| 1 |
Author(s):
OLUGBILE DAVID OLALEYE.
Page No : 1-13
|
A Comparative Review of the European Union Observation Mission’s Reports on the Nigerian 2019 and 2023 General Elections
Abstract
One of the means of knowing if a democracy is making progress is through successful successive elections and one of the ways to gauge the success of an election is to look into the reports of the various observation missions and groups that observed and monitored that election. The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) is one of the credible observation missions that have monitored Nigerian elections since Nigeria returned to civil rule in 1999. The reports of the Mission have helped to show the good, the bad, and the worst of the Nigerian brand of electoral process. Unlike the observation reports of the international organizations that Nigeria belongs to like the Commonwealth, the African Union and the ECOWAS, the EU EOM report is usually devoid of the element of a "progress report" as enunciated by Kelly (2012), the reports are more factual and more relatable. The paper submits that for a democracy to make genuine progress through its electoral process, its election needs to be observed by factual electoral observation groups in the mold of EU EOM, despite the expected claim of foreign interference by the indicted party in an election.
| 2 |
Author(s):
Christian Nzubechi Akubueze.
Page No : 14-24
|
Democracy’s Discontent and the Resurgence of Coups in West Africa: Implications for Africa
Abstract
The resurgence of military coups in African politics poses a challenge for democracy and it highlights the fragility of democratization in Africa. Going by the recent coup waves, democracy appears to be in a very fragile state in Africa. Africa for a very long time has enjoyed relative stability in its democratization process. However, this long period of stability is being challenged again as there have already been five successful overthrows of democratically elected governments in Chad, Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Niger between 2021 and 2023 in addition to the unsuccessful attacks. It is equally worth noting that the recent coup waves in Africa have been dominated by West African states: Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. Unlike in the past when citizens greeted attacks on democratically elected governments with discontent and disapproval, the recent coups have for so many reasons been met with support and acceptance by citizens through celebrations on the streets and supportive messages on social media. This paper therefore seeks to examine democracy’s discontent and the resurgence of coups in West Africa to identify its implications for Africa. The study relied essentially on qualitative data predicated on secondary data. The paper adopted populism as its framework of analysis. The paper revealed that the popular support for the recent coup waves stems from citizens' dissatisfaction with the performance of democracy and democratic leadership. The study recommended, amongst other things, that democratic institutions should be reformed and strengthened, good governance should be promoted by African leaders, and maximum attention should be paid to the welfare and concerns of the military to strengthen professionalism.
| 3 |
Author(s):
MEDU Kelvin Oghenerukevwe.
Page No : 25-40
|
An Examination of Nigeria and United States Relations: A Theoretical Perspective
Abstract
The diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the United States over the years have been marred by ups and down, progressive and regressive character. This paper examined the diplomatic relations between both countries under the Goodluck Jonathan and General Buhari’s administration (2011-2021). The paper focused on both countries diplomatic relations specifically on pandemic response and health, bilateral economic engagement, educational and cultural exchanges and peace and security engagement. Anchoring the paper’s theoretical review on trait theory of the leadership, the paper reviewed the collected historical data and conducted a comparative analysis of Goodluck’s administrations’ foreign relations with the United States (2011-2015) and that of his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari (2015-2021). The review revealed that Goodluck and Buhari shuttle diplomacy is yet to achieve a convincing impact on the international community in terms of establishing a strong foreign relation with the U.S and the challenges of Nigeria's foreign relations is how to overcome its integrity crisis, and thereby securing the desired respect for its citizens internationally. This paper further revealed that Buhari's foreign relation with the United States has more impact on Nigeria's economy than that of Goodluck administration, even though the challenges are still present in the Buhari administration such as the Boko-Haram insurgency, unemployment, farmers-headmen crises, kidnapping, police brutality, and so on. The paper recommended that for Nigeria to promote a viable national interest it must pursue and promote a dynamic and assertive foreign relation with the United States and other big nations of the world.
| 4 |
Author(s):
Sunday Esoso Nsed Ebaye, Simon O. Okputu.
Page No : 41-52
|
Collective Security and the African Regional Integration
Abstract
The end of the cold war and the marginalization of Africa, coupled with the vicious cycle of poverty, underdevelopment, disease and internecine conflicts are reasons for the aggressive support for African regional integration and security mechanism. Meanwhile, commitments to African regional integration have been constrained by a highly ambivalent critique of the colonial heritage of sovereignty, and unwilling to transfer any of such freedom to supra-national bodies. Yet this has the potential of enhancing their ability to coordinate the implementation of collective security. The objective of this research therefore is to place the relationship between the African regional integration and the efficacy of collective security within the region. The study adopted the Survey research design. The main instrument for data collection was structured questionnaires. The Spearman rank order correlation coefficient was used in testing the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that, there is a significant relationship between African regional integration and collective security/ effective deterrent to aggression, and also that, there is a significant relationship between the failure of African regional integration and the security dilemma confronting the region. The researcher therefore recommends that for the purpose of conflict management, the partnership between the UN and the AU, with its corresponding sub-regional organizations, should be akin to a pyramid. Regional security integration should rest on concepts of good governance, sound civil-military relations and commitments to democracy and human rights, and that regional security arrangements need to focus on modest measures for the prevention and containment of conflicts, rather than utopian ideas and complex institutional mechanisms.
| 5 |
Author(s):
Chilaka Francis Chigozie (Ph.D.), Okon Joshua Akpan.
