Papers for Volume 5, No.1
Papers for Volume 5, No.1
OGBAZULUOBODO Volume 5, No. 1 Preliminary Pages
DEMOCRATIC CULTURE, RULE OF LAW AND DESECRATION OF THE ALTER OF NATIONHOOD IN AFRICA
Aloysius-Michaels Okolie
INCLUSION OF THE SPECIAL NEEDS POPULACE: A PANACEA FOR GOOD DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN THE AFRICAN CONTINENT
Professor Gaji Fatima Dantata
THE UNMINED RESOURCE IN EMERGING DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA – WITH EMPHASIS ON NIGERIA
Barr. Mrs. Nwanneka C. Okolo
ANALYSIS OF EXPERIENTIAL MEANING IN GUBERNATORIAL ELECTORAL MANIFESTO BY SOLUDO, 2021
Abstract
This paper is a linguistic study of experiential ideational meanings of the 2021
campaign speech of the Anambra governor elect, Prof. Charles Soludo. The aim
of this study is geared towards investigating the representation of issues that
border on the political discourse of Governor Soludo, during his campaign era,
anchoring on Halliday's systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) Theory of 1960s.
The study offers explanations for the lexico-grammatical choices the Soludo
used and how they are analyzed to portray the intended meaning of his
Manifesto. Qualitative method of data analysis was applied for data analysis.
Fifty (50) excerpts that depict Soludo's declaration of intentions were
purposively drawn from the speech. Textual data were analyzed based on the
aim/objectives of the study and in line with the theoretical framework adopted.
With focus on the lexico-grammatical feature of transitivity, the study reveals
that the speaker made more use of wordings of material, mental, relational,
and existential processes to express his intent through arousing, convincing,
persuading and sustaining the keen interest of voters to achieve his political
aim. The study recommends that further investigations should focus on the
interpersonal and textual meanings of the same selected excerpts to help in
locating the kernel meaning enclosed within.
Keywords: Experiential meaning, Ideational meaning, transitivity, lexico-
grammatical features, Systemic Functional Linguistics.
Nweke, Lucy Chinwe & Dr. Okeke, Fidelia A.
INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) AND THE CONUNDRUM OF BVAS IN 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA
Abstract
In contemporary democracies, electoral integrity is the mechanism for
accountability and good governance. The build up to the 2023 general elections
was characterized by promises of fairness and transparency that gave the
citizens and global community high hopes that there would be a credible
electoral process in the country. This was accentuated by signing of the 2022
Electoral Act into law. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
introduced the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for 2023
general elections as a game changer to curb electoral malpractices experienced
in previous elections. However, there were obvious indications that INEC
negated its own rules and guidelines in the conduct of the 2023 elections with
glaring electoral dishonesty and injustice. The worrisome scenario seems to
have daunted the much-touted efficacy of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation
System (BVAS) and thus undermined electoral process in the country.
Therefore, this paper examined Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) and the Conundrum of BVAS in 2023 General Elections in Nigeria. The
study employed secondary sources and qualitative discourse analysis anchored
on technological determinism theory, as its framework of analysis. The paper
posits that electronic transmission was introduced to enhance the transparency
and integrity of the electoral processes but its negation by INEC amounts to
violation of its own rules and guidelines. The failure to post the results of the
2023 presidential election from the polling units on the INEC Result Viewing
Portal (IReV) as promised by the electoral umpire as soon as the polls closed,
questions the integrity of INEC and depicts a possible collusion in electoral
fraud by the umpire. The study found that INEC refusal to use the BVAS to transmit results in controlling electoral malpractices will increase the incidences
of voter apathy, trust deficit and democratic downturn in future elections. The
paper recommends that innovation should be fully embraced and e-voting be
incorporated into Nigeria's electoral system as a panacea for electoral frauds.
Keywords: BVAS, Election, Electoral Process, INEC, Technology.
Nebeife, Chigozie Joseph
THE RULE OF LAW IN CHINUA ACHEBE'S ANTHILLS OF THE SAVANNAH
Abstract
The Rule of Law is a concept that describes the supreme authority of the law
over government action and individual behaviour. It corresponds to a situation
where both the government and individuals are bound by the law and comply
with it. The antithesis is arbitrary rule which is what holds in Anthills of the
Savannah. The activities of General Sam, Major Ossai, the army, the secret
police and some cabinet members manifest arbitrary use of power. Abuse of
power is emblematic in General Sam's mode of governance which manifests in
torture, intimidation, threats and brutal killings. He inflicts suffering on the
people he rules. This paper investigates Anthills of the Savannah as a
representation of misrule through the application of A. V. Dicey's concept of the
rule of law. This study adopts analytical design, and utilizes close reading
technique to establish that the rule of law has been set aside in Kangan, and is a
replica of the Nigerian politics and governance.
