Papers for Vol.1, No.1
Papers for Vol.1, No.1
Cover Page
Preliminary Pages
CRIMINALITY AND VIOLENCE AS GROWING PHENOMENAIN THE 21ST CENTURY GLOBALIZED WORLD
IBRAHIM SHEKARAU
ADR IN NIGERIA’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
C. A. OGBUABOR
THE NIGERIAN STATE AND PROSELYTIZATION OF CRIMINALITY AMONG CONSTITUENT NATIONALITIES: FERTILIZING THE UNEXPLORED THESIS
The Nigerian State is in transition- evolving from pre-colonial through colonial to post-colonial acculturation. Meanwhile, state in Nigeria is fundamentally interventionist, overbearing and domineering. Again, the persistence of inchoate instruments of coercion largely predisposes the state to manipulation by parasitic dominant social forces who are surrogates to marketization predators. Thus, the tendency of these economic development soothsayers and melancholic technocrats to steer the ship of governance towards self- serving and ethnic/religious suppression of other ethnic nationalities implanted the seed of crime and predispose these constituent groups to resort to criminal vises as mechanisms for self-help and countering the menacing criminal state. We relied basically on documentary method of data collection and predicated our investigation on the theory of neo-colonial state as the theoretical framework. The central thesis of the paper is that the rabid use of state apparatus to commit acts of deprivation, segregation, alienation, domination and ethnic cleansing leads to regionalization of crimes and internalization of criminal vises as mechanisms for survival of ethnic nationalities. These acts proliferate conflicts and hate speeches among constituent nationalities.
ALOYSIUS-MICHAELS OKOLIE
THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN CONTROLLING CRIMINALITY AND VIOLENCE AS GROWING PHENOMENA IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY GLOBALIZED WORLD
E. O. CHUKWUMA
THE DIALECTIC OF VIOLENCE: RETHINKING ARMED ROBBERYIN FEMI OSOFISAN’S ONCE UPON FOUR ROBBERS
The interaction of various dynamics which determine a society’s socio-economic reality is always affirmed by the inevitable forces of demand and supply. However, observable dialectic of these socio-economic dynamics portrays lop-sidedness in the distribution of wealth in favour of a category of citizens to the exclusion or disadvantage of another set of citizens. Through this kind of pervasive polarity, violence is enunciated within the underclass who feels alienated, deprived, and exploited. In response, the underclass reciprocates violence with brutal violence by plundering social spaces, partaking in the collective patrimony through banditry and brigandage. This paper argues that, to a good degree, armed robbery, banditry, and sundry acts of violence are caused, maintained, and sustained by contemporary social forces subliminally upheld by the government of the day. Femi Osofisan’s play, Once Upon Four Robbers dramatizes the activities of four armed robbers who, in reaction to neglect by the subsisting power apparatus, unleash mayhem on society. The play provides a suitable platform for a critical exegesis of the socio-economic interplay that gives rise to violence which subsumes multiple vices. The attention of the public and the government is called to their remote complicities in the enthronement of violence. In this way, contact is made, awareness is created, and the general perception of violence is realigned.
PROMISE ADIELE
EFFECT OF POLITICAL GODFATHERISM ON NIGERIA POLITICS: A CASE STUDY OF KARU LGA OF NASARAWA STATE
This paper discusses the role of political godfatherism in Nigeria politics. The paper focuses on the emergence of political godfatherism and its effects on dividend of democracy. Study has shown that godfatheism is part of Nigeria political history. In Hausa society it is a common place to hear people referring to political godfathers as ‘maigidi’’ and ‘’baba isale’’. The Igbo people call godfather as ‘Nnam-Ukwu’. These are palpable testament to the fact that political godfatherism is part of the cultural fabric of Nigeria politics. This work is anchored on expectancy theory of Victor Vroom which is also called Valence-expectancy theory which is used to explain the action of political godfathers in the country. According to him, individuals are motivated to perform certain actions to achieve certain goals if they know or expect that such actions will help them attain the desired goals. Seen in this light, it means that a political godfather will be ready to place his material and political resources at the behest of a neophyte seeking public office in so far as he expects or believes that such ‘benevolence’ will yield economic dividends if the latter wins in an election. The researchers adopted quantitative method to carry out this study. One hundred and fifty structured copies of questionnaires were printed and distributed to the research participants. Out of which 100 were correctly filled and retuned. The study has been able to establish that the people of Karu LGA of Nasarawa State are aware of the activities of political godfatherism. This is so as 54% of the research participants affirmed so. The study further demonstrated that the phenomenon of political godfatherism is a progeny of corruption, poverty, lack of voters’ education and military influence. This is so as 30 % of the respondents affirmed so. The study recommends that the outrageous and intimidating amount of money that are charged on nomination of interest forms by political parties should be reduced to such a paltry amount that an average citizen can afford. In this case the temptation to build alliance with political godfathers who will finance them and dictate the affairs of an entire political system throughout their stay in office will not arise. The study further prescribes that political godfatherism should be criminalized and disbanded out rightly. This is because it is criminal and illegal in the way and manner in which it is practiced Nigeria.
