Review of Current Trends in Nigerian Pidgin English. A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Government institutions and persistent communal conflicts in Nigeria

“…Therefore, violating the law under any circumstance, whether civil or criminal, simple or felonious, affects the moral code and social order within the society. Relying on these premises of institution theory, Odiegwu (2012) maintained that the institutional system is fraudulent because it shields perpetrators of communal conflicts from strict prosecution and punishment. Maintaining formal control of crime through various institutional and legal instruments is an act of preserving social unity, regulating an individual's social behavior, ensuring obedience to social decisions, and bringing conformity and solidarity through social sanctions.…”

“…In addition, others operated and took decisions without consulting with the opposing community. Existing literature (Adebowale, 2013; Odiegwu, 2012) on Commissions of Inquiry and peace committees largely emphasized that commissions' formal structure, position, and roles within wider social relations limit their effectiveness in communal conflicts. The qualitative data revealed that some of the recommendations that were against the government‐favored community were often set aside, while other recommendations did not really promote genuine reconciliation, hence, reconciliation became difficult.…”

“…They further revalidated that the law, under any circumstance—civil or criminal, simple or felonious—affects the moral code and social order within the society. Odiegwu (2012) maintained that some sections of the Nigerian constitution empowers the executive arm of government to use their powers to either pave the way for suspects to escape prosecution or free an offender after conviction. Such sections are Section 36(5), Section 175(1) (2), and Section 174(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.…”