A logico-semantic analysis of Prof. Kate Omenugha’s acknowledgement speech and the NUASS felicitation speech on the event of the professor’s nomination as a substantive Vice-chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University

Abstract

This study examines the logico-semantic relations employed in Prof. Kate Omenugha’s acknowledgment speech and the NUASS felicitation speech delivered during her nomination as the substantive Vice-Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University. Anchored on Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG), specifically the ideational meta function that accounts for clause complexes and their logico-semantic relations, the study adopts a qualitative approach to identify and analyse the patterns of meaning-making within the speeches. The analysis reveals three dominant logico-semantic relations: elaboration, extension, and enhancement. Elaboration functions to clarify and intensify the presentation of Omenugha’s qualifications and accomplishments; extension introduces related ideas that broaden the context and underscore the significance of the nomination; while enhancement creates temporal and causal linkages, guiding the audience through the sequence of events and reinforcing their relevance. The findings demonstrate how these relations enhance coherence, persuasiveness, and rhetorical appeal in formal institutional discourse. The study underscores the strategic deployment of language in academic and ceremonial contexts, offering insights into the interaction between linguistic choices and institutional power relations