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I am delighted to present to you this August edition of JOALLS. In essence, it is a compilation of eight papers which explore unique issues that face humanity in different ways. Your duty as scholars is to further interrogate the ways in which authors have presented the issues they address in their papers.
The stringent requirements that higher education institutions put for their academics to get promoted to senior, lecturer, associate professor and professor grades in some cases have resulted in what Ngeh terms ‘meal ticket scholarship’. Similarly, Nhemachena’s and Mawere’s recent thought-provoking paper addresses ‘academics with clay feet’. What I find striking is that, whether it is ‘meal ticket scholarship’ or ‘academics with clay feet’, both papers condemn mediocre scholarship which is mainly due to the ‘publish or perish’ mantra that obtains in academia.
Moving from academia to politics, we find out that the questions of ‘cosmetic democracy, coups and military dictatorships’ have dogged the African continent for many years. Recently, there have been coups in Berkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan. Unfortunately, innocent citizens bear the brunt during all these maneuverings, showing the dark side of humanity. In this edition, we see the postcolonial state under scrutiny through Achebe’s literary masterpieces, A Man of the People and Anthills of the Savannah. Equally, another form of darkness of humanity is in the practice of transactional sex in the blesser-blessed relationships that are well documented in some Southern African novels. Sadly, this Lipstick Feminism contributes to the disintegration of women’s empowerment.
Have you ever thought about the relationship between mental illness and the spiritual environment? From an Afrocentric perspective, mental illness is caused by an avenging spirit. Although this cannot be scientifically proved, such cosmological interpretations are abound in works of fiction as Kandemiri and Mlambo illustrate in their paper.
On a light note, it is illustrated that the language used in conversational jokes (banters) in Central Nigeria and advertising merchandise in Zimbabwe can be fascinating. In these contexts, people are at liberty to use linguistic licence and violate norms in order to use language creatively. In both instances, the rhetorical effect of the languages is intended to move the audience in particular directions. Still on linguistics, language policy and planning in Africa has been a problem during and after colonialism. There is a clarion call for everyone to develop a keen interest in the preservation of autochthonous languages in Africa.
With these highlights, you are ready to explore the details contained in each of the eight papers. Enjoy reading our August edition.
Reference
Nhemachena A, Mawere M. Academics with Clay Feet? Anthropological Perspectives on Academic Freedom in Twenty-First Century African Universities. Journal of African American Studies (New Brunswick, N.J.). 2022 ;26(2):142-165. DOI: 10.1007/s12111-022-09584-4. PMID: 35730033; PMCID: PMC9189268.