ANDREW ALAPA ABECHI, MIRIAM NKIRUKA EGBUCHE & AMAHA STEPHEN
TRADITIONAL SECURITY SYSTEM IN COLONIAL EASTERN NIGERIA: AN APPRAISAL OF OGWUMIRI AND OGBUZURU IKELIONWU
The British penetration and conquest of hinterland Igbo in the first decade of the 20th century was a landmark in the peoples history. Apart from the heavy transformation and distortion of major traditional values and heritage, the invaders masterminded the establishment of the infamous Native Authority System through the appointment of Anglophiles christened Warrant Chiefs. As the embodiment of the people’s political and judicial authority, the Warrant Chiefs adopted several measures to consolidate the newly acquired status, one of which was the use of militia gang. This study examines the traditional security mechanisms, organizations and operations of Ogwumili and Ogbuzuru Ikelionwu in the consolidation of colonialism in Igboland, which were created by Chief Onyeama of Eke and Chief Chukwuani of Ozalla respectively. The study explores the level of tolerance and acceptance accorded the militia by the British amidst the formers clandestine and inhuman activities. This made mockery of British advocacy and campaign for human right. Nevertheless, some element of the militia tactics and expertise should be incorporated into the nations armed forces especially on wars against insurgency.
AMBROSE ONU ONYEAWUNA & VITALIS NWASHINDU
CONCEPTUALIZING STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE, POLICING AND CRIMINALITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A RE-READING OF CHINUA ACHEBE’S TEXTS
The 21stcentury is a global age in which nation states are replete with leadership and authoritarian illegality. Hence, issues of policing, violence and criminality are everyday occurrences in present day society, experienced by different categories of individuals. Policing inter alia is for law enforcement and protection of the citizens. In these contemporary times policing has become a factor of violence for the state authority. Violence in many nation states has therefore become structural, subsumed into the system and perpetuated by government. Individuals are violated, vulnerable, and helpless. Criminality of different shades and magnitude increases by the day. Police assaults, shootings, killings, bribery, illegal arrests, intimidation of the citizens and violations of rights are rife. Some of these issues are captured in the political and satirical novels of Chinua Achebe, such as, Anthills of the Savannah and A Man of the People. These narratives present political corruption, police criminality and structural violence against the people. These are examined on the standpoints of Max Weber’s theory of “State Monopoly on Violence” and Johan Gaultang’s concept of “Structural Violence”. This paper discusses the corroboration and culpability of the state in perpetuating violence and crime through the apparatus and agencies of the state. It specifically makes a literary analysis of the instances of state induced crime and violence through policing. The essay makes a case for a review of state structures inimical to the rights of the people in this 21st century.
NGOZI DORA ULOGU
MUSIC COMPOSITION BASED ON NIGERIAN/AFRICAN TRADITIONAL MUSICAL IDIOMS: A PANACEA FOR CRIMINALITY AND VIOLENCE
Music composition – whether folk, art or popular – has inestimably enhanced knowledge and immensely contributed positively to society building throughout the ages in scores of ways. It transfers history from generation to generation and has been a unifying element, a means of disseminating information and a medium of correcting bad conduct in the society. Ruminations over the conflict situation in Nigeria reveal the necessity of the continuum of music composition (and performance) as a medium of talking to a wide audience to enhance correction of mistakes and oversights in the nation. Composers such as Akin Euba, Christian Onyeji, Daniel Agu, Joshua Uzoigwe, Meki Nzewi, and the like have established compositional styles and genres (e.g. African vocalism, African pianism, drummistic piano styles, native-air styles, etc.) that project the continuum of African/Nigerian musical traditions. The researcher, through historical and descriptive approaches, seeks to discuss the strength and importance of art music compositions which draw from Nigerian/African traditional musical idioms, as alternative ways to the sustenance of history, good communication and correction of societal vices.
AUSTINMARY IFUNANYA EZE & IMMACULATA CHEKWUBE UGOCHI
CRIMINALITY AND THE JUDICIARY IN THIS 21ST CENTURY: AN APPRAISAL
The rise of crime in this 21st century is quite alarming, there are diverse forms of violent acts perpetuated in Nigeria by sects otherwise known as terrorists, militants, insurgents, bandits, kidnappers and the likes, also electoral and domestic violence are not left out. These notorious and unlawful violent practices/crimes in the communities have resulted in an unending security threats to human lives and property. Thus, the judiciary is seen as the last hope of the masses in their continual efforts to enforce the laws meant to deter people from committing crimes and punishing those found guilty of crime. This work which focused particularly in Nigeria appraised the roles of the judiciary in tackling the increasing rate of criminality and violence in this 21st century. It is however recommended that the judiciary (members of the Bar and Bench) should play their respective roles diligently in order to ensure that there is a fall in or reduction of crimes and violence in this 21st Century and thus make the society a safer place to live in. Also, the Law Enforcement Agencies especially the Police should also brace up in combating these violent acts against the lives and properties of people.
EBERECHUKWU EKEMMA OMEZUE-NNALI
RISING CRIMINALITY AND CHALLENGES OF CRIME REPORTING IN NIGERIA
This paper examines the upsurge in crimes in Nigeria as well as the challenges of crime reporting in major Nigerian newspapers. It establishes that the worship of money and the erosion of ethical, moral and cultural values have, to a large extent, contributed to the rising criminality in the country. The paper also finds out that organization’s news slants, ethnic and gender prejudices have, in some instances, coloured efforts by some of the newspapers to achieve objectivity in their crime reports. It calls for ethical, moral and cultural reorientation of Nigerians, especially the youths, to curb the rising criminality in the country. The paper concludes that initiating more training programmes for crime reporters and some media managers will enhance their objectivity in crime reporting.
ROBERT OBIOHA
LITERARY IDEOLOGY AND THE CONSTRUCT OF VIOLENCE AND CRIMINALITY: A CRITICAL REFLECTION ON F. O. ORABUEZE’S MEN BEHIND THE MASKS, ADAMU KYUKA USMAN’S HOPE IN ANARCHY MEKINZEWI’S