''English Department Is A Deviation From A Real Department'' - Emeritus

A student of the Department of English and Literary Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University has blasted his department, describing it as a deviation from real department.

In an article obtained by our correspondent, Emeritus agreed with the position of his colleague popularly called FM who is of the opinion that the department is a den if empty barrel filled with ignorance.

Read the full article below:


"English department: A den of empty barrels filled  with ignorance." - FM, Part 4

"We are conscious of the fact that the emissaries of the devils above dwell and dine with us, however, the truth must be said, despite the sayer and hearer. This is to enhance the perfect reign of justice and the dethronement of oppression." EMERITUS

A Critical Discourse Analysis of the above witty and factual quote by FM, a part 4 student, paying attention to ideology, identity and power.

This CDA might be a deviation from the norm, this is because English department is a deviation from a real department.

POWER
The voice in the text above is filled with power. This may be as a result of the writer's tremendous knowledge of the department cum his experiences in the department. Going from the writer's voice to the social context of the piece, one will discover that in this social setting, some "powerful and unquestionable people" deal with students' destinies anyhow, as if students worth no existence. These persons are oblivious of the fact that posterity exists. They tend to forget that we can still come for them in the future to also enhance the reign of justice. They are ignorant of the fact that they can only do their worst to all, but cannot kill the never-die greatness in some of us. In fact, aside their "fields"most of them are starved and bereft of intellect and knowledge of  other fields and history. Even in our midst we have abusers of power. Those who forget their manifestoes after been sworn in. They forget those sweet-sounding manifestoes, and use the office to fix well their pockets, utilize their offices to worship the mighty element of man between their legs. Of course, I am not a moralist but the use of office positions to satisfy these endless desires of human at the expense of selfless service is my "palava."

IDEOLOGY
The prevailing ideology in this department is that of "you must belong to a caucus, we are of higher standard, we cannot associate with all." With this malignant ideology in the above and within, disunity, false self impression and academic suicide, collectively and freely reign. Oppressors above release deadly bombs of academic failure, yet most of these persons below will never want to revolt/ interrogate, just to avoid unity. They easily accept unnecessary fates that they have the right to turn to their favour. Their ignorance manifested in their actions portray that some of them leave tomorrow to think for them. How suicidal it is!

Another ideology is the celebration of frivolities and apathy for reality. Once you do well in frivolities, you are a celebrity. However, they fail to participate in real and progressive actions and movements. In fact, they hate anyone that attempts progressiveness. It is a situational irony that the largest department in West Africa and one of the largest in the continent cannot produce good number of student leaders. I am not preaching political oppression with numbers but the numerical strength is an advantage. You cannot tell me that in class of 450 we cannot see good leaders! We are in Arts, we engage humanity. Consequently, we should do better than those in technology, science, edm and so on. People celebrate failure in this den.

Statements like "Over 30 years we have not seen any first class in my department. Out of over 400 graduating students, we do not always produce above 10 second-class  upper awards." These words are empirical,but they are proudly said as if they symbolize achievement.
Most of them from the above get feared , respected and worshipped by deliberately failing students, but not by what they know.
Identity.

Many People give themselves unnecessary and illusionary "hyping" or status. By this very fact, ignorance is proudly portrayed.

Pure lexico- semantics
"A den of empty barrels," FM was painstaking in his selection of words. A den is a place for lions. These are the implications. Lions are know to be "quintessentials" in strength. Ironically, the social setting of this piece portrays that of a place that is known for the perfect examples of the manifestations of ignorance.
A den is avoided by many because of what the "greatness" therein can "catastrophize." It is factual that many people avoid the place setting portrayed by the writer. Unfortunately, people by ill fate or the deliberate, corrupt and normal actions of the  "Proppresors" in Abuja and the University Sin-net (senate as they falsely call it) find themselves here. Of course, some persons voluntarily find themselves here, maybe as a result of passion. However, before the end of the day this burning passion is  frozen by the prevailing realities in that place.

Conclusively, I am quite sure that oppressive missiles of oppression and envy shall be triggered towards me, but the "odieshi" or bullet proof of truth will never allow them to kill the desire, vigor and in fact the passion to fearlessly and "favourlessly" assert the truth when necessary. If you are not a servant of justice, you are surely on your own as the end will always leave you with "had I know tears." Hence, as a Critical discourse analyst, I sing of an English department where unity; fair grading of marks; celebration of progressiveness reign. I sing of that department where people will always thirst to dwell in. Most importantly, the song of a department where interrogative/ critical  and versatile minds and brains reign. The status quo must be changed