The Quintessential Role of the Soil: A Postcolonial Reading of Shadrach Ambanasom’s Son of the Native Soil and Wilson Katiyo’s A Son of the Soil

This paper entitled, “The Importance of the Soil: A Postcolonial Reading of Shadrach Ambanasom’s Son of the Native Soil and Wilson Katiyo’s A Son of the Soil demonstrates the importance of the soil which raises conflicts as well as generates wealth. The problem posed is that the soil, which is an empowerment tool, stimulates conflicts as agents desire socio-economic and political control. Such conflicts slow development and relegate the weak in both national and global affairs. The bond of contention evoked here is that socio-economic and political powers are secured through oppressive means which leave societies in chaos and stagnation. Some tenets of postcolonial theory will be used as a theoretical guide for analysis in this paper. Findings reveal that the soil has the ability to stimulate both prosperity and poverty that reinforce binaries. The paper concludes that, the expansion of the agricultural sector is fundamental to meet needs of a fast growing population. If the improvement of the soil is neglected, conflicts in societies risk to be increased resulting to high mortality rate caused by war and famine. This paper which has exhibited the importance of the soil to expansion and growth has highlighted how socio-economic and political powers are secured through oppression; thereby leaving societies in chaos and stagnation. The studied has used postcolonial theory as a critical lens to reflect that the imperial process is still very visible in modern day society as seen through the globalization process. The paper discussed the importance of the soil which displayed that as a source of wealth it attracts investors and also generates conflicts. It further discussed the soil and the economy which revealed that investors invent strategies that disempowered the locals whose dependencies impede them from playing a major role in the global system. The section expresses that hard work and endurance are tracks to economic empowerment. Since it has been revealed that the soil stimulates both prosperity and poverty that reinforce binaries, the conclusion drawn here is that, the soil must be protected and revamped where necessary so as to meet up with societal needs.

Postcolonial Theory is the theoretical lens that guides analyses.

The Importance of the Soil
The soil is the most important and central component of all living things. It is the root on which every living thing depends on its security and safety. Elizabeth Ayuk Ako in her article entitled "Eco-sustainability and the Culture of Power: Charles Dickens' Hard Times, writes that, "Man's dependence on nature implied that nature had a significant role to play in human survival" (191). Therefore, the nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. The soil as an aspect of nature is essential because of the vital role it plays in human survival. It is the centre of life as it secures good health through the provision of quality water and food security. Man is made from the soil which also provides the environmental space on which all his activities are run. People move from one place to the other for the exploitation of fertile soils which constitute a small portion in the entire universe, yet must provide life to that universe. Saskia Sassen in his article entitled "Whose City is it? Globalization and the Formation of New Claims" in The Globalization Reader highlights that Globalisation transcends nation states' boundaries and there is little governance and accountability as far as transnational activities are concerned. He states that, "Globalization is a process that generates contradictory spaces, characterized by contestation, internal differentiation, continuous border crossing" (76). Movement in a global arena is motivated by the zeal to make profits in order to secure socio-economic power. The urge for economic expansion thus arouses oppressive and aggressive mentalities.

Timothy Clark in The Cambridge
Introduction to Literature and the Environment says that: "The very term of 'nature' has several incompatible meanings whose interrelation can be said already to enact some distinctive environmental quandaries" (6). The soil as an aspect of nature nurses many other elements of nature that depend on it for survival. The interrelation among other aspects of nature evokes diverse problems that are sources of difficulties that result to conflicts in communities. This study highlights some of such problems in discussing the importance and relevance of the soil which is divided into the soil and conflicts and the soil and economy as portrayed in the texts under reference.

