POWER

This study investigates the sociolinguistic construction of power and gendered authority in the context of queenship in ancient Benin, with particular focus on the Iyoba (Queen Mother). The research explores how language, as a system of symbolic communication, encodes and legitimizes political and spiritual authority within the Benin monarchical tradition. Anchored in Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as proposed by Fairclough (1989, 1992) and van Dijk (1993), the study examines the ways linguistic forms and discursive practices reflect the ideological structures of power, hierarchy, and gender in precolonial Benin society. The study adopts a qualitative descriptive methodology, relying on both primary and secondary data sources such as historical texts, oral traditions, court poetry, and ethnographic accounts. These data were critically analyzed through the CDA lens to uncover the relationship between discourse, ideology, and social structure. The analysis revealed that the titles and honorific expressions associated with the Iyoba, such as Oba N’erie (Mother of the King) and Eson n’Oba (the King’s Eye), are not merely linguistic adornments but powerful semiotic instruments through which authority, motherhood, and divine legitimacy are discursively constructed. Findings further indicate that the linguistic representation of the Iyoba differs significantly from that of the Oba, emphasizing intercession, wisdom, and maternal guardianship rather than absolute sovereignty. These distinctions reflect the gender complementarity inherent in Benin’s conception of rulership. The study also identifies strategies of persuasion and ritualized deference in palace women’s speech, revealing language as a tool for negotiating influence within a patriarchal order. Comparative insights show parallels between the Benin Iyoba, the Oyo Iyálóde, and the Dahomean Kpojito, highlighting shared West African patterns of female authority constructed through discourse. Based on these findings, the study recommends amongst other that (1) further ethnographic documentation of contemporary palace discourse in Benin to preserve linguistic heritage, (2) comparative discourse studies across African monarchies to expand theoretical understanding of gendered power, and (3) interdisciplinary research combining linguistics, anthropology, and art history to explore how verbal and visual semiotics jointly construct royal ideology.

This study investigates the potential of utilizing the kinetic energy dissipated by vehicles traversing speed breakers as a sustainable source for power generation. With increasing vehicular traffic, a significant amount of energy is wasted as heat and friction when vehicles slow down and pass over these road infrastructure elements. This research explores various electromechanical mechanisms, including rack and pinion, gear and flywheel, and spring coil systems, to convert this otherwise lost kinetic energy into usable electrical energy. The core principle involves capturing the vertical displacement and subsequent kinetic energy of a vehicle as it passes over a specially designed speed breaker mechanism. This mechanical energy is then converted into rotational motion, which drives an electrical generator (dynamo) to produce electricity through electromagnetic induction. The generated electrical power can be stored in batteries or directly used to power nearby infrastructure such as streetlights, traffic signals, and signage, particularly in high-traffic areas like urban roads, parking lots, and toll plazas. This study analyzed the design considerations, efficiency, and potential power output of such systems under varying traffic conditions and vehicle weights. It also explored the practicality and costeffectiveness of implementing these energy-harvesting speed breakers compared to traditional power sources. Furthermore, the environmental benefits of this approach, including the reduction of reliance on conventional energy sources and the minimization of greenhouse gas emissions, were discussed. The findings of this research highlight the potential of speed breakers as a distributed and renewable energy generation technology, As well as proposes the adoption of Hybrid Energy Systems, Design Parameters Optimization And Energy Storage Enhancements to increase the possibility of transforming everyday road infrastructure into energy-producing systems, this technology holds promise for advancing renewable energy development, and contributing to a better future.