Page No : 53-65
|
Nigeria’s Foreign Policy under President Muhammadu Buhari’s Civilian Administration, 2015 – 2022.
Abstract
Considering Buhari three-point agenda of dealing with corruption, fighting insecurity and reviving the economy, the major objective of the paper is to critically use Buhari Administration’s agenda as a parameter to assess the efficiency of his external relation goals. The method of analysis was purely qualitative. Data were sourced from Newspapers, Journals and Internet. The paper also adopted decision making theory to underpin the arguments. It is the findings of the paper that some of the foreign policies of President Muhammadu Buhari include one, external relations with neighbouring countries to tackle Boko Haram. These relations led to the creation of Multinational Joint Task Force. Two, financial aids from China to make up for the infrastructure gap and to revive the economy of Nigeria. Three, closure of the borders for the sake of economic protectionism. The paper concluded that, the foreign policies of Buhari did more harm than good. Therefore, the policies did not assist in achieving his political agenda. The policies brought burden of debt, over-dependency, heightened food insecurity and hyperinflation.
| 6 |
Author(s):
Tom Patricia Izuka.
Page No : 66-78
|
Dissolution of Customary and Statutory Marriages with a Single “Stroke”.
Abstract
Nigeria operates a dual system of marriage laws that allows the same parties who married under customary law to proceed and marry under the Act if they so wish.
Since both marriages are under the jurisdiction of different courts, this article seeks to address the misconception that to determine both marriages, only the statutory marriage should be dissolved.
| 7 |
Author(s):
Dr. Temitope Francis Abiodun, Dr. Moses Ayanyode Ayanlowo, Oluwapelumi Samuel Davis.
Page No : 79-92
|
Politicization of Humanitarian Aid Allocations by Global Donors and Implications on Selected Non-Governmental Organisations’ Performance in Nigeria
Abstract
Organisations that focus on humanitarian concerns usually rely on voluntary donations and largesse from multiple ends, without which their operations cannot be implemented. The premise of the paper was established on the fact that humanitarian aid is ultimately complemented by humanitarian funding, which is in itself reliant on donors from multiple ends. As a result of this, it has become difficult to divorce the political nature of the influence of donors’ interests in the allocation and focus of the humanitarian funding offered. This has resulted in a dilemma. The study focused on the issue of the politicization of humanitarian funding and how it affects the delivery of humanitarian aid in selected non-governmental organisations in Nigeria. Using a qualitative approach, 10 participants, working with different NGOs in Nigeria and occupying different positions, were recruited to derive data on the topic. Semi-structured interviews were utilised. The data obtained were analysed via thematic analysis to decode the data and derive recurrent themes from it. The results of the study showed that there is a consensus among the participants on the virtually inevitable role of politics in the acquisition and subsequent distribution of humanitarian funding to address issues related to conflicts and disasters among diverse communities across Nigeria. This often negates the principle of independence and autonomy that NGOs should work by where, in most cases, the acceptance of humanitarian funding from donors often leaves their hands tied. The study offered recommendations along the lines of creating mechanisms of transparency and accountability from both donors and recipient NGOs, having local NGOs seek support from their communities to be more involved in humanitarian missions, and heightened collaboration between humanitarian actors to make funding easier, more effective, and less politicized.
| 8 |
Author(s):
Taiwo Oluwadamilare Faleye, Adebayo Ola Afolaranmi (Ph.D).
Page No : 93-101
|
A Critical Overview of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)’s Origin, Goals, and Its Fall through the US and Allied Forces
Abstract
The origins of ISIS were traced to the Arab Spring that created instability in the Middle East. This instability was exacerbated by the American-led coalition's invasion of Iraq in 2003, prompted by the 9/11 attacks. The paper aims to have an overview of the origin and goals of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the strategies employed by the U.S. and Allied Forces to make ISIS fall. A systematic literature review approach was adopted to review the selected literature. ISIS was formed out of various militant groups in the country whose goal is to establish an Islamic caliphate governed by strict Sharia law. The goal of ISIS was to establish an Islamic caliphate in Iraq, Syria, and beyond with a caliph as the leader of the territories, thereby eradicating state borders and governments they deemed to be illegitimate. This caliphate is to be governed by strict Sharia law. This analysis delves into the strategies used by the US-led coalition to reclaim territories from ISIS. These strategies include military strategies, economic strategies, political strategies, and social strategies. It was, therefore, recommended that to combat ISIS's ideology effectively, the United States may need to collaborate more with Muslim clerics all over the world to promote interpretations of the Quran that counter radicalization in Islam.
| 9 |
Author(s):
Henok Abebe.
