Hedges and Boosters as Modality Markers: An Analysis of Nigerian and American Editorials

Many studies have been carried out on the use of hedges and boosters as persuasive strategies, but little is known about their employment when texts such as editorials are compared cross culturally. This study comparatively examined the employment of modality markers to express doubt and conviction in Nigerian and American editorials. Farrokhi and Emami’s (2008) classification of hedges and boosters was employed to analyze twenty editorials selected from two Nigerian newspapers and two American newspapers. Findings reveal that both sets of editorial writers made use of hedges and boosters a lot in their writings. However, lexical verbs were not employed as boosters in the analyzed editorials. The fact that the Nigerian editorial writers as ESL writers equally made great use of hedges and boosters implies that in texts such as editorials, writers from different cultures equally employ the same linguistic devices to express doubt and conviction. &nbsp

THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE AND COLONIALISM: REASONS FOR AFRICA’S UNDERDEVELOPMENT?

It is probably an understatement to assert that Africa, the world’s second largest continent, is underdeveloped compared with other continents. Two major exogenous factors often cited for Africa’s development crisis are the so called ‘dual historical injustices’ – the Atlantic slave trade and colonialism. It is often pointed out that while the former almost completely arrested and retarded Africa’s demographical growth for more than three centuries, evoked a perennial state of acrimony and warfare and created a tense and unprecedented atmosphere of insecurity which hindered economic activities and stifled local entrepreneurship and technological drive and dislocated Africa’s socio-economic and political structures and institutions; the latter tied African countries to the apron strings of western imperial powers thereby rendering the pre-conditions necessary for socio-economic and political transformation unachievable. This paper contends that while the history of Africa’s underdevelopment may be traceable to the Atlantic slave trade and colonialism, African leaders had made enormous contributions to the continent’s underdevelopment and backwardness. The paper concludes that irresponsible and irresponsive leadership, vampirism and prodigality, corruption, lack of respect for democratic ideals, insecurity, endemic civil wars, nepotism, etc are the fundamental causes of Africa’s underdevelopment

THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE AND COLONIALISM: REASONS FOR AFRICA’S UNDERDEVELOPMENT?

It is probably an understatement to assert that Africa, the world’s second largest continent, is underdeveloped compared with other continents. Two major exogenous factors often cited for Africa’s development crisis are the so called ‘dual historical injustices’ – the Atlantic slave trade and colonialism. It is often pointed out that while the former almost completely arrested and retarded Africa’s demographical growth for more than three centuries, evoked a perennial state of acrimony and warfare and created a tense and unprecedented atmosphere of insecurity which hindered economic activities and stifled local entrepreneurship and technological drive and dislocated Africa’s socio-economic and political structures and institutions; the latter tied African countries to the apron strings of western imperial powers thereby rendering the pre-conditions necessary for socio-economic and political transformation unachievable. This paper contends that while the history of Africa’s underdevelopment may be traceable to the Atlantic slave trade and colonialism, African leaders had made enormous contributions to the continent’s underdevelopment and backwardness. The paper concludes that irresponsible and irresponsive leadership, vampirism and prodigality, corruption, lack of respect for democratic ideals, insecurity, endemic civil wars, nepotism, etc are the fundamental causes of Africa’s underdevelopment

The politics of revenue allocation and resource control in Nigeria: implications for federal stability

No doubt, one of the perennial problems which has not only defied all past attempts at permanent solution, but has also evoked high emotions on the part of all concerned is the issue of equitable revenue allocation in Nigeria. Thus, the thrust of this paper is an in-depth analysis of the politics of revenue allocation cum resource control. The paper takes a cursory look at virtually all previous attempts at arriving at equitable formula. The paper however, infers that in a deeply plural and divided society like Nigeria a polity that ‘robs Peter to pay Paul’ may eventually be both counter-productive and dysfunctional. The clarion call however is a federal system with fiscal policy that can imbue in the citizenry sense of justice, equity and fairness visà-vis revenue allocation. To do otherwise according to the findings of this paper is to jeopardize all efforts at national cohesion and integration

Project Managers\u27 Capacity-Planning Practices for Infrastructure Projects in Qatar

Infrastructure project delays and cost overrun are caused by ineffective use of organizational skills, processes, and resources by project managers in the construction industry. Cost overrun and schedule delay in Qatari infrastructure projects have had damaging effects on the national economy by way of claims and litigation, contractual disputes, delays in dependent projects, and project abandonment. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of project managers regarding how they utilize capacity-planning practices to mitigate project schedule delay and cost overrun in government-funded infrastructure projects in Qatar. This study was framed by three conceptual models developed by Gill to outline the capacity management needs within a construction company: (a) the time horizon model, (b) the individual-organization-industry levels model, and (c) the capacity development across components model. Date were collected from semistructured interviews with 8 participants, observational field notes, and archival data regarding Qatari infrastructure project managers\u27 experiences in capacity-planning practices. Thematic analysis of textual data and cross-case synthesis analysis yielded 5 conceptual categories that encompassed 15 themes. The conceptual categories were (a) resources to meet performance capacity, (b) knowledgeable and skillful staff, (c) short- and long-term planning strategy, (d) cost overrun issue, and (e) time management. Findings may be used to promote timely completion of infrastructure projects, which may benefit citizens, construction companies, and the economy of Qatar

