Role played by the African culture towards corruption

Corruption seems to be rife within the senior service, and, indeed, within the colonial bureaucracy as a whole. It is commonly assumed that bribery is something everyone does, both in white and black circles. There are several attempts to bribe Obi before he actually accepts it. The fact that Achebe opens his novel with the scene of Obi's trial reinforces the centrality of the issue. What is tragic, though, is that Obi did hold out for much longer than most, and his trial is practically a show trial since he is clearly a scapegoat and many, many others are guilty of bribes. The indignation rings rather false, as Achebe suggests. Obi's views on younger civil servants replacing older ones does not seem to hold up, as he himself obviates the theory. Achebe does not condemn Obi as much for this as his other traits, however, and seems to suggest that it was almost inevitable given the deleterious effects of colonialism.