The Soil and Conflicts
The agricultural sector in most developing countries is deficient irrespective of the ever growing population rates. Very little spaces are endowed with fertile soils and most of the infertile soils that need improvement through adequate use of fertilizers and other facilities are most often neglected. As a result, the vast differences that exist in the domain of social and economic conditions lead to many problems and conflicts as demonstrated by Shadrach A. Ambanassom in Son of the Native Soil through the Dudum clan. Polarity and conflicts exist between Anjong and Akan, which are parts of Dudum. While nature has made it that Anjong occupies the fertile part of Dudum, Akan on its part is pushed by nature to occupy the barren part. Since there is that urge for man to emerge socio-economically, the Dudum clan is in constant war and conflict provoked by the contrast of the soil occupied by the Akans and the Anjongs. David Horowitz in Hemispheres North and South: Economic Disparity among Nations emphasizes that the prime factor of economic growth is investment.
He writes thus: …investment is conceived in its broadest meaning… the investment of capital and skill, of know-how, of managerial ability, and of initiative. In every field of economic endeavor, investment is the key to progress and expansion. The most impressive example of the truth of the statement is agriculture. To expand agriculture and augment the supply of food is the most urgent concern of the underdeveloped world. (7) Vol intention as revealed in the quotation is not in any way geared at promoting common good but evidently, to safeguard his selfish and personal interests. He rather finds interest in their soil and its resources because these will contribute to his growth and empowerment. The idea of security in globalization is challenged and disparities are enhanced. Paradoxically therefore, instead of globalization uniting people to demonstrate commitment and explore new ideas to developing a common vision that could change lives, conflicts are generated.
The soil is consequently portrayed as a magnetic force that becomes a battle ground for exploitation, challenging globalization's vision for collective welfare and growth.
Conflicts that result from the soil are not only caused by external forces brought by space/ time compression, but also by internal factors from poor management and governance. expand their skills and talents systematically in an organized manner in a society which generally is characterized by good and evil. A society that is 'tempting with forbidden fruit.' Power is tempting because of the sweetness it offers. That is why there are land conflicts in societies since land is a channel that leads to socio-economic and political empowerment. The land dispute in the above quotation is master minded by few individuals in Akan who do not care about collective unity and progress, but are more concerned with their individual progress. Instead of constructing ideas that can facilitate the smooth functioning of their society which can lead to sustainable development and growth, they mastermind conflicts and war that destabilizes their society leaving it fragmented and undeveloped. Globalization stresses investment and economic expansion which are major factors that lead to the progress of any society. If Anjong which is part of Dudum is blessed with fertile land as capital, one will expect that Akan and other Dudum tribes should mobilize skills, initiatives and managerial abilities to revamp their agriculture and augment the supply of food to meet the urgent need of developing societies and the world at large thereby, projecting an authentic identity in global affairs. Ironically, instead of the Akans drawing a strategic economic plan of action that will lead to the development of the entire clan, they skillfully distract the Anjongs from adequately cultivating their fertile area and also provoke them into squabbles as seen below: There was consternation in Anjong when some of their women folk came back from Ukob in tears. They had gone to the disputed piece of land where they were surprised by a group of young men from Akan, who seized their hoes.
Such a thing had not been heard of before. Anjong interpreted it as a flagant act of war (16).
Food is a source of life and security. The hard working nature of the Anjong people pushes them to exploit their fertile land by investing in the agricultural sector for economic It happened a week ago after the Anjong women had gone back to their own portion of Ukob. They had planted their crops and safely returned home. But two days later a group of hefty Akan men fully armed with machetes, spears, clubs and even dane guns invaded Abang, that part of Ajong nearest Akan.
The Anjong people did not expect such an attack (62).
The infertile land of the Akans is a reflection of their barren minds. They are determined not to see the progress of the Anjong because they have what they, the Akans lack. The Akans continue with their destructive attitude as an attempt to impoverish the Anjongs. The Anjongs' optimism rather infuriates the Akans who inflict chronic pains on them by attacking and destroying their lives and properties.
