LINGUISTIC REPRESENTATION AND LEXICAL CHOICES ON MILITANTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THE NIGER DELTA
In the Niger Delta region, Multi National Oil Corporations have been massively involved in the production of crude oil since 1956 when Shell British Petroleum successfully discovered oil in commercial quantities at Oloibiri the present-day Bayelsa state. Ever since, Shell, Mobil, Chevron, Agip, Elf and Texaco had operated and continue to operate in the region on the basis of joint venture agreements with the federal government through the NNPC. After some decades of oil exploration and production in the region, the oil wealth has not translated into development in the region. Instead, it has caused environmental despoliation through dredging, construction of access canals to create paths to installations, oil spillages, gas flaring, oil well blowouts, and improper disposal of drilling mud, as well as pipeline leakages and vandalism.
Keywords: Linguistic Representation, Lexical Choices, Militants, Environmental Issues, Niger Delta
