Modalities for taming the tongue against hate speech for national cohesion and development in Nigeria.

Abstract The tongue is a small organ in the human vocal “anatomy used in generating speech sounds. It is the most mobile speech organ, and by its “invisible” configuration, the tongue is like a double-edge sword. It can produce sweet and soured words, encouraging and discouraging words and is capable of “setting up” a beautiful edifice and setting same ablaze. There has been a hue and cry over the use of hate speech by politicians in Nigeria. Hate speech includes words, gestures, writing, and any other linguistic behavior that can spark off negative and inimical responses on the listeners. Such speech floods every media space, especially during electioneering campaigns and in political discourse. The use of hate speech by political gladiators in Nigeria is worrisome and calls for attention. Hate speech are used by the political class to denigrate their opponents, thereby generating crises. This paper examines the use of hate speech and canvases that politicians should eschew hate speech to engender peace and development in Nigeria. Data that instantiates hate speech was culled from social media, print and other electronic media. The data were descriptively and qualitatively analysed using H.P Grice’s cooperative principle theoretical framework. KEYWORD: Hate Speech, tongue, political gladiators, cooperative principle, crisis, cohesion, development.