Keywords: the rule of law, arbitrary, Anthills of the Savannah, supreme
authority, government.
Dorothy Ogochukwu Eze
SATIRIC DIMENSIONS OF POWER PLAY IN WOLE SOYINKA'S A PLAY OF GIANTS
Abstract
Our society of today has come a long way in suffering certain ills, vices and
malpractices, which have given rise to violations of standards, ethics, values,
norms and codes of conducts, acceptable to all in the society. These aspects of
moral decadence and bankruptcy have got to such levels that indiscipline and
corruption have become the bane of those in leadership positions. Owing to
these adverse situations, this paper sets out to investigate the satiric
dimensions of power play in government circles as explored in Wole Soyinka's A
Play of Giants. Satire being a literary device in which the foibles, follies or vices
of a person, mankind or an institution are held up to ridicule and scorn, and with
the intention of correcting, this study looked into how the playwright employed
these satiric devices to expose the negative attitudes of the leaders to public
ridicule. The theoretical framework adopted is psychoanalysis. The play is
subjected to textual analysis with data from diverse opinions and studies of
scholars in journals, library texts and the internet. It was discovered that
Soyinka ridiculed the evils of dictatorship, tyranny and oppression, suppression
and acts of indiscipline among political leaders.
Keywords: Power, Oppression, Tyranny, Satire, Caricature, Corruption.
Chukwudi Samuel Ezennadiri
A LINGUISTIC REFLECTION OF THE METAPHORICAL MEANING OF DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA
Abstract
Nigeria is known as a country that practices democracy. However, certain
occurrences during the 2023 general election season question the authenticity
of the country's democratic state. The study, therefore, aimed to investigate
speeches made by prominent Nigerian politicians and stakeholders to discover
if the country practices true democracy. Data for the study were extracted from
ten politically related statements made by political, traditional, and religious
leaders towards the 2023 Nigerian general election. The statements were
sourced in Nigerian national dailies. The data were subjected to qualitative
analysis, using the Conceptual Metaphor Theory by Lakoff and Johnson as the
theoretical leaning. This theory postulates that metaphors exist in every
communication event and help the audience to understand what is
communicated. Hence, this theory formed the framework for analysing the
data to discover the meanings communicated in them. Findings revealed that
the statements depicted democracy as a government instituted by the people,
a government instituted by a divine force, and the government for the elites. As
a result, it is concluded that Nigeria is yet to practice true democracy and,
hence, recommendations were made towards encouraging political education
and awareness in the country.
Keywords: democracy in Nigeria, language use, conceptual metaphor, context.
Solomon Onovwiona & Fidelia Azuka Okeke PhD
EXPLORATION OF CHILD LABOUR IN ELNATHAN JOHN'S BORN ON A TUESDAY
Abstract
An art work elicits critical engagements based on the perception of the
researcher. Elnathan John's Born on a Tuesday has engaged critics from the
perspectives of religious fundamentalism, postcolonial anarchy and the
bildungsroman, among others. Distinctively, the present study subjects the text
to the discourse of child labour. The interpretation is drawn from the
undesirable realities surrounding the chief character Dantala and other
Almajirai in the work. The children are exposed to danger consequent upon
neglect by their parents and society. The incidents in the text implicate the
problem of manipulation and victimisation of children whose vulnerability leads
to the series of abuses they undergo in their lives. Victims of such social crisis
often end up in mental and physical agony, have no access to schooling and in
some cases meet Psychoanalysis is applied as the analytical theory for the
study. The adoption of the theory is based on its appropriateness to the
traumatic experiences suffered by Dantala and other children because of the
social crises. The result from this research shows that child labour emanates
from negligence of parents or guardians, bad governance, religious extremism
and poverty; thereby reducing children's chances of harnessing their full
potential.
Keywords: Child Labour, Trauma, Almajirai, Vulnerability, Indoctrination,
Exploitation, Abuse.
Somtochukwu J. Metu, Godstime Eze & Chiamaka Chikelu
YOUTHS AND ELECTORAL VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF ABUBAKAR IBRAHIM’S SEASON OF CRIMSON BLOSSOM
Abstract
Abubakar Adam Ibrahim's debut novel, Season of Crimson Blossom (2015) has
been read by scholars as a text on gender discrimination and female
subjugation, quest for survival, lust and its attendant sexual escapades, cultural
limitations, Oedipus complex, rejection, psychosis, pain, corrupt political
structure and so on. While the aforementioned interpretations of this text are
insightful, however, the flagrant manipulation of the youths by political office
holders to achieve their selfish gains in the text is yet to get adequate scholarly
attention. Relying on the political culture theory as the tool with which the
analysis of the text will be made, the paper adopts a qualitative approach as its
research methodology. This paper examines the untoward acts of political
office holders who in their selfish, dishonest and deceitful manners, manipulate
the minds of the young population, to remain as tools in their hands in settling
scores between themselves and their political opponents. Consequently,
findings from this study reveal that there is a specific link between the role of
education in liberating the minds of the youth from wanton juvenile activities
and the conscious effort of the political class to retain these youths in illiteracy
and ignorance. This is to continually exert their will on the majority of the
masses who voted them into power.
