See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301625242 Proverbs in the Service of Humanity: The Case of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State Article * May 2015 CITATIONS 0 READS 450 1 author: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Folk and modern Media in the Sustenance of Rural Markets in KHALGA, Rivers State View project Barigbon Nsereka Rivers State University of Science and Technology 13 PUBLICATIONS 2 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE All content following this page was uploaded by Barigbon Nsereka on 25 April 2016. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Ki'iiftf of Communication ami Media Studies Vol I No 2 Ma>. 2<M 5. p|» Max .2015 1^5 Proverbs in the Service of Humanity: The Case of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State ttarigbon Gbara Nsercka 1 Concerned for the dwindling fortunes ol soci.il development and .1 seemingly declining interest in cultural affairs in Khana Local Gov eminent Area (KIIALGA) of Rivers State, this study set out to examine the place of proverbs, an important ingredient of oramedia (a coinage for traditional communication) in the service of humanity, with a focus on KIIALGA To accomplish this objective, this survey research drew a sample o f 4 0 0 subjects from the Khana population of 311.144using the Taro Yamane's formula lor determining sample s i /c to participate 111 the study. The data generated by a 21 -item structured questionnaire \\ ere analyzed using frequency distribution tables, percentages and \v cightcd mean scores(WMS) landings showed lhat the people of Khana are aware of the functionality of existing proverbs and also happily use them; that of these proverbs that have wide applicability across communities in Khana area, and the people know the ones most commonly used in Ihc LGA. It was also found lhat prov erbs are used to publicize development messages; lo crack jokes that evoke healih-enhancing laughter; to enliven messages during discourses on communal development; and to teach moral lessons. The study concluded that there are well-known proverbs in Khana lhat can be usedto enrich messages and used to publicize ev ents and disseminate development messages. It was then recommended, among other things, that for peace and sustainable development to be the lot of the people, proverbs should be used to spice messages that can bring about educational advancement, sports development, good health, cultural re-awakening, and security. Key Words: Proverbs, Humanity. Khana IXJA, Rivers State, Development i I n t r o d u c t i o n Folk media such as story-telling, legends, folktales, myths , r iddles, parables and proverbs a re not just forms of oral literature but also constitute what Ogbua ja (1985) calls o ramedia . T h e beginning of literature in all societies was basically oral, whe re people chanted songs, for instance, at communi ty gatherings, social occasions or even at work (Olugbenga, 2001) . Oral literature is the vehicle of transmission of culture, beliefs, thoughts and cus toms o f a g iven communi ty from one generation to another. It is the way traditional people express themse lves which is the foundation of their existence. As Ugwu (1998) writes, legends talk about the origin of a people; the heroes who have ove rcome many diff icult ies to sec a country or town founded. T h e story of a legend is usually romant ic and fascinating. Folktales arc used for entertaining and moralizing. They deal with s i tuat ions w hich the listeners arc familiar with or recall ancient customs like birth and marr iage. T h e tales a re of ten made to have happy endings and involve tr iumph over diff icul t ies by heroes. Myths deal with past events relating to the creation of heaven and earth. They explain l ife and death and the great forces of nature. Riddles arc metaphorical express ions of the basic concerns and interest of a people. The contents of riddles are usually vulgar and touch on sexual and obscene a l lus ions through their rich imagery. Story-telling sessions of ten start with r iddles as a set induct ion. Parables arc short stories with their meanings placed side by side wi th the stories. A classical example is the biblical Parable of the Sower. Of all these channels of folk communica t ion , proverbs which are used mostly by the elderly to express themselves tactfully and concisely while giving warnings , moral lessons and advice, stand out . It is the importance of proverbs in human society which is the thrust of this article. In the Afr ican communica t ion situation, proverbs as an oramedia form, consti tute an important traditional communica t ion content . Nwanne (2006) observes that such proverbs, which are deeply rooted in the people 's way of life and exper iences are s imilar to idiomatic expressions in linglish. Doob (1966) a lso observes that " the subtlet ies of communica t ion which proverbs represent presumably occur so frequently in a society that insiders comprehend them quickly and w ithout er ror" (p.264) . not ing that idiomatic express ions a t e \ cry economical because they c o i n e y information in a condensed form. I lowcver, what i s g a i n e d t h i o u g h a condensed message ma\ be lost through dif f icul t ) in decoding the mean ing by those outside the cultural setting of the prov erbs (Nw anno. 2006) lijiii>K<i« <iKh.i \svrvka in .