Simon Dalby in an article entitled "Globalization, Geography and Environmental security" in the Globalization Theory and Practice writes that, "To advocates of the neoliberal economic and political agendas of globalization … promise greater wealth and hence… greater human security for all…the last assumption has been challenged in the last few decades" (38). The essence of globalization is to promote growth and security in a wider scale, but this is challenged by the Akans at the local level. Their attitude retards and relegates their whole clan in global affairs as their focus is on weapons and the destruction of human efforts and dignity. This is reflected in their perilous acts that leave not only Anjong but all of Dudum in tears, as their livelihood is undermined. The need has been stressed for underdeveloped nations to boost up their agriculture to meet with the demands of their ever growing population that depend on their meager food production. Consequently, it is disgusting to see the Akans embarked on schemes that reinforce poverty and civil unrest at a local level. Akans action can only retard their growth because it prevents them from getting adequate food supply to provide their survival and economic needs. If they desire growth and visibility in the global scene, then they must double their food production. Rowntree et al. (2003) underlines thus: During the last 40 years of the twentieth century, the world's population doubled. Even more remarkably, during the same period global food production also doubled to keep pace with this population explosion.
This increase in food production came primarily from the expansion of intensive, industrial agriculture into areas that previously produced subsistence crops through extensive and traditional means.
… since 1950 the increases in global food production have come from three interconnected processes that are known as the first stage of the Green Revolution… first the change from traditional mixed crops to monocrops, or single fields of genetically altered, high-yield rice, wheat, and corn seed; second, intensive application of water, fertilizers, and pesticides; and third, further increases in intensity of agriculture by reduction in fallow or field resting time between seasonal crops. (71) The conflicts experienced in Dudum result from the desire of the Akans to secure power. They envisage Ajong as a threat to their prosperity, so they embark on destruction as means to reduce the Anjong to nothing. By so doing they destroy also themselves as they retard the progress of their entire clan. In crises situations, differences need to be abandoned and values projected in order to create a solid society. It is true as the following expresses that, "The land in question was a fertile valley…. A stream flowed through then dividing it into two. The larger portion belonged to the Anjong side of the stream while the smaller part was on Akan side of it" (13). Though Anjong owns the smaller portion of the fertile land, hard work and diligence are keys to progress. Therefore, with modernity that facilitates development, the Akans need not worry and cause more damage because they have been cheated by nature. What one expects from them is that they implement at least one, if not all of the above strategies that lead to a "Green Revolution" which in itself is power.
Considering that a stream runs across the land, they could be considered privileged if they could implement the second strategy above which requires 'intensive application of water, fertilizers and pesticides,' to expand food production. They could further reveal their managerial skills which could result to growth still applying the technique of 'reduction in fallow or field resting time between seasonal crops.' If they must emerge successful in their locality and in the global society then they must forsake their laziness which is masked by their aggressiveness. The fact that Akan area had once attracted investment, illustrates that it was once fertile. Chief Umeitoh argues thus: ... Some of you may ask why we have now pushed it to this point. I will tell you why. and they remain backward in a global society. If the Africans, as well as any other developing nations must fight, it must be to protect their land from foreign intrusion, and to promote growth in their societies.
If the Dudum people must emerge in today's challenging and competitive society, peace must inevitably reign in their society. Ambanasom writes that, "though the Dudum people are generally quarrelsome among themselves they can abandon their differences and unite" (124). The spirit of unity is preached and promoted by Achamba who is referred to as 'a son of the soil'. He tells Abaago this, "I'm a son of Akan, but I'm first of all a son of Dudum"(126). He works to ensure that peace reigns in Dudum. He persuades the people of Dudum to see the importance of unity and purpose that can make them to benefit from government projects and development. He also educates his people to understand that they too have a central role to play for the development of their land. William Tordoff writes in Government and Politics In Africa that, "a united Africa, subject to a single government was the only effective way…" (260). A united Africa is an efficient way to combat racist/ tribal inclinations in order to successfully build a strong economy and sustainable development.