Nigeria’s democracy: the trilemma of herdsmenism, terrorism and vampirism

Since the ‘invention’ of democracy by the Greek City States in the first half of the 5th Century B.C. and its popularisation after the American War of Independence in the 17th century, democracy has remained the most famous form of government. Indeed, today, the presence or absence of democracy in a country seems to be the ‘standard’ by which such a country is measured – while countries that practise democracy are patted on the back; those that do not are pelted with all sorts of negative descriptions and categorisations. This outward approval or disapproval has taken centre stage to the extent that little or no attention is paid to the analysis of the content and context of a country’s democracy. Yet, this is important for at least three reasons: one, it will help to show how people in the sidelines in a specific geo-polity perceive democracy. Two, it will most probably reveal that not all forms of government operating in the garb of a constitution properly qualify as democracy. Three, and perhaps most important, a study of the content and context of a country’s democracy would reveal the type of democracy being practised by it – whether it is surface democracy, pseudo- or quasi-democracy or the rule by many for many. This study examines the content and context of Nigeria’s democracy with specific reference to its ‘trilemma’ and argues that Nigeria’s democracy is assailed by three ‘isms’. The study concludes that Nigeria’s brand of democracy is a system which enables rule by the few for the few and that this has drained many Nigerians of psychic energy and socio-economic strength.Keywords: Nigeria, democracy, Africa, vampirism, Boko Haram, herdsme

Exploring volunteer tourism as a panacea for sustainable poverty alleviation in Nigeria

One of the most intractable menaces that humanity has been battling with several decades ago is poverty. There have been a general consensus about the pervasiveness of poverty and its grave consequences on the well-being of citizens of developing (Nigeria) and least developed nations. Notwithstanding the enormity of human, material and natural resources that nature has endowed in the country which should have been effectively and prudently channeled to alleviate the poverty situation of its citizenry. The said resources have over the years not been properly harnessed and or prudently utilized for societal development. One of the ways to address this cankerworm is economic diversification from crude oil reliance to new areas such as volunteer tourism or voluntourism. This paper examine efforts at poverty alleviation strategies by the government of Nigeria and realized that the efforts has not yielded positive results because the citizenry are still wallowing in abject poverty, inadequate social infrastructure, insecurity, unemployment amongst others as an offspring of poverty. This assertion prompted this study and recommendations among other the utilization of voluntourism that are characterized with financial assistance, knowledge transfer, international connection, integrated national endowment via restoration of environment through skill acquisitions, education, cultural immersion, wealth creation and equitable distribution and economic development. We then recommend that volunteer tourism may be adopted as the main antidote for sustainable poverty alleviation if the opportunity is thoroughly harnessed

The Politics of Conflict and Internal Displacement: An Assessment of the Internal and External causes of The Liberian Civil War

The perennial status of peace and conflict dialogue in Africa has been very consistent. There is hardly any African States today that is not ridden with one form of internal conflict or the other. Some actions and inactions still have the possibility of generating more conflict in Africa. The possible missing link is that most African States (the leaders and the led) have not learnt the value of learning from history especially the causes and the effects of the Liberian Civil War on its economy, politics, social and citizenry. The Liberian Civil War, which was one of Africa's bloodiest, claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Liberians and further displaced a million others into refugee camps in neighboring countries. Thus, this paper takes a critical look at the incidents of the Liberian Civil War with the intention of critically reflecting on both the internal and the external causes of the war and the countless number of internally displaced people. The paper, dwelling on extensive secondary data, exposes some hidden trajectory to the historical Liberian Civil War with the intention of providing the rest of the African States enough “food for thought” and also provide a comprehensive understanding of the causes and the background of displacement in Liberi

Media Use and Perceived Academic Performance of Students in Public Universities in Osun State

This study investigated media use and perceived academic performance of students in public universities in Osun State. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. The population consists of 38,385 students of public institutions with a sample size of 381 students determined through the Raosoft sample size determinant. Multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select students in the selected institutions in the state. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. A reliability coefficient value for each variable in this study was recorded as follows; Media Use (MU) = 0.73; Perceived Academic Performance (PAP) = 0.81. Findings revealed that MU had a significant influence on the measures of PAP; self efficacy R2 = 0.124, F(1,343)= 39.753, p= 0.000, Learning Behaviour R2 = 0.104, F(1,343)= 39.753, p= 0.000. This study concluded that MU significantly influences PAP. The study recommended that students are to employ the right use of media as it will improve and aid their academic goals at all times