Negative Use of Language and its Negative Impact on Nigeria's National Security

Abstract

The negative use of language is not uncommon among people in Nigeria. It is a serious social disservice to a society because of its consequences. Very many societies have been plunged into chaotic social disorder due to the negative use of language by individuals, social groups and leaders. This paper X-rays the role of negative use of language by Nigerians across different socio-political strata,
in the early period of the country's political independence and its devastating consequences; such as the political and ethnic tension and cleansing, that resulted in the first military coup and countercoup, that also snowballed into a civil war in Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design method to gather data for the study. Among the findings in the paper is intermittent
wanton destruction of lives and properties of Nigerians that is occasioned by deliberate use of negative language among individuals and social groups. It also revealed the deep divide among Nigerians as against the vision of oneness in diversity. The paper recommends among others that negative use of language should be eschewed by Nigerians at all times. Nigerians should always
imbibe the use of healthy and positive languages to curb any further social crisis that could be compared to the civil war. The paper also recommend that Nigerians should try to eschew violence at all times, irrespective of their perceived anger concerning national issues. The theoretical perspectives of the paper are the Systemic Functional Linguistic Theory and the Theory of State of Exception. These theories are propounded by M.A.K. Halliday and Giorgio Agemben.