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Journal of Linguistics, Language and Culture, Vol. 1 No.2, 2014 Journal of Linguistics, Language and Culture, Vol. 1 no.2, 2014 A pragmatic exploration of Orji Uzor Kalu’s apology to Abians Chris U. Agbedo, Maria I. Obadan & Bosco Okolo-Obi In pragmatics, we study meanings which transcend beyond the surface structure of a given speech act i.e. meanings drawn from context and not just structure. In doing so, we view every speech act, whether written or spoken as comprising of locutionary act, illocutionary act and perlocutionary act (Austin’s speech act theory). Following these laid down parameters, certain speech act carries certain illocutionary force, which is adjudged felicitious or infelicitious depending on whether the illocutionary act resulting thereof meets the felicity conditions as well as conforms to the four maxims as stipulated by the cooperative principles. In a discourse situation, the analyst seeks to ascertain the felicity or otherwise of a given speech act based on previous background knowledge. On February 6, 2013 in an interview with the daily sun, the former governor of Abia state Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu apologized to the people of Abia state for “installing” the present governor Theodore .A. Orji who from all development indicators have succeeded only in further under development of the state. Thus our goal in this study is to critically examine the above speech act using the theoretical frameworks stated, with a view to determine if it fulfils the four basic Gricean cooperative principle and also to determine its felicitious status. From both textual and contextual analysis, certain conclusions were drawn on the future of democracy in the country. Background Chief Orji Uzor Kalu was the governor of Abia State, Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 and his word was law in his home state, Abia. His popularity even went beyond the shores of the state. In the neighbouring state of Imo, Kalu was also highly honoured. This explained the Progressive People’s Alliance’s (PPA) ability to win the governorship elections in these two states after he left the Peoples Democratic Party. He did this shortly before the conduct of the general elections in 2007. Realising the animosity against his desire to contest the 1 Journal of Linguistics, Language and Culture, Vol. 1 no.2, 2014 presidential election in the PDP, Kalu moved out of the party to form his own political party, the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA). He moved with the entire members of the party in his state. During his time in office, Orji Kalu worked very closely, with the man who saw him into office by virtue of being the independent national electoral commission (INEC) chairman, Abia state. This man was none other but T.A. Orji, who the then governor Orji kalu promptly elevated to the position of his principal secretary government house and chief of staff to the governor. This was the beginning of the relationship between Orji Uzor Kalu and T.A. Orji, where the former was the godfather and the later a very loyal godson. Before we continue with the events that led to the climax of the breakup of such “wonderful” relationship between father and son, we will have to digress a little to enable us understand the nature of the government that was staged as “democracy” in Nigeria in 1999. As cited by Agbedo (2012), the emergence of Obasanjo as the first democratic president in Nigeria, was nothing more than the handiwork of IBB and some of his associates in PDP, with a view to perpetually remain in power even after a change from military to democratic government. Best captured in the view of late music icon, Fela Kuti, it was just a “paddy-paddy and arrangy government” in totality. The military handed over to either ex-military men or friends of the military. Not just at federal level, same transpired even at the grassroots. It was this form of government that saw Orji Uzor Kalu into Abia state government house as their first democratically elected governor. Back in Abia state, the relationship between the two Orji’s continued to foster to the extent that T.A. Orji became the governor’s most trusted ally (even above the governor’s brother who was in the state house of representatives). It was alleged that all the looting that was carried out during 1999-2007 in the state was done with the aid of Theodore Orji on behalf of the governor. It was therefore no surprise in February 2007(published in The Nation March 3, 2007) when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought up charges against Governor Orji Uzor Kalu for money laundering involving more than N2.713.500 billion. But the governor was shielded from prosecution by the constitutional provisions of section 308, immunity for certain public office holders. At this point, Theodore had already resigned as the Chief of staff having been anointed as the successor of Orji Kalu come April election. When the EFCC couldn’t get the Godfather, due to the reason stated above, they charged the godson who was also indicted in the financial mess. T.A. Orji being a loyal godson was arrested and charged to court to face persecution for his master’s crime, yet he didn’t 2 Journal of Linguistics, Language and Culture, Vol. 1 no.2, 2014 despair. While in EFCC custody, T.A. Orji made history, Theodore Orji was installed governor under PPA (after pledging to permit the Kalus to continue their stranglehold on the resources of Abia State) in an election whose massive rigging was supervised by Maurice Iwu. Thus he became first governor in the world to win elections while in jail. A feat that could be likened to that of Iyiola Omisore who won elections into the senate in 2007 pools while in custody as a suspect in the murder of Bola Ige. Theodore Orji was thus released from prison and sworn in as the new governor of the state. After is accession to the office of the executive governor of the state, the former governor Orji Kalu hijacked all the governmental appointments in the state. He installed his younger brother as Chief of Staff. He made other sensitive appointments which included the commissioner of Finance, Works, and Accountant-General of the State and others. Council chairmen in the state were accountable and answerable to Mother Excellency -mother of the former governor. The situation remained like that for almost four years. Throughout this period of manna, Orji Kalu never complained or criticised Governor Theodore Orji for anything, not even on non-performance. However, things started falling apart when in 2008, the new governor Theodore Orji could not swallow the level of impetus at which the commissioners who were appointed by Mrs Eunice Uzor-Kalu (the mother of Orji Uzor Kalu), were operating with reckless disregard for his office. A move by him to caution such anointed ones saw the beginning of a new era which will bring the godson and godfather at logger heads. In a very dramatic display of total disregard of the executive powers of Governor Theodore Orji, it was alleged that sometime in 2008, the governor was slapped by Mrs Eunice Uzor-Kalu at Michael Okpara auditorium Umuahia after a heated argument over some threat by the governor to sack her anointed ones in his administration. This among other show of excess display of lack of respect for the governor by the Orji’s and due to the fact that his godfather Orji Uzor Kalu did not take any step to curtail the excesses of members of his family, led to the governor’s decamping from PPA to PDP. After then, all hell was let loose, both father and son became bitter rivals in a clash of the titans that ensued afterwards. With the daily sun newspaper owned by Orji Uzor, he began to wage his war at the media end, castigating his once beloved son. The governor on the other hand did not waste time to use every weapon in his arsenal to retaliate, while Abians became spectators. There was a time when there was a move to withdraw the degree awarded the former governor in ABSU, this plan was allegedly orchestrated by Governor Theodore Orji, being the 3 Journal of Linguistics, Language and Culture, Vol. 1 no.2, 2014 visitor of the university. The latest of such media attacks and counter attacks forms the basis of this study. Orji Uzor Kalu on the 6th February 2013, in an interview with a sun newspaper journalist entitled “I apologise to Abians for installing T.A. Orji as their governor” made some statements which go contrary to our background knowledge and belief about a democratic government. Some vital extract from the interview that will form the basis of our analysis are given below. Question 1: Despite Abia state government’s effort to frustrate your re-entry into the PDP, several groups and associations have continued to throng your country home to rejoice over your return; what could be the implication of this on Abia politics? His response: There were only two other people that you can equate with what is happening here. I am not talking about people who are in business; if it is about people in business, you can talk of Arthur Eze. He is not a politician and yet, he entertains a lot of visitors at all time. But the only two politicians that did what I do were Chief MKO Abiola and Dr. Olusola Saraki. These are two people that I know threw their gates open the way I do; they cooked food and served people whenever they were at home.
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