Keywords: Youths, Electoral Violence, Education, Political Manipulation,
Corruption.
Dr. Ifeoma Cassandra Nebeife
DEMOCRACY AT CROSSROADS: POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN CHINUA ACHEBE'S A MAN OF THE PEOPLE
Abstract
This paper examines some of the follies and vices prevalent in the African
political systems as portrayed in Chinua Achebe's A Man of the People. The
novel mirrors the social inequalities, exploitation, corruption, materialism and
oppression of the masses that have been the bane of African leaders since
independence from the colonial masters. The novel portrays the hypocrisy of
African political leaders who make to the masses empty promises they know
that they will not fulfill once they get elected into office. Rather, selfishness,
squander mania, misappropriation of scarce resources, suppression of dissent
voices, rigging of elections, thuggery to win by all means becomes the order of
the day. Thus, the masses are schemed out in the process of governance by the
greedy and unpatriotic political class. Marxist theories form the framework for
the study; while data emanated from both primary and secondary sources. The
novel itself, which is the primary sources of data, is subjected to critical analysis;
while journals, library texts and online extracts from the secondary sources of
data. The researchers advocate that political leaders should be altruistic, honest
and dedicated so that the society will be a better one.
Keywords: Democracy, Corruption, Politics, Oppression, Squander mania
Nwafor, John Onyema
A 21ST CENTURY MODEL FOR SHAPING GLOBAL DEMOCRACY
Abstract
Globally, democracy is under attack and in retreat. Economic crisis, global
pandemic, and climate disaster raise questions about the efficacy of democracy
and democratic values as guides for political and economic life. There are
increasing global disparities of wealth between rich and poor in democratic and
nominally democratic states and a growing lack of social mobility. The
catastrophic effects of the global COVID pandemic on health, economy, and
social solidarity are another global fact of life. The worsening effects of climate
change-driven floods, droughts, and crop failure raise questions about the value
of democracy. We face common and unavoidable global challenges. These are
toxic brews driven by worsening climate change that will lead not just to natural
disasters but also to crop failure, epidemics, mass migration of the desperate,
failed states, and resource wars. This is combined with deepening inequality as
the rich get richer. This is a central feature of 21st century capitalism, where
labor is systematically devalued in the world of high-tech production and
trading in information. Traditional social democratic measures may work well in
Scandinavia, but even there they are challenged by the underlying global social,
economic, and ecological imperatives that give rise to anti-democratic and anti-
immigrant populism. The challenge is to find ways to share the social product
fairly and justly among all in a political economy with a multitude of
increasingly casual and insecure workers ruled by a handful of billionaire
owners. This is a global challenge, not simply for wealthy social democracies.
The challenge to democracy is global and must entail global convergence on
sustainable ecological and just norms for all.
Keywords: Democracy, Constitution, Century, Economy and Health
Igwe, Chinaza Uzoamaka
IMPACT OF INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES ON CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN YOBE STATE: IMPLICATIONS FOR APPLIED PEACE LINGUISTICS IN FRAGILE SETTINGS
Abstract
The study attempts to establish the role of an indigenous language (Hausa) in
conflict management in Yobe State and the implication to applied peace
linguistics. In order to achieve this, the study conducted a participatory
observation during the community dialogue sessions conducted in Yobe State
by the British Council Managing Conflict in Nigeria Programme in 2022 in
respect of assuring community acceptance of the reintegration of repentant
insurgent into their communities. In addition, in 2023, the study conducted
focus group discussions with some of the persons that participated in the 2022
dialogue in three local government areas to ascertain how the use of Hausa
language enhanced the outcome of the community dialogue. It was found that
Hausa language contributed in persuading the communities to accept the
proposal, engendered active participation and quick absorption of the message,
bred the choice of words, negotiation of meaning and concession as well as
facilitated the respect for the worth and dignity of the participants during then
dialogue session. This study concludes, that once indigenous language users in
fragile states serve as communicative humanizers and uses it in such a way that
indicates empathy for fellow interlocutors, dignify dialogue and prioritize
positivizers; it will engender active participation, choice of words, negotiation of
meaning and concession, and respect for the worth and dignity of the
participants during the dialogue sessions leading to the resolution of the
conflict in question.