> Semoi I couicr in ilic iKpjrtmcm ol \|j%% ( onimu iK JUo.t Rsl'sT RCMS U.inebon Gb.ira Nscrika X6 Akpabio (2003) notes that in many societies in Nigeria, there is a prevalence of the use of prov crbs in that many of the rules of society arc convenient ly expressed in proverbs, "which span almost every human endeavour while expressing t ime-tested truths" (p.77). Etymologically, the word proverb is derived from the Latin word pmverhiunt meaning a saying supporting a point. Pro means on helm If of while verlwm means word. Literally then, proverb means "words used to stand on behalf of someth ing" since a proverb is used to intensify and thus clarify the import o f a s ta tement . Proverbs are, therefore , described as short traditional sayings of a didactic or advisory nature in which a general izat ion is given a specif ic metaphorical expression. Proverbs express the thoughts , wisdom, moral codes and cultural heritage of a people or culture. Generally, proverbs are inherent in the cultures of the world and are generally seen as succinct and pithy sayings in general use, expressing commonly held ideas and beliefs. S ta tement of t h e P r o b l e m Khana, like other local government areas (LGAs) , is faced with many challenges. A m o n g these are decaying social infras t ructure (like the neglected public secondary schools across the land) and the erosion of the cultural practices and values that welded the people together in the past in their search for g rowth and prosperity. Knowledge and informat ion are essential for people to respond to the opportunit ies and challenges of social , e conomic and cultural changes. Regardless of the type of development challenges, the communica t ion of vital information, using the right channels can yield the expected result o f redress ing the challenges. This study, therefore , sought to explore the place of proverbs which are culture-based in enriching the messages be ing transmitted among the Khana people towards the socio-cultural development of the area. Objec t ives of t h e S t u d y Broadly, the objec t ive of this s tudy was to investigate the possible role of proverbs in reawakening the socio-cul tural consciousness of the people of Khana Local Government Area with the view to ha rmon iz ing and galvanizing the people who seem to have lost mutual trust, love and friendship as w a s the case with their forbears because of the high level of crime, violence and other untoward socio-cul tural practices that are perpetrated by the people, especially the youths. Specifically, the s tudy seeks to: (i) Determine the levels of awareness and the use of proverbs among the Khana people. (ii) Identify s o m e proverbs and wise sayings that arc commonly used by the people to communica te with o n e another. (iii) Determine the e f fec t iveness of proverbs in t ransmit t ing development messages among the people of Khana LG A. (V) Suggest poss ible w a y s by which proverbs as a traditional communica t ion content can engender peace, prosper i ty and sustainable development in the area. Research Q u e s t i o n s (i) What are s o m e proverbs and wise sayings that are commonly used by the people to communica te with one another? ( i i )What is the level o f consc iousncss and unders tanding of proverbs among the Khana people? (iii) How effec t ive are proverbs in transmitt ing development messages among the people of Khana L G A ? ( \ ) \ V h a t are the poss ible ways by which proverbs as a traditional communicat ion content can engender peace, prosperity and sustainable dev elopment in thearea ' ' ii Theore t ica l f r a m e w o r k a n d L i t e r a t u r e Review As a folk communica t ion content, proverbs are used to illustrate and spice messages to make meanings clearer in traditional settings. Since the tluuM of the article is on how proverbs could function in promot ing human causes like development p iogra inmes and projects through PivvciB\ Iit tlw ,S«-n /< «• »>/ //tnimnin Tltr < \i\C «»/ KIUIIUI /.