Exploitative Use of Lexical Items in the Expression of Group Ideologies by the Late Ogoni Liberation Activist Ken Saro- Wiwa

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to analyze one of Ken Saro-Wiwa’s speeches made in his bid to effect justice and equity from the Federal Government of Nigeria to his oppressed people, the Ogonis of the Niger Delta region in Nigeria. The paper highlights the use of appropriate lexical items by the speaker to achieve specific aims. For instance, the lexical choice made by the speaker for the expression of group ideologies and for the expression of  the ideological orientations of the Niger Delta struggle, such as resource control, self determination and environmental pollution. The main argument of this research is that language is a useful tool that can be employed in the conception, conduct and control of social conflict and that language is a significant instrument in socio- political discourse.

Keywords: Ideology, in-group, rut-group, Resource control, self- determination.

DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/60-04

Publication date:September 30^th 2019