Background: Traditional foods, once carriers of cultural identity and heritage, are being quietly replaced as globalization and modern ideals redefine the choices of younger generations. This ethnographic study investigated the cultural meaning and symbolism of Tuei, an indigenous maize-based beverage, among the Fante people in the Central Region of Ghana. The study aimed to document how Tuei is rooted in Fante social and ceremonial life, exploring its role as a symbol of identity, continuity, and tradition. Methods: A qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews were done with 7 participants involving one cultural expert, three elders, and three local producers. Results: The findings revealed that Tuei has a significant role in rites of passage such as marriages, funerals, and naming ceremonies, where it functions as a marker of status and social cohesion. It was daily used as a gesture of hospitality and symbol of community unity. Additionally, the study found that the nutritional benefits of Tuei was rich in essential nutrients from maize, which contribute to energy provision and digestion. Some participants also reported its traditional use in promoting digestive health and general well-being. Again, Tuei was influenced by modernization which has reduced its consumption among younger generations and elite groups. Conclusions: The study concluded with recommendations to strengthen these preservation efforts through educational initiatives, the integration of Tuei into cultural festivals, and ongoing community engagement to ensure the continuity of this cultural practice.

The thrust of this paper is to delve into the cohesive devices of political discourse as it pertains to Nelson Mandela‘s I Am the First Accused. The text was codified and the lexico-grammatical resources were examined in terms of semantic ties through the lens of Discourse analysis. The text was analysed based on Halliday and Hasan’s, 1976 five major cohesion classification categories: reference, demonstrative references, substitution, conjunction and lexical cohesion. The research indicated that there were sufficient phenomenon-example relationships within the text. In other words, there was adequate justification for claim statements within the text. There are also adequate cause-consequential relations in the text. Anaphoric references were commonplace in the text. It was also found out that cataphoric reference was sparingly used in the text. Analysis of the data also revealed that there were 30 instances of personal references, 21 demonstrative references, 3 instances of comparative references, and 6 instances of substitution. There were no instances of ellipsis. There were 7 instances of conjunction as a semantic link. There were 15 instances of repetition, 5 examples of synonyms and 3 instances of antonyms. It is recommended that public speakers and media practitioners take cognisance of cohesive devices and make their write-ups and speeches more cohesive and coherent for their audience and readers to decode meaning. Teachers of English as a second language should give serious attention to the teaching of cohesion as a semantic link within a text since cohesion and coherence aid the readability of a text. Cataphoric references sustain the interest of listeners and readers since they expect information yet to be given. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers of English as a second language should encourage their students to use some cataphors in their essays to create some kind of suspense in their readers. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) could also be used as an analytical tool to examine how power plays within the text.

This study is a critical analysis of the language and themes used by the under listed five African poets: The Cathedral by Kofi Awoonor, Troubadour by Dennis Brutus, Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka, I Will Pronounce Your Name by Leopard Seder Senghor, and If You Should Know Me by Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali. Its main thrust is, therefore, the isolation and discussion of the elements of language and the themes that make up the artistic framework upon which their individual poems are based. The writers employ Critical Race Theory as the framework for this work. It looks at how individually and collectively they tackle the theme of racism as well as their choices of language in expressing their contempt to this social canker. The study narrows down to a discussion of the artistic positions of the authors within these two basic narrative variables. An examination of the various artistic strategies employed to create a multi¬plicity of poetic fronts and their attendant scenes as well as backgrounds are what these divisions of the study target. It is this primacy of the artistic theme that this study dwells upon. The study intends to condemn this social injustice that brings separation rather than cohesion to human race. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service should organise essay competition on these African Poets' books to bring social cohesion among students in Ghana and Africa as a whole.