«»< <// <#<»> «•# iimvni lira of Rn«»r.i Stair Mo\. :ni5 |X7 effect ive transmission of messages in the s t akeho lde r c o m m u n i t i e s , th is w o r k w a s anchored on the development communica t ion theory. For ii to be ef fec t ive and relevant, deve lopment c o m m u n i c a t i o n s e e k s to integrate people's culture, attitudes, knowledge, practices, percep t ions , n e e d s a n d p r o b l e m s in the planning and implementat ion of development projec ts and p r o g r a m m e s . A n impor tan t objective of development communica t ion is to ensure that i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m d e v e l o p m e n t agencies is useful, relevant and packaged in such ways that will be a t t r ac t ive a n d u n d e r s t a n d a b l e to people. It also ensures that people 's perception and k n o w l e d g e a r e r e n d e r e d in w a y s that will be comprehens ib le to deve lopment agencies . Development communica t ion refers to the o rgan ized e f f o r t s to use c o m m u n i c a t i o n processes and the media to br ing about social and economic i m p r o v e m e n t s . It e n c o m p a s s e s many different media and approaches such as the folk media , t radi t ional socia l g r o u p i n g s , rural radio, video and mult i -media modu les ( for farmer training, for ins tance , ) and g loba l i n f o r m a t i o n sources like the Internet which link the locals to researchers , educa tors , ex t ens ion a n d p r o d u c e r g roups living far away. According to Quebral( 1973), development c o m m u n i c a t i o n , s i m p l y d e f i n e d , is the use of communica t ion to p romote social deve lopment . " M o r e spec i f i ca l ly , it r e fe r s to the pract ice of systematical ly apply ing the processes , s trategies, and p r inc ip le s o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n to bring about posit ive social change . " (P. 15) There is copious literature on orumeclia, within wh ich p r o v e r b s are found . For U g b o a j a h (1985). oraniedia arc " func t iona l " and "ut i l i tar ian," the mos t impor tan t p u r p o s e o f wh ich is to provide teaching and initiation with the object of impar t ing t radi t ional , aes the t ic , his tor ical , technical , social , ethical and rel igious values. U g b o a j a h s ays b e d e c k e d wi th oratory, o r amed ia help sharpen people 's awareness of their own history, m a g n i f y past even ts and d e e d s o f i l lustrious ancestors . Proverbs are, therefore , a utilitarian t radi t ional c o m m u n i c a t i o n con ten t . Proverbs are "short witty express ions used to re fe r indirect ly , but usual ly m o r e vividly, to a s i tuat ion, an idea or to descr ibe a person or an a c t " ( U k o n u , 2008 , p.). P rove rbs most o f ten carry with them moral lessons as they are employed in o f f e r i n g adv ice , praise , in format ion , and in rebuking. T h e y are m o r e apprecia ted or lauded w h e n app l i ed in the right context in which they have mean ing or are su i ted(Ukonu, 2008). Fcnnigan (1970) quo ted in Fn ighc (2006) de f ines a p r o v e r b as "a say ing f rom a more or less f ixed form, marked by shor tness , sense and 'salt' and d i s t ingu i shed by t ru th . . . " (p .322) . Agree ing with Fcnnigan, Essicn (1978) also quoted in Enighe (2006) , sees a p rove rb as "a say ing full of w i s d o m intended as a rule of conduct and be ha v iou r a m o n g people of the s a m e speech communi ty" (p .323 ) . Jones (1980) , d is t inguish ing be tween a p roverb and a wi se say ing , states that a wise saying is a s ta tement which is full of w i sdom but which does not need an interpretat ion like a proverb. Proverbs are necess i t ies and essential ingredients in c o m m u n i c a t i o n , especia l ly in traditional societies. T h o u g h the place of p roverbs in mode rn c o m m u n i c a t i o n , especial ly in Western and deve loped countr ies , has been relegated to the b a c k g r o u n d , p rove rbs are an element of folklore (h t tp : / /dx .doi .org/10.4314/ujah .v 13i 1.2). Like s o m e o the r e l emen t s of folklore, a proverb plays several s ignif icant roles in the literary works of wri ters w h o c h o o s e to blend their works with the touch of Afr ican oral tradit ion and to g ive their c rea t ive works a s t a m p of uniqueness, authentici ty, and identity as they reflect and projec t their cul ture , tradit ion, outlook on life. Proverbs serve as an important tool o f s toryte l l ing in the re-creat ion of a genu ine and believable Af r ican side of.stories( http d v d o i . o r g / 1 0 . 4 3 l 4 ujah.x 13i 1.2). Nsereka (2007) ch ion ie les the life and t imes of a legendary f igure, incidentally his lather, w lu> postulated a m \ i i.ul ol pi o \ erbs be fo re he d ied in 2007 . and s ta tes s o m e of the pros erbs and w ise sayings . According to h im. I here h\ ed in Kaani C o m m u n i t y (this wl iter 's hometow n) m Khana Local Si CMS B.ingbon Gbara Nsereka j S8 Government Area of Rivers Stale of Nigeria, a sage, nay. a legendary figure, Mr Akoba Yeeh (1916 2007). l ie was an embodiment of confounding philosophies and a mill of proverbs. l ie radiated native intelligence and exuded wisdom. More often than not. his utterances were inspirational. I was blessed to have him as my father. My late father. Papa, Akoba Yeeh, did not as much as