Covenant Journal of Language Studies

Between Sociopolitical Nightmare and Nativitist Longing: Ambivalence of the Vernacular Cosmopolitan in Noviolet Bulawayo’s We Need New Names

Dr. Nnaemeka Ezema — 2024-10-31

Drawing from NoViolet Bulawayo’s pungent depiction of the horrid state of an African state in We Need New Names this paper argues that the modern African states constitute a sociopolitical nightmare that prompts exilic impulses in their citizens. The paper contends the point that the novel simply aims to satisfy an African voyeuristic appeal of the Western audience as argued by some critics. Against a vast growing literary production that focuses on the global cosmopolitans of African descent often referred to as Afropolitans, Bulawayo portrays a different category of migrant Africans that reflects Homi Bhabha’s term, Vernacular Cosmopolitans. This paper, therefore, examines how the socio-political crisis necessitated by leadership failure and various forms of external interferences in modern African states constitutes foreboding reflexes against the African homeland. It is observed that while the experience in the homeland prompts exilic desires, challenges of integration into the mainstream culture and nostalgic yearnings instigate a longing for the homeland. Hence, the characters form an ambivalent disposition towards global mobility.

Proverbs in Igbo Discourse

Michael Uyanne — 2024-10-31

In contemporary African societies, proverbs are repositories of values in a constantly evolving world through its meta-discourser status in human development. Proverbs are used in different contexts to share experiences within the psycho-social domain which affects diverse identities, ideologies and social standings. Their role is therefore functional in reflecting human peculiarities and thoughts. This paper looks at meta-communication through proverbs in the context of their meta-functional expressiveness. It focuses on their intellectual content, the wisdom they reflect, and the understanding they engender culturally when deployed in conversations. Relevance theory is used in data analysis. The theory prioritizes intention in human communication. Two hundred and fifty Igbo proverbs were purposively collected from which twenty-five were randomly selected for analysis. The study is descriptive and qualitative. Findings show that proverbs reflect ancient wisdom, philosophies and communal ideas and serve as conscience markers in society.

Representation of “Us” and “Them” in Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 Presidential Declaration Speech

Felix Amale — 2023-05-17

Language is a vehicle used in expressing one’s ideology, especially when it comes to telling people to agree with your viewpoints. Politicians across the world do this and Nigeria is not an exception. There is a myriad of studies on the ideological representation of “Us” and “Them” in political, protest, conflict and religious discourses. There is, however, need for the investigation of representation of “Us” and “Them” in select presidential interests declaration leading to the 2023 general elections. This study was, therefore, designed to investigate representation of “Us” and “Them” in Atiku Abubakar’s presidential declaration speech of March 23, 2022 (downloaded from the website of Business Day). Van Dijk’s (1998) notion of ‘ideological square’ served as theoretical anchorage for the study. The data were subjected to critical discourse analysis and revealed that Atiku Abubakar represented his party (PDP), his supporters and himself positively through “Us”, while “Them” was used to represent negatively the APC administration and their supporters who seem to be the major contenders with PDP in the 2023 presidential elections.