take bribe."
"Na so," said the other in unbelief. (8.5-9)
Bribery and corruption are so integral to the operations of Nigerian government that Joseph's co-workers find it incredible that a young man like Obi doesn't take bribes.
Quote #5
"Let joking pass," said the old man who had earlier on greeted Umuofia in a warlike salute. "Joshua is now without a job. We have given him ten pounds. But ten pounds does not talk. If you stand a hundred pounds here where I stand now, it will not talk. That is why we say that he who has people is richer than he who has money. Everyone of us here should look out for openings in his department and put in a word for Joshua. This was greeted with approval. (8.24)
Though Joshua needs money for a bribe in order to get a job, he also needs connections. The old man speaking here demonstrates one of the principles operating throughout Africa: kinship ties. Kinship ties dictate your obligations to people from your clan or village. In this case, kinship ties will allow Joshua to find a job. Though in the west, we might not regard kinship ties in a positive light, it is one of the operating principles in modern Nigerian politics and business.
Quote #6
"Let joking pass," said the old man who had earlier on greeted Umuofia in a warlike salute. "Joshua is now without a job. We have given him ten pounds. But ten pounds does not talk. If you stand a hundred pounds here where I stand now, it will not talk. That is why we say that he who has people is richer than he who has money. Everyone of us here should look out for openings in his department and put in a word for Joshua. This was greeted with approval.
"Thanks to the Man Above," he continued, "we now have one of our sons in the senior service. We are not going to ask him to bring his salary to share among us. It is in little things like this that he can help us. It is our fault if we do not approach him…."
"Your words are very good," said the President. "We have the same thought in our minds. But we must give the young man time to look round first and know what is what."
The meeting supported the President by their murmurs. "Give the young man time." "Let him settle down." Obi felt very uneasy. But he knew they meant well. Perhaps it would not be too difficult to manage them. (8.24-27)
Obi wonders if the Igbo operating principle of helping kin will interfere with his own principles against nepotism and taking bribes, values that he absorbed through his Western education.
Quote #7
And he told her of Mr. Mark's visit to his office and gave her a detailed account of all that transpired between Miss Mark and himself before her arrival.
When he finished, Clara said nothing for a little while.
"Are you satisfied?" asked Obi.
"I think you were too severe on the man," she said.
"You think I should have encouraged him to talk about bribing me?"
"After all, offering money is not as bad as offering one's body. And yet you gave her a drink and a lift back to town." She laughed. "Na so this world be."
Obi wondered. (9.104-110)
Although Clara believes that prostitution is worse than bribery, Obi sees bribery as corruption and prostitution as a form of victimization. Hence, he finds Elsie's offer of prostitution sad, and believes that if he had acquiesced, he would have participated in her victimization. He sees bribery as a corrupt deal between two equally responsible partners.
Quote #8
[Mr Green] turned to Obi and said: "you know, Okonkwo, I have lived in your country for fifteen years and yet I cannot begin to understand the mentality of the so-called educated Nigerian. Like this young man at the University College, for instance, who expects the Government not only to pay his fees and fantastic allowances and find him an easy, comfortable job at the end of his course, but also to pay his intended. It's absolutely incredible. I think Government is making a terrible mistake in making it so easy for people like that to have so-called University education. Education for what? To get as much as they can for themselves and their family. Not the last bit interested in the millions of their countrymen who die every day from hunger and disease." (12.6)
According to Mr. Green, the educated Nigerian has no principles. Or rather, there is just one principle: get as much wealth as possible. This principle seems to be upheld regardless of the cost to impoverished Nigerians who must pay for their corrupt leaders and businessmen.
Quote #9
"You are the biggest ass in Nigeria," said Christopher, and they began a long argument on the nature of bribery.
"If a girl offers to sleep with you, that is not bribery," said Christopher.
"Don't be silly," replied Obi. "You mean you honestly cannot see anything wrong in taking advantage of a young girl straight from school who wants to go to a university?"
"You are being sentimental. A girl who comes the way she did is not an innocent little girl. It's like the story of a girl who was given a form to fill in. She put down her name and her age. But when she came to sex she wrote: 'Twice a week.'" (12.40-43)
Though Obi believes he would be victimizing a young girl by sleeping with her after she asked for his help in getting a scholarship, Christopher sees the young girl as taking charge of her own destiny.
Quote #10
"Did you have a good leave?" Mr. Green asked when he saw Obi….
"It often amazes me how you people can have the effrontery to ask for local leave. The idea of local leave was to give Europeans a break to go to a cool place like Jos or Buea. But today it is completely obsolete. But for an African like you, who has too many privileges as it is, to ask for two weeks to go on a swan, it makes me want to cry."
"It is not the fault of Nigerians," said Obi. "You devised these soft conditions for yourselves when every European was automatically in the senior service and every African automatically in the junior service. Now that a few of us have been admitted into the senior service, you turn round and blame us." (17.1-2; 9)
Obi states that it is hypocritical for a European to criticize Africans for taking advantage of the special privileges; Europeans created those same privileges for their own enjoyment when they were in power.