hear any of such names as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, Napoleon Mill (all philosophers) but he endorsed their sophistry, ideas and views about life and he led a life pattern which was in conformity with their philosophy a lifestyle that was widely adjudged a model. More interestingly, although the levels of education of those philosophers and his were worlds apart, he and those big names were all philosophers, he being of the bom, not made, breed of thinkcrs(p. 6). Nsereka recalls that the retentive memory of the legend made him a rallying point for people who wanted to make some historical incursion into certain past events within and outside the Kaani community. He was meticulous, highly oratorical, proverb-friendly, curious, courageous, confident, cautious, circumspect and often controversial (especially when he was sure of the flawlessness of his viewpoints or argument). And he had ready answers to so many riddles of life that inquirers who came to tap f rom his knowledge were only short of asking him to tell them the secret of the lion's l imbs, the truth of the baboon's bottom, the truth of the tiger's tail and the secret of the jackal 's jaw. According to Nsereka, the philosophical reflections of Elder Akoba Yeeh were encapsulated in the myriad of proverbs which he originated and spoke. Below are a few of the proverbs and wise sayings (rendered in Kaani dialect of the Khana language)with their meanings and in some cases, backgrounds. Each proverb is rendered in vernacular and italicized, translated in English and then given the literary meaning. 1. Be m ga da ye zia aabee zu kuma a ko bee. I cannot peel a yam from the bottom to the head. Meaning: One should not do things in a disorderly form. There is need for conventionality. 2. Kere ii kue na nee kiira kea a ga lege a clem nee. Ifone is able to turn the log of a raffia palm tree, is it one's tongue that cannot be easily turned? Meaning: I f o n e can exert the effort of physically turning a log of wood, it is much easier to tell a white when one is under pressure. 3. Abinakpa taa nee a le deesi nee a ledee demesuanu. When the person in front is stung by 'Abinakpa", the person behind becomes wise. Abinakpa is a stinging insect in the class of warps. Meaning: One person's bitter experience serves as a lesson to other persons. 4. Nee oor a lo bee lo na a we nveghia bu lo lo mkpini bari a bee aa daa alosa dor maa a. It is he who is not favoured by his fishing expedition that regrets the only fish that fell from his hook to the river. . • , , , Meaning: It is the one in lack who keeps remembering the little material loss he previously experienced. 5. Nee a kii u ii kpe deme na a uekne kue lo auia ke bia nee a bee za dee si lea. It is a late comer to the farm w ho makes a call ol alarm to early a r m als. Meaning: A new comer into a business asks many questions. 6. Nee maa nine na maa uv stt a The 11\ er drowns him w ho in in the ri\ er. Mean ing : He is hurt \\ ho does not a\ oid danger. I'ni\I ih\ III llh Si fsUf uf JlwiiiiiUH Thf i iiw uf Kluuni I.IH al Can F'rmiwnl !/»•«/«// Sialr Mux :oi< |X9 7. Nee bio we <In lee be te lee a go worn am One docs not trim the plants on a bush before the bush is c leared for farming. Mean ing One does not count two before one. 8. Nuhoopara iio. It marries you what you are ignorant of. Moaning: More effort is required to perform an unfami l ia r task. 9. Koorhie bnkne ha aa e una kpaanu. The domestic fowl which stays longer than necessary in the bush is mis taken for a bush fowl and caught as such. Moaning: One should not overstay one's w e l c o m e lest one be g iven a dishonourable treatment. 10. Pio wtia bee wua ip le zoo Some brotherhood is like that of the palm nut. Philosophical Background: Between the outer red subs tance o f the pa lm nut and the innermost kernel is a boundary, that is, the hard part. Thus , a l though there is a relationship between the palm nut the kernel, a very hard substance separates them, m a k i n g one not see the other. Moaning: Although some people arc naturally related, their behav iour does not exhibit the affection that should show they arc relatives. Whereas the people are related, they operate at opposite extremes. The interest of one is not the concern of the other. They are related by birth, not indeed. 