This vision is ruined as reflected in the following excerpt: Abaago realized with trembling fear, like the kind that follows a nightmare, that Achamba was more of a threat than an asset to the Akan man.  Achamba exemplifies that there is strength in unity by establishing a conjugal relationship with a woman from Anjong. He thinks that "… our marriage uniting two apparent enemies would help to reconcile our estrange village..." (149). But a "marriage that in a different community might have served as a unifying factor in Dudum only threatened the unity of the clan" (142). Achamba and Echunjei's marriage is supposed to be a call for unity, but it rather reinforces distrust, petit rivalries, and jealousy, instead of bringing reconciliation, as Abaago assigns murderers to eliminate Achamba. This is explained thus: "assailants fell on him, administering him more savage blows on his head, shoulders and back…" (193). Achamba dies because some egocentric agents in his community think, "He must be got rid of. He was rather nosy, prying into matters that did not concern him"(145).
Such self-centered mentalities can only take a society backward. The death of Achamba, as such, deconstructs destructive mentalities that retard growth in a society. It is a clarion call for people to abandon egocentric desires and adopt positive mindsets that could lead to the progress and development of a community.

The Soil and Economy
Present day production and distribution of goods operate on a global policy that brings together regions organizations and various groups. William Greider in his article in The Globalization Reader entitled, "Wawasan 2020" admits that: The process of global economic integration is broadly driven by market forces… Given the worldwide thirst for economic development … multinational companies usually have the leverage to stipulate terms for their capital investments… A corporation's power is naturally strongest if it is dealing with a small, very poor country desperate for industrial development…. Starting from position of weakness, the poor states hope this exchange will start them on an upward track toward higher levels of industrialization and an escape from general poverty.
Even successful nations, however, discover that a basic insecurity lingers in their economic advance. (148) In Wilson Katiyo's Son of the Soil, economic integration is evident as different multinational companies and corporate societies come to chief Chuma's village to invest in agriculture and to exploit mineral resources for economic empowerment. The relationship between these investors and the villagers is not very cordial. Exploitation and oppression become prevalent as the quotation below highlights: One night, a month or so after Shonga's return to Chuma's village, Hill and his men made a surprise attack on the village. They did not use their guns until after they had set fire to many huts. Most people were asleep inside huts and they burned to death. Others tried to escape but that was when Hill and his men used their guns. They shot anybody who was trying to escape. Some of the warriors manage to arm themselves and fought very fiercely. The white men finally retreated. When the sun rose the next morning, people counted the dead. They also found some corpses of white men. Shonga was one of those who had been killed. They found him with his fingers still clawed around the neck of a white man. He too was dead… (21).
Hill and his men are mineral hunters who attack the people of Chuma's village because they learnt that their land is rich with diamond. Instead of exploiting each other's skills and resources to excavate the available mineral resources, Hill and his associates are determined to eliminate the villagers in order to have total control of their resources. Their presence in Chuma's village defeats the idea of global economic integration because instead of the villagers experiencing improvement in their livelihood, poverty, pains and misery are intensified.
What motivates the massive destruction and killings as seen above is hunger. Hill whose name symbolizes that the road to economic prosperity is an uphill task, says, "'we are all very hungry. You know how hard we work. Now I want you to slaughter a nice fat fox…" (18). Hill and his men "dig a diamond mine" (13) At Chuma's village in order to fight against There is a fierce fight because of fear of insecurity. Rowntree et al. (2003) postulate that: If the human population continues to grow at expected rates, food production must double… Every minute of each day, 170 people are born who need food; during the same minutes, about 10 acres of existing cropland are lost because of environmental problems such as soil erosion and desertification. Many experts argue that food scarcity will be the defining issue of the next several decades, just as ideological tensions between superpowers defined the recent past. (70) Population growth poses a threat to hunger and insecurity since the soil is threatened by erosion, degradation, desertification, poor management and urbanization. Such threats are signs that the future shall be defined by food scarcity which will be a source of tension in the society for a starving people are incapable of leading a nation. Food scarcity leads to hunger that can even slow down social activities that make life pleasant. Rudo, a character in Son of