PRAGMATIC ACTS IN COMMENTS ON THE REMOVAL OF FUEL SUBSIDY IN PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU'S INAUGURAL SPEECH

Abstract

The paper examines the use of pragmatic acts in Twitter comments

from May to August 2023. The study focuses on a population of fifty

tweets, with a sample of fifteen selected for detailed analysis. The

theoretical framework employed for the analysis is the Speech Act

Theory by Searle, and the research design follows a qualitative model.

The findings of the study indicate the prevalence of various pragmatic

acts such as commissives, assertives and declaratives in the tweets.

While directives and commissives are present, they are relatively few

in number. The study identifies political opinions, criticism and the

desire to share public opinions as underlying motivations behind the

tweets. The research emphasizes the importance of pragmatics and

context in meaning formation, highlighting that transparent

communication is crucial. Furthermore, the recommendation is to

encourage transparent communication and consider diverse

communication platforms to facilitate a more inclusive and

comprehensive understanding of public opinion. Overall, the study

sheds light on the nuanced use of pragmatic acts in online discourse,

particularly in response to a significant political event such as the

removal of fuel subsidy.