12. Nee /aa bi bin we sua lo nam ha sip laga lo. The one who is under pressure of passing out faeces is ignorant of the p iece o f land into which entry for defecation is prohibited. Philosophical Background: It) many rural areas, people go to the bush to pass faeces. When the bowel is full and one is pressed, one may not notice any sicn on a part icular piece of land indicating prohibition ofentry until one is back to oneself (i.e. when the person has eased out the pressure). Meaning: One who is under much pressure can make mistakes, 13. Ke a kpooge kpigi a inn me si 1 have now got a place to save coins on my face ^ lean ing : When one is old. one could have winkles deep enough to accommoda te a small 14.Msiu lam aa looivnwic none, nn a bin na atloo mc van I have worked from morning to night; what remains now is my appreciation Meaning : A parent who has laboured hard to keen a f L v l r , , appreciation, such as in being given a good care in old age by the childre,! ' 15. Ke m ga kii a warn ee ke m an Where I have come from is longer than where I'm going ita K i t 1 * " " °"life «* * T frnm rn. I m ,«•«, 16. A n wee kie nee a ere kpoogesorzoo vee lo ziknm I he man who has a blunt machete bee cut :come> sad when he has more than one palm bunch to Moaning: One u ill, limited resources saddened by mcieas.ng icsponsibi lu io . 17. \l kirn bee mini hee/eeehii I'm gone a> i f I vumc m attendance of a cuhural di.pl.is HCM3 Hangbou GKir.i Nurcku 90 Mean ing . I am now old and about to quit this life like one who goes back to one's house at the end of an cv ent one has gone to witness outdoor. IS. Banc \ioonchiador logor hii A (row n made in the night has no consequence . Mean ing : Because a frown cannot be noticed m the dark, its purpose is defeated. 19. Be ha wvvciv sag Itu nec. aha a ghon. Anger cannot be imputed in anybody but appeased. M e a n i n g It is he who has a reason to be angry that can be angry; and one's anger can be appeased by another. 20. A'cc a sua nil In w ia saa A wise man is a suffer ing man. M e a n i n g : It takes a wise person lo detect faults in various activities of other persons in socicly and teel concerned about them. This reinforces the saying that it is not the mad man but the relatives ol the mad man lhat are ashamed of his insane actions. It is the wise man w h o more ol tcn than not serves as counsellor to other men, sacrificing his t ime and expending his energy. 21. Pya zuguru lo sua ma ep lopya nccwa. Young men ot this generat ion laste girls. M e a n i n g : The young men of this age dale prospective wives before deciding on possible marriage as opposed to just going to ask for the hand of a young woman and marrying her before ha\ ing legal sexual relat ions with her. 21 .Nee hi a lc ke ha e kue hia we kor a doo c hcc korp \V hen a call is m a d e to one w h o is out of the sight of the caller, the one so called docs not respond by nodding but by the use of words, otherwise, there was no communicat ion by the person called. Meaning: A nonverbal communica t ion which is not noticed by the target audience is no communication. 22. Luedoa na ha gha nuu hie sa aa a lea. What has the rabbit done for the hunter to skip the rat and go for the rabbit when both of them look alike and live in the same hole with even the rat itself in front. M e a n i n g . Distance may not be a barrier in one's search for a genuine thing. 23. O hcc lu kue i ka hcc kor ho o lc na si If you were a raff ia palm tree, your wine-producing side would be changed by now. Phi losophica l b a c k g r o u n d : The palm-wine-producing ralTia palm tree has a particular direction that produces the substance most. Whenever the tree fails to perform (i.e. produce wine) up to expectat ions, the right direction is looked for and used. Mean ing : You now require being ad jus ted for lack of usefulness. 24. Lo hia hcc lu no a kaani ha ka or ha o ha lee If not for the lack of f i rewood, you would have been roasted and eaten by now. .Meaning You are so foolish that your presence in any gathering is not significant. These pro\ erbs and w ise savings with cross-cultural applicability in Khana I .GA are said to l u x e been wulel) quoted whi le the legend lived and more so now that he in dead. A significant thing about proxeibs. like the lo iegomg. to note in that the\ aie general!) much shortei th.m then nan^Lied \ ei >i«»n> lei alone the meanings ihe\ c o m e\ Now. K h a n a . one ot the largest and moM thick In populated of the 23 l.( i \n of Kiv cin Slate, in I'nmrh\ in llw St-nif "/ HiimaniH The C </»«• ol khana l.<nal Oouv/imc/if Aha ot Ri\ru Slow \/ov.:ois I91 located at 4°42'N 7 0 2I 'E and covers an area of 560 km2 . Its time zone is WAT ( U T C + l ) a n d t h e postal code is 504. It has numerous communities spread across 19 electoral wards. Considering the controversy over the origins of the people and the variegated nature of the history of the Ogoni, it is only safe to leave the issue of the natural roots of the people to anthropologists, archaeologists and historians to tackle. Established in the three kingdoms of Babbe, Ken-Khana and Nyo-Khana, with 73 very large communities, the people speak Khana language. By the count of the 2006 Nigerian National Census, the people numbered 294,217. Still on the population of Khana, Ncedam (2015) writes that: according to a Fact Sheet on Water Supply and Sanitation Facilities and Services produced by the Rivers State Government and facilitated by the Ministry of Water Resources and Rural Development with the support of