the Soil says, "When she came near the city, she had to concentrate. There were too many buses, too many bicycles, too many people! People! They made her nervous" (41). The too many people found in the city confirm the assertion that human population is constantly growing. Rural exodus is rampant as villager move to cities for better livelihoods. The congestions of the city do not leave free lands for farming as buildings have occupied the lands. The observation that while many people who need food are born, acres of existing croplands are also lost is not farfetched. Consequently, food scarcity is unavoidably a source of tension and conflicts as reflected among the Dudums in Son of the Native Soil. This is made known thus: The soil and economy Measures ranged from avoiding sharing meals or drinks with the Akan men to putting an end to inter-village marriages between Akan and Anjong. But sterner and more stringent economic measures were proposed by Ubeno and Ekunidi who felt that anything short of an economic warfare against Akan would be innocuous. (68) Rowntree et al. (2003) aver that "The geological environment is also critical to a wide spectrum of human activities and concerns, such as the relationship between soil fertility and agriculture or the distribution of mineral resources…" (49). The soil is a source of conflict among the Dudum people because they directly earn their livelihood from the soil. Poverty is the order of the day, which is why the Akans constantly provoke the Anjongs who are privileged with fertile soil to war. To prove the economic importance of the soil, the economic boycott the Anjongs put on the Akans adversely affects them, both socially and economically. The impact of the economic war is seen below: Month had gone by since Anjong declared an economic war against Akan.
True, the Akan people were hard hit by the blow. A few petty businesses had been shut down, and eating and drinking houses in Akan market were no longer fully operational. Important celebrations such as Anyajuh's reburial were put off for lack of sufficient food and drinks for the elaborate ceremonies. As hunger stared the people in the face … people were sick. (88) The Anjongs who could no longer tolerate the arrogance of the Akans imposed an economic war on the Akans as a more peaceful way to resist their consistent threats. The war greatly affects the Akans as most of their businesses and social activities are put off as a result of scarcity. Hunger becomes the order of the day and people fall sick signifying that the soil is fundamental to human health. Their misery and ill health affirms Horowitz's view that, "almost half of the world's population is still hungry, or badly nourished, or both" (4). Global time is an era of time and space compression that facilitates collaboration among nations. Horowitz (1966) advocates that, "If aid from rich countries to low-income countries is to be decisive, the rich countries must pour into the low-income countries a much greater flow of men, materials and skills. They must provide more of their aid on easy terms" (7). His statement sounds laudable, but the disturbing factor which this study questions, is whether binaries have been eclipsed such that interconnectedness and interdependency can promote free exchange for egalitarian society. Katiyo writes thus: Boss Newton's farm was very big. He grew tobacco and maize, but mainly tobacco. He also reared dairy cattle, sheep and chickens. He employed many people. Every day, except Saturdays, the head foreman used to sound reveille two hours, or maybe three hours before sunrise…. (52) Boss Newton is a representation of foreign investors who invests financial capital in third world societies. He recruits natives to work for him. He owns farms, shops and schools, thereby centralizing wealth as the natives who earn meager incomes, working for him, use the income to buy from his shops and to send their children in his schools. The natives cannot make personal investments because, " … their wages were not enough to buy what they wanted… they were given credits which were four years old, others were there to pay bicycle credits and start another" (52). The credits they take keep them constantly dependent and "the farm school was only good enough to produce more farm labourer" (53 This paper which has exhibited the importance of the soil to expansion and growth has highlighted how socio-economic and political powers are secured through oppression; thereby leaving societies in chaos and stagnation. The studied has used postcolonial theory as a critical lens to reflect that the imperial process is still very visible in modern day society as seen through the globalization process. The paper discussed the importance of the soil which displayed that as a source of wealth it attracts investors and also generates conflicts. It further discussed the soil and the economy which revealed that investors invent strategies that disempowered the locals whose dependencies impede them from playing a major role in the global system. The section expresses that hard work and endurance are tracks to economic empowerment. Since it has been revealed that the soil stimulates both prosperity and poverty that reinforce binaries, the conclusion drawn here is that, the soil must be protected and revamped where necessary so as to meet up with societal needs.