CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Society survival and growth depends on a number of things, among them is a system of communications. According to Bitner (1980) quoted in Okuna (1999).
What we know as communication today has developed over a number of centuries. The sophisticated and complexity which characterized human communication in the modern world are the result of very long and sustained efforts by human beings to improve on one of the most fundamental aspects of their existence; Okuna (1993).
Communication began when humanity existed. The early men who inhabitad the earth ten million years lived in caves and they had faces and behaviours of apes. The form of communication used as at then, before the manifestation of language was mostly through touch (tactile communication) and vocal signals.
Communication according to Okunna (1991) is basically the means to share ideas, information, opinions, feelings or experience between people so what then is traditional communication? It is the type of communication that ideas mainly with the use of signs and symbols, drum language. Masquerades and Puppet Theater, the traditional forms of communication found in Nigerian culture, reflects tensions that exist between oral and literate cultures. It has been used right from the time by our people in the rural areas to decode meanings based on what language one speaks, the sounds and sequence of sounds which were given by the different ethnic groups is understood by them and their offspring. It is an adventure of social conventions which have been sharpen and blended into veritable communication modes and system that have become standard practices for society.
The use of signs and symbols to communicate is a typical attribute of traditional communication is a typical attribute of traditional communication for examples, the palm frond (eyei) that is displayed in a plot of land signifies that an injunction into the land has been placed sending a piece of palm frond (eyei) to someone in the house or a neighbouring community also signifies some kind of problem only understood by the symbol users the Ekpo, Ekpo, Obon, ekong masquerades also have a traditional sign and symbol which makes their communication possible within the groups. A town crier beats the drum even without saying anything gets the people alert and ready for announcement.
A white native chalk (ndom) or black charcoal (nkang) when used symbolizes something in any rural community that understands its usage. The palm frond (eyei), speech, folkcore and proverbs are also known as oramedia, (Ogbridah 1985). And is the most effective and fastest means of communication within a community.
Traditional ways of solving conflicts is by identifying if this form of communication is used in the community, can it be effective in solving conflict? Base on this, this study became necessary.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Communication is very vital to human existence, hence some scholars believe that it is synonymous with life. Traditional communication which is a form of communication makes use of signs and symbols. Despite the overwhelming importance of traditional communication in the society, many people are still not aware that traditional communication could be used in conflict resolution. Some are not aware of the role of traditional communication which can be used in solving conflict among people of the community. It has been observed that people of the Udung Uko Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State have often involved in one form of conflict or the other but how they have been resolved have become a mystery. It could be asked; to what extent is traditional communication effective in conflict resolution?