UNICEF "A" Field Office, Enugu, the population of K H A L G A as at December 2010, was 311,144. The Fact Sheet also projects that " judging by the 2006 National Population Census with a growth rate of 3%, the population of the LGA by December 2015, using the same projection parameters, will be 383,886. Fanning, trading and fishing are the major occupations of Khana people while the minor ones include basketry, pottery, weaving and canoe-carving. Carvings, music and masquerading, dressing mode, pottery, religion, method of transportation and drawing patterns on buildings (now obsolete) are some cultural practices and activities of the Ogoni, particularly Khana, which arc stated and adequately explained by Igbara and Keenam (2013) in their drawing of similarities between the Ogoni culture and those of other nationalities, principally Efik, Ibibio, Anang and Oron, to prove that the peoples have a common ancestral origin. iii Methodology The survey design was adopted for this research work. By the count of the 2006 National Population Census, the population of Khana LGA is 294,217. This population covers the three kingdoms that make up KIIALGA, namely Ken-Khana, Babbe and Nyo-Khana. These kingdoms together have 73 very large communit ies from which other communities have evolved. From this population, an appropriate sample was drawn for the study. The Taro Yamcnc formula for determining the size of a sample was used to draw a sample of 399 from the projected Khana population of 311. 144 as at December 2010. This sample size was computed thus: N n = 7 Where: l + /V(t ')" n = sample size sought N = population size (311,144) I = constant level of confidence (0.05) e Substituting / / = 31 1,144 1 + 3 1 1 . 1 4 4 ( 0 . 0 5 ) 3 1 1 , 1 4 4 399 I he 399 above constituted the sample for the studv HCMS Barigbon Gb.iru Nsercku 92 The quota sampling technique was used to draw the sample of 399 subjects from the three kingdoms of Khana: Babbe. Nyo-KJiana and Ken-khana. Although quota sampling is a nonprobability sampling technique, it was considered a bit convenient given the complexity of the study conditions. The main research instrument used for the study was a 21 item questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into two parts. Part one aimed at collecting personal data of the respondents, while part two was designed to collect information relating to the subject matter. The researcher helped by two assistants, administered the instrument to the respondents while the two assistants stayed back to guide the respondents and retrieve the questionnaire. The data were analyzed, using simple frequency distribution tables, percentages, weighted mean scores (wins) from Likcrt-type questions. "A Likert scale measures the intensity or degree of agreement or disagreement by the respondent to a statement that describes a situation. phenomenon, item or treatment" (Asika, 1991). In analyzing data from the fivc-point-scale Likcrt-type questions in the instrument, responses to items were weighted as follows: Strongly agree (SA) = 5 points Agree (A) = 4 points Undecided (U) = 3 points Disagree (D) = 2 points Strongly Disagree(SD)= 1 point. From these, t heWMS is 3.00 (i.e. 5+4+3+2+1 divided by 5, using the formula: Y f x W M S = Where WMS = Weighted Mean Scores, I fx = Summation of frequency x score and Z f = Summation of frequencies Data Presentat ion a n d Analys is Although the complet ion of the questionnaire by the respondents was well monitored by the researcher's assistants, not all the copies of the instrument administered were returned. The table below shows the distribution of the instrument and the rate of retrieval. Table 1: Q u e s t i o n n a i r e A d m i n i s t r a t i o n and Ret r ieval Kingdom Questionnaire Copies Administered Percentage of Sample Size Questionnaire Copies Retrieved Mortality Rate (%) Percentage of Retrieved Copies Babbe 133 33.33 124 2.26 33.33 NyoKhana 133 33.33 122 2.75 32.79 KenKhana 133 33.33 126 1.75 33.87 Total V) 9 100 372 6.76 100 As it can be seen clearly from the table above, of the 399 copies of the questionnaire distributed to respondents in Babbe. Nvo-Khana and Ken-Khana kingdoms of Khana. 372 copies were returned. This number yielded a retrieval rate of 93.23% and a mortality rate of approximately 6 .76%(i .e . 100 93.23) the analysis of data was. therefore, based on the 372 copies of the instrument which, for the data computat ion, represented 100° «>. i'tnu-thx In llie SeiMie nf/fwnunilv The Caw of khana 1*h al (*o\% rtuncnl bra of finer i Stale ||i(| >0 / 5 |93 R e s e a r c h Q u e s t i o n O n e What nre the lex els o f a w a r e n e s s ami of the use of p rove rbs a m o n g the Khana people? Table 2: R e s p o n d e n t s ' Lex el of A w a r e n e s s a n d Use of P r o v e r b s in K h a n a L G A Pscphograpl i ic Charac te r i s t i c i'iv 1(11 envy Percenfâe of Sample Size Awareness of P rove rbs Yes 372 100 No 0 0 Total 372 100 Level of Awareness : 11 ijjh 295 79.30 Loxx 77 20. 