This study investigates the sociolinguistic construction of power and gendered authority in the context of queenship in ancient Benin, with particular focus on the Iyoba (Queen Mother). The research explores how language, as a system of symbolic communication, encodes and legitimizes political and spiritual authority within the Benin monarchical tradition. Anchored in Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as proposed by Fairclough (1989, 1992) and van Dijk (1993), the study examines the ways linguistic forms and discursive practices reflect the ideological structures of power, hierarchy, and gender in precolonial Benin society. The study adopts a qualitative descriptive methodology, relying on both primary and secondary data sources such as historical texts, oral traditions, court poetry, and ethnographic accounts. These data were critically analyzed through the CDA lens to uncover the relationship between discourse, ideology, and social structure. The analysis revealed that the titles and honorific expressions associated with the Iyoba, such as Oba N’erie (Mother of the King) and Eson n’Oba (the King’s Eye), are not merely linguistic adornments but powerful semiotic instruments through which authority, motherhood, and divine legitimacy are discursively constructed. Findings further indicate that the linguistic representation of the Iyoba differs significantly from that of the Oba, emphasizing intercession, wisdom, and maternal guardianship rather than absolute sovereignty. These distinctions reflect the gender complementarity inherent in Benin’s conception of rulership. The study also identifies strategies of persuasion and ritualized deference in palace women’s speech, revealing language as a tool for negotiating influence within a patriarchal order. Comparative insights show parallels between the Benin Iyoba, the Oyo Iyálóde, and the Dahomean Kpojito, highlighting shared West African patterns of female authority constructed through discourse. Based on these findings, the study recommends amongst other that (1) further ethnographic documentation of contemporary palace discourse in Benin to preserve linguistic heritage, (2) comparative discourse studies across African monarchies to expand theoretical understanding of gendered power, and (3) interdisciplinary research
combining linguistics, anthropology, and art history to explore how verbal and visual semiotics jointly construct royal ideology

This study explores how power and corruption are portrayed in Naomi Alderman’s The Power (2016) and Okey Ndibe’s Arrows of Rain (2000). Although these novels come from very different worlds, one from a futuristic, feminist setting and the other from a postcolonial African society, both reveal how the abuse of power leads to moral decay and injustice. In Alderman’s The Power, women gain a new biological ability that allows them to dominate men, turning traditional gender roles upside down. However, this new dominance soon exposes how easily power can corrupt anyone, regardless of gender. In Ndibe’s Arrows of Rain, power is shown through political oppression, censorship, and the silencing of truth in a corrupt postcolonial state. Together, the two novels raise an important question: is corruption caused by who holds power, or by the systems that allow power to go unchecked? This study uses feminist theory (especially Judith Butler’s idea of gender as performance) to analyse how Alderman questions gender and power, and postcolonial theory (drawing from Frantz Fanon’s writings) to explore Ndibe’s critique of leadership and institutional violence. By comparing both texts, the research shows that power, when not balanced by justice or accountability, always leads to corruption and oppression. The findings highlight that true freedom or equality cannot exist unless societies challenge the structures that sustain inequality and abuse.

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) made the theory of separation of powers a fundamental principle of state governance. This essay examines the doctrine of separation of powers under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a view to critically assessing the challenges facing same in Nigeria. The 1999 Constitution in different sections vested the powers of government in separate organs of government as follows: section 4 deals with the legislative powers; section 5 deals with the executive powers, while section 6 is concerned with judicial powers. This kind of separation of powers is known as the horizontal separation of powers. It has been discovered, by the adoption of doctrinal methodology as well as comparative research methodology, that a water-tight application of the doctrine of Separation of Powers is not possible. It is in recognition of this fact that the founders of the doctrine developed the principle of checks and balances which empowers each arm of government to serve as a check on the others to ensure that they do not go out of their constitutionally assigned roles. This concept of checks and balances is as well provided for in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). Despite these provisions of the constitution, there are presently in Nigeria disputes and controversies concerning the meeting points of the powers allotted the various arms of government. The executive arm of government by virtue of the amplitude and plentitude of powers allotted to them by the constitution. The judicial arms of government appear to be at the receiving end of this power tussle. There are however certain salient areas in the interplay of powers where the three arms of government must converge or meet for the orderly regulation or governance of Nigerian society. This long essay reviewed the hallowed concept of separated 15 powers of government, the doctrine of checks and balances as well as the Independence of judiciary, the meeting points of the powers and their areas of dislocation. Some recommendations that will uplift the law and practice of sep rated powers in Nigeria were made.