Page No : 102-116
|
The Facade of Justice: Transitionless Transitional Justice of Ethiopia
Abstract
The Ethiopian government has committed to a transitional justice process to address gross human rights violations through investigation, prosecution, truth-finding and revelation, reconciliation, conditional amnesty, reparation, and institutional reforms. Despite these efforts and international support, this mechanism will unlikely resolve Ethiopia's political and security issues. The government's lack of intent to cease ongoing conflicts and its continued human rights violations hinder effective participation in implementing the transitional justice process. Furthermore, the involvement of non-state and foreign actors, which are beyond the state’s authority, in gross human rights violations undermines accountability. Victims and witnesses in conflict zones face significant barriers to participation due to the government's limited reach and fear of retribution. Gross human rights violations by the government and the Ethiopian National Defense Force raise doubts about the accountability of civil and military leaders through a government-controlled transitional justice mechanism. To address these challenges, the current government should relinquish power to a transitional government to mitigate undue influence on the justice process, cease hostilities, and hold officials accountable. If the government resists establishing a transitional government, a hybrid court with foreign judges and prosecutors should handle high-profile cases, while domestic courts, with strict measures to ensure impartiality and independence, should address other cases.
| 10 |
Author(s):
William Hermann Arrey (Assoc. Prof.), Mbira Cyrille.
Page No : 117-134
|
Searching for Ways of Settling Land Conflicts by Peaceful Means in Cameroon: A Critical Analysis of the Peacemaking Role of the ‘Land Consultative Board’.
Abstract
The regulation of Land tenure systems is one of the main sources of conflicts in Africa and one of the continent’s most difficult realities to pin down. In its 1974 land reform, the Cameroonian legislature sought to strike a balance between traditional norms and modern instruments, between administrative, judicial and customary authorities, in order to establish an inclusive, democratic and peaceful system of land tenure. The establishment of the Land Consultative Board as the regulatory instrument the state planned to use in land matters was projected as the answer to this quest. While the original intention remains laudable - to enable the state, guarantor of the general interest to acquire a local instrument with the appropriate legitimacy and capable of ensuring the peaceful regulation of land tenure. It has to be said that, almost 50 years later, this ambition has not been achieved. The recurrence of conflicts and the density of disputes reflect the inadequacy of the rules governing land tenure in Cameroon, depriving the board of any real regulatory authority. The central argument of this paper is that the legislator's ambition was not sincere because of the precedence of the administrative authority to the detriment of other actors. The choice of evaluating this working assumption through the theory of the instrumentation of public action is therefore essential. It makes it possible not only to determine the legislator's intention through textual and contextual analysis, but also to observe the interplay of actors around this regulatory instrument through an interdisciplinary approach. Between its structural inability to acquire real autonomy and the barely concealed desire to downgrade custom, its role has steadily diminished along with its influence, though without disappearing. It remains, however, the institutional relic where the philosophy of the “palaver tree,” supported by the practice of non-violence and democratic dialogue, can still survive, as well as the keystone of the entire land tenure system of the country. The analysis of the consultative Board’s peacemaking role through its instrumentation (or its instrumentalisation) opens up new perspectives for understanding the regulation of public action in our so-called Southern countries, especially for decision-makers, donors and any actor interested in the thorny issue of land tenure insecurity.
Keywords: Cameroon, Land conflict, Land Consultative Board; land tenure, instrumentation, instrumentalisation, palaver, peacemaking
| 11 |
Author(s):
Esara Umoh Victor, Asuquo Mfon Effiong, Walter Omang Ogar.
Page No : 135-147
|
Impact of Modern Cultism and Governance in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the factors responsible for cultism in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This was necessitated by the prevalent cults attack that threatens lives and property in the state, and to examined the measures taken to fight against this menace. This study adopted two theories to guide the research, namely, symbolic interactionism and brotherhoodism in efforts to explain cultism. Data for the study were obtained through personal interview from traditional rulers, police and the clergy. While secondary data were obtained from textbooks, journals, newspapers, and magazines. A total of 100 respondents were selected using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data were analyzed qualitatively as well as theoretical and empirical studies reviewed form the basis for conclusion and recommendations. The paper recommends that the Nigeria police force should establish a police community trust relationship in their various station for effective crime prevention and control. Also, distress call lines should be made available to the public to send information to the police.