70 Total 372 100 Use of Pro\ e rbs : Yes 295 79.30 No 77 20.70 Total 372 100 As table 2 abox e s h o w s , all the r e sponden t s said they w e r e a w a r e of the func t iona l i ty o f proverbs. What varied xvcre the levels o f awarenes s : whi l e 295 a c c o u n t i n g for 7 9 . 3 0 % w e r e h ighly aware of the p lace of p rove rbs in their c o m m u n i t i e s , 7 7 ( 2 0 . 7 0 % ) o f t h e m xvere j u s t a w a r e of the pract ice of us ing p r o v e r b s in c o m m u n i c a t i o n . T h e m a j o r i t y that w e r e h igh ly a w a r e o f the scruce of p rove rbs in soc ie ty a l so said they use and e n j o y the po t ency of p rove rbs in c o m m u n i c a t i n g . R e s e a r c h Q u e s t i o n Two Wha t a re s o m e ol the p rove rbs that are c o m m o n l y used to c o m m u n i c a t e a m o n u the Khana p e o p l e ? T a b l e 3 : M e a n R e s p o n s e s o n C o m m o n P r o v e r b s in K h a n a L G A Item Proverb( in Cngllsh t rans i t ion) Responses in Mean Scores W M S Decision SA A U D SD (a) What has the rabbit done for the hunter to skip the rat and go for the rabbit when both of them look alike and lixe in the same hole xxuh ex en the rat itself in front 100 25 120 101 26 3.19 Agreed (b) 1 hat a man is short does not mean he has a short lifespan 106 S6 III 3X 31 3.53 Agreed <c) 1 he tongue cannot resist x isinng xx here there is a soio in the mouth .>(10 oo 1 10 1 4 7-1 Aereed RCMS Barigbon Gh.ir.i Nscrcka I94 (d) The o n e v\ ho c a n n ot c l i m b the ful ly m a t u r e pa lm t ree w i th a great height for f rui t , g o e s for the y o u n g one . 3 0 2 55 10 2 3 4 .74 A g r e e d (c) If a s a eul tura l d a n c e g r o u p member >ou Uont luvc >our rclalixcs among the spcvUlois. uho will honour >011? 100 8 0 9 0 100 2 3 .47 A g r e e d There was no form of disagreement among the respondents 011 the issue of common proverbs. This position is evidenced by the high weighted mean score recorded lor each of the live sample proverbs (except the one in item (a) which does not have such a high wins). The proverbs in items (c) and (d) took the lead as the commonest proverbs. The implication is that the respondents have the ability to identify the common proverbs in their communities and, by extension, their communicat ive potency. Research Quest ion T h r e e How effective are proverbs in transmiting development messages among the people of Khana LGA? Table 4: Levels of Ef fec t iveness of P r o v e r b s in t ransmi t ting Development Messages Type of Development Message Very effective Effective Fairly effective Not effective (a) Publicizing events through town-crying 250(67.20%) 100(26.9%) 20(5.4%) 2(0.53%) (b) Social discourses on communal development 100(26.9%) 240(64.5%) 20(5.47%) 12(3.2) (c) Teaching moral lessons during story-telling sessions with children 230(61.82%) 100(26.88%) 20(5.38%) 22(5.91%) (d) Cracking jokes during comical encounters to evoke health enhancing laughter 250(67.20%) 100(26.9%) 20(5.4%) 2(0.53%) From table 5 above, it is clear that in the areas of publicizing events through town-crying and cracking jokes during comical encounters to evoke health-enhancing laughter, proverbs very effectively enrich messages that arc transmitted among the people of Khana. Besides the majority o f 2 5 0 who endorsed the view of "very effective" in the two areas stated above were the 230 respondents w h o said proverbs were also very effective in teaching moral lessons during story-telling sessions with children. On their own pan, 240(64.5%) of the respondents accounting also for a majori ty of the sample size of 372 subjects, believed that proverbs were effective in influencing communica t ion during social discourses on communal development. In the opinions of the other respondents to the four areas stated in table 4. proverbs were effective, fairly effective and even somet imes not effective in influencing the transmitted development messages. Research Ques t ion l o u r In what v \a \ s can the u>e of proverbs 111 communication engender peace, prosperity and sustainable dev elopment in the area? I'nuviln iii llnScnli,-1>( Ihmuinllv The Case of Khana t.wal Goiernnient Area u! Rnrrs Stale Mat. 2015 Table 5: Ways by which P r o v e r b s c a n e n g e n d e r P e a c e a n d D e v e l o p m e n t Item Now Proverbs can sustain Development in KIIALGA Responses in Mean Scores W.MS Decision SA A U D SD (a) Use them increasingly to address gatherings at town or village hall meetings. 150 90 50 40 42 3.71 Agreed (b) Use them increasingly to spice discussions in social and cultural associations and clubs. 156 100 30 30 56 3.51 Agreed (c) Use them increasingly to spice sermons in churches. 