Scholarly Works
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Item Double wounds: ecologies of trauma in Kivoshi Shigematsu’s “to next spring- Obon” and Osahon Ize- lyamu’s “more sea than tar”(2021) Ajibola, O.Literature across cultures and nationalities has often taken a significant stance with ecoadvocacy. This study examines two short stories’ representation of cultural trauma exacerbated by the despoliation of the environment. Japanese Kivoshi Shigematsu’s “To Next Spring-Obon” and Nigerian Osahon Ize-Iyamu’s “More Sea Than Tar”, are chosen for their thematic convergence and topicality. Both stories are comparatively engaged through the trauma theory and ecocriticism, to investigate the stories’ recreation of personal as well as collective suffering tangled up with the larger tragedies occasioned by industrialization, modernity and most of all, environmental crises. The texts depict the environment and man as subjects that occupy oscillating positions between perpetrator and victim. The activities of man wound the environment and the environment responds by afflicting man, thereby causing traumatic disruptions that affect not just the present but the past and the future. In both texts, nature is a tower and a threat and man, a culprit cum casualty. In the aftermath of ecological catastrophes - the 3/11 in Shigematsu’s “To Next Spring- Obon” and a fictional tsunami in Ize-Iyamu’s “More Sea Than Tar”, man suffers spiritual and social degeneration, whose scars both stories serve to bear witness to.Item Sickness as a metaphor in Tony Marinho’s the epidemic(Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 2017) Atolagbe, O.Literature mirrors the complexities that attend life and living. Literary artists over time bend literature into a tool for education and entertainment, advocacy and activism. Tony Marinho’s The Epidemic, an adaptation of Albert Camus’ The Plague, belongs to a field generally regarded as Literature and Medicine, a burgeoning field dedicated to critical engagements with the works of physician-writers. The narrative essentially reconstructs bioethics in a questionably ethical space like Nigeria, and the wanton destruction suffered by the masses because of the insensitivity of the rulers to the plight of the ruled. This paper examines Marinho’s The Epidemic, using aspects of the Postcolonial theory that account for the causes and consequences of colonialism and post-colonialism, and aspects of Freudian Psychoanalysis which account for post-traumatic stress disorders and psychosocial conflicts that result from traumatic experiences. The paper highlights the hellish conditions faced by more than half of the nation’s population: epidemics, maternal and child mortality, malnutrition, inaccessible healthcare services, and many others. The world displayed in the text is one infected and infested with pain and poverty, abuse and misery, denial and denigration. It underlines the fact that the pangs of poverty affect the health institutions much more than accounts portray. Marinho’s art in The Epidemic inverts roles such that victors become victims and even the healthy dine with sickness; sickness thus becomes a metaphor for economic, mental, spiritual, social and cultural poverty. The paper advocates collaborative strategies, interdisciplinary approaches and resourceful researches as the ultimate remedy that would usher in life and wholeness in Nigeria, and in Africa at large.Item And trauma became flesh: terrorism, violence and trauma in Elnathan John’s born on a Tuesday and Helon Habila’s the Chibok girls(2018) Ajibola, O.Literature and terrorism presents an interesting burgeoning field of discourse, especially in the literary and critical enterprise of the post- 9/11 years. This study explores the intersection of terrorism, violence and trauma in Elnathan John’s Born on a Tuesday and Helon Habila’s The Chibok Girls. It applies theoretical and critical insights from the trauma theory to the reading of the two purposively selected texts- John’s Born on a Tuesday and Habila’s The Chibok Girls. The writers’ depiction of the complex nuances of pain, terror, conflict and survival pangs experienced by Dantata, Banda, the Chibok Girls, and the entire northern region in Nigeria, bear witness to the physical, psychological, sociocultural, spiritual, environmental and insidious traumas inflicted upon individuals as well as the community. On the personal and collective levels, trauma has become flesh, and made its dwelling among the populace. Through the employment of such tropes and motifs as repetition compulsion, the trauma trope, the shattering trope, escapism, and the death drive, John and Habila unearth the structures that allow for the perpetuation of trauma and the mechanisms that entrench trauma across the northern Nigeria. John’s Born on a Tuesday and Habila’s The Chibok Girls attest to how violent conflicts and religious extremism interweave in a complex traumatizing network that continues to sear the Nigerian sociocultural and political space.Item ncessant Collapse of Buildings in Nigeria: The Possible Role of the Use of Inappropriate Cement Grade/Strength Class(2014) Agbede O.O; Ajagbe.W OThe use of low quality concrete has been identified as one of the main causes of the incessant collapse of buildings in Nigeria. Emphasis has been on the use of poor quality aggregates, poor workmanship and the use of lean concrete mix with low cement quantity as the reasons for the low quality of concrete used for building construction in Nigeria. Surveys conducted revealed that in the construction of most privately owned buildings where concrete trial mixes and concrete compressive strength quality assurance tests are not conducted, concretes used for building constructions are produced using the 1:2:4 mix ratio irrespective of the cement grade/strength class. In this paper, the possible role of the use of inappropriate cement grade/strength class as a cause of the incessant collapse of building in Nigeria is investigated. Investigation revealed that the compressive strengths of concrete cubes produced with Portland-limestone cement grade 32.5 using 1:2:4 and 1:1.5:3 mix ratios are less than the 25MPa and 30MPa cube strengths generally recommended for building superstructures and foundations respectively. Conversely, the compressive strengths of concrete cubes produced with Portland-limestone cement grade 42.5 using 1:2:4 and 1:1.5:3 mix ratios exceed the 25MPa and 30MPa generally recommended for building superstructures and foundations respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that the use of inappropriate cement grade (Portland-limestone cement grade 32.5), particularly for the construction of building foundations is a potential cause of the incessant collapse of buildings in Nigeria. It is recommended that the Standards Organisation of Nigeria should embark on creating awareness for Nigerians, particularly, the home owners and the roadside craftsmen that Portland-limestone cement grade 32.5 should not be used for the construction of building load-carrying members, particularly, building foundations in order to reduce the incessant incidence of collapsed building.Item The Defiance of Postproverbials in 9ice and Asa’s Petepete(Journal of the English Language Teachers Association of Nigeria, JELTAN, 2022) Aguoru, D.Proverbs are the origin of postproverbial, albeit there is a purposeful misinterpretation of their meaning as time goes on and humour develops. The Yoruba communication system relies heavily on proverbs, which are an integral aspect of postproverbial meanings. When it is culturally appropriate, proverbs are frequently employed by adults, while younger people are expected to speak modestly and refrain from using proverbs when speaking with seniors. The created postproverbials, which are well-liked and employed by people of all ages and are utilised without any set rules, are used as "catchphrases" to lampoon events or establish meaning in circumstances, particularly among individuals who have a common experience. The postproverbials in Petepete lyrics, are examined in relation to the neo-Yoruba experience. Purposive random sampling is engaged in the selection of the lyrics being part of the qualitative research approach employed. The proverbs in Petepete are employed as prefixes to their postproverbial forms, causing the original proverbs to be remixed in communication systems, in language use and new media such as in memes and gifs. The deviation agreement in the Yoruba communication system's postproverbial comprehension is the concern of this paper.Item Bridging the gap between the sciences and the humanities in nigeria: literature and the wale okediran example(2022) Aguoru, D.The dichotomy between the sciences and the humanities has continued to be a concern, particularly in the 21st Century. However, conscious and consistent efforts are being made globally at bridging the gap through the promotion of interaction and multidisciplinary approach to issues. Contemporary studies on these have not only engaged from diverse theoretical positions but have made specific interventions in reconstructing the link that will synergise both in the new world order. This study juxtaposes these realities vis -a-vis the purpose and significance of the sciences and the humanities as separate enterprises, and when melded together as a single enterprise. Taking bearing from the medical practices of Sigmund Freud, his interpretations and diagnostic approach to literature; this paper examines the professional experience of Wale Okediran and his literary writings. Okediran, a Nigerian physician, writer and politician, through his work, social and political interaction further ennobles the fusion of the sciences and the humanities in being able to conscientise and positively influence his society.Item Dreams as reinforcing stimulus in emily jane bronte’s gothic romance(Ife Centre for Psychological Studies, Nigeria, 2022) Aguoru, D.Dreams and interpretation of dreams are elements that have been subjected to psychological, neuroscientific and religious examination. Dreaming, a common experience, is shared by mankind irrespective of race, gender or social indices and has been identified even in species amongst mammals. This study is concerned with the significance of dreams as reinforcing stimuli in literary texts. It explores the category of dreams that are yet to be dreamt but are explored as reinforcing stimuli in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. These dreams which are mental creations of creative writers are attributed to characters invented for the purpose o f a story or a narrative technique. Brontes engagement of the dream concept and dream interpretation in constructing the plot, the structure and characterisation in Wuthering Heights is also a concern of this paper. It is observed that they embody dominant literary and archetypal elements with universal appeal. Dream visions in Emily Bronte's gothic romance portray hidden psychological and emotional patterns of individuals which recur while dreaming. Taking bearingfrom Freudian perspectives, dream analysis in literary texts reveals depths of buried memories in a manner that they can be explicated.Item Portrayal of traditional psychotherapeutic context in j. p. clark's song of a goat(The National Association for the Study of Religions and Education (NASRED), Nigeria., 2022) Aguoru, D.Traditional medicine, in its rea context, is the totality o f the ancient manner and means o f restoring, preserving and protecting health. The objective is to sustain practices t at promote the wellbeing o f the people particularly, before the advent o f modem medicine . The approaches to the sustenance o f health as a social welfare paclcage for peoples are adapted from and to traditiona, religious beliefs and values o f each community, which are generationally transferred. Traditional medicine offers diverse areas o f specialisation which include herbal medicine, midwifery, and treatment o f infertility, mental healing and somatic therapy. This paper therefore unjacks the traditional psychotherapeutic context portrayed in J.P Clark's Song o f a Goat. Through descriptive qualitative research design and instrumentalities o f combination o f both traditional psychotherapy and behaviour therapy, the paper underscores the roles a traditional psychother pist plays among the Urhobo and Izon peoples ofN iger Delta, on family matters and the responses o f the clients portrayed under psycho-social a id cultural contexts. These foreground existing psychotherapeutic forms, peculiarly the systemic which comprises of: counselling psychology, marriage and family therapy and body psychotherapy: exercise, massage and sexuality. The symptoms portrayed in the cases examined in this study, chiefly on family therapeutic discourse, further reinforce the reality o f the diagnosis of disorders; defences and outrage ii particular and it’s rippling effectItem National Character and the Narrative of Self-Image in Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom and Obasanjo’s My Watch.(2022) Aguoru, D.Building on the view of biographical writing as a cultural practice and expression, this article adopts identity and narrative theories to discuss the interconnection between national character and identity construction in political autobiographies. It used Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom [LWF] (1994) and Obasanjo’s My Watch [MW] (2014) as primary texts. It identifies prejudice against black South Africans as the national character in LWF and postcolonial political disillusionment in Nigeria as that of MW. It further demonstrates how the personalities of Mandela and Obasanjo are rooted in role-based identity and the respective saliences that activate this identity type. Additionally, it discusses the modes of narration in the two texts. The article concludes that national character is a socio-cultural and psychological indicator that influences identity construction in political autobiographies.Item From Alarm jo to Oniduro: Stand-up Comedy as a Neo-Cultural Expression in Nigeria(2022) Aguoru, D.Comedy (Awada), a treasured genre among the itinerant (Alarinjo) theatre of the Yoruba, has become a dominant influence on diverse performances in Nigeria. Indeed, it could be argued that contemporary Nigerian stand-up comedy has been largely influenced by the indigenous Alarinjo tradition of the Yoruba, which harks back to the turn of the 21st century. Building on Alarinjo as a dominant precursor, the Nigerian stand-up comedy platform, in the last two decades has integrated ethnic, linguistic and religious affiliations to become a bastion of recreation transcending the boundaries of the nation-state. Phenomenal though it has been, researchers have hardly traced Nigerian stand-up comedy from its Alarinjo antecedents, it being a dominant source and influence, to its eclectic contemporary state. Therefore, this study, through a neo-cultural lens, examines the development from Awada/Alarinjo to Stand-up comedy in Nigeria; with a view to providing a credible understanding of the origin, influences, trends, motifs and forms of the fledgling industry. While acknowledging the complexities inherent in empiricism and positivism, the paper charts a genealogical argument for Nigerian stand-up comedy beginning with the performances of unnamed palace satiric entertainers which are traceable to almost every ethnic group in Nigeria, the diverse comic performances inherent in mask dramaturgy, through the Alc-ritualizcd’ itinerant troupes among the Yoruba. It connects this with the professional travelling theatre of the Ogunde Tradition that brought the traditional theatres of Nigeria, the art of Moses Olaiya, and Gbenga Adeboye, the precursor of Yoruba and indeed contemporary stand-up comedy in Nigeria into limelight. Linking these with aspects of the art of Alii Baba, Gbenga Adeyinka I, Julius Agwu, Basket Mouth, Gandoki, De Don Klint de Drunk and Mohammed Danjuma among others, stand-up comedy-as a contemporary art- is purposively interrogated. Thus, the paper chronicles the sociological, literary and multicultural metamorphosis of this theatrical and comical form.