100 60 100 40 72 3.20 Agreed (d) Use them to teach moral lessons, especially to children 250 50 20 20 32 4.25 Agreed As in other cases above, there was a consensus a m o n g the people that the views in table 5 above were valid. This means that for peace, prosperi ty and sus ta inable development to be the continuous experience of Khana people, proverbs that spice and season communication arc required /> Discussion of F i n d i n g s The findings of this study are highly curious. Except where the respondents ' views varied slightly with respect to the levels of effectiveness of proverbs in t ransmit t ing development messages among the Khana people, there was a unanimity of v iews on the awareness and use of proverbs; proverbs commonly used among the Khana people; and on how proverbs could be used lo engender peace, prosperity and sustainable development in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State. It is thus a riddle to be resolved that even with the full awareness and great use of proverbs among the people and with a good knowledge of the ef fec t iveness of proverbs in transmitting development messages, in Khana communit ies , until very recently under the current caretaker local government administration, violent cr imcs like kidnapping, hostage taking, armed robbery, rape and other terrorist acts occasioned by cultism, were on the increase. The experience in Bori Town and its environs where people were robbed and kidnapped on daily basis, is a case in point. This could be due to the present situation where the use of proverbs to teach moral lessons during moonlight story sessions with children in their formative years, is now relaxed by the elders. Generally, in Khana communit ies today, moonlight story sessions have fallen out of popularity. The high agreement of the respondents with the view that some proverbs arc commonly used in Khana is a valid position. They thus agreed with Akpabio (2003)who says that in many societies in Nigeria, there is a prevalence of the use of proverbs and that many of the rules of society are conveniently expressed in proverbs, "which span almost every human endea \our while expressing time-tested truths" (p.77). Also significant was the respondents' agreement with the view that town-crying in publicizing events was one of the areas where proverbs were very effective in transmitting development messages. This position of theirs reinforces the importance of the town crier. The town crier, a.\ RCMS Barigbon Gbara Nscrckn 9 6 Ugboajah (1977) believes, typifies the model communicator who possesses both empathy and cultural undertaking of his audience. In fact, Etukudo (1989) notes that the town crier is an important link between the opinion or town leaders and the rest of the people. Postulating that the town crier must be a person "of impeccable character," he believes that the town crier will continue to play a prominent role in the rural areas both as a communicator and as a medium. By publicizing events, the town crier makes people aware of the existence of a change agent which is a giant step towards embracing social change. This idea is akin to Salccdo, Read, Evans and Kong's (1974) observation that exposure to (that is, awareness of) a message is a critical factor in information campaigns. The idea also echoes Ebczc's (2002) explanation that awareness leads to comprehension (or understanding) which may lead to attitude change that, in turn, may motivate the audience to action (i.e. a change in behaviour). v S u m m a r y , Conclusion and Recommendat ion Findings of the study showed that the people of Khana arc aware of the functionality of existing proverbs and also happily use them; that of the proverbs that have wide applicability across communities in Khana area, the people know the ones most commonly used in the LGA. It was also found that proverbs are used to publicize development messages; to crack jokes that evoke health-enhancing laughter; to enliven messages during discourses on communal development; and to teach moral lessons. The study concluded that there are well-known proverbs in Khana that can be used to ennch messages and used to publicize events and disseminate development messages. It was then recommended that for peace and sustainable development to be the lot of the people, proverbs should be used to spice messages that can bring about educational advancement, sports development, good health, cultural re-awakening and security. It was then recommended that more use should be of proverbs, riddles, folk-tales, legends and myths as folk modes of communication, to teach moral lessons in Khana LGA. This means returning to the fading era of engaging in telling stories under moonlight that teach good behaviour and the benefits of peace, obedience to parents, senior members of society and to constituted authority, a practice that is germane to prosperity and long life, according to the biblical provision in Ephesians 6. References Akpabio, E. (2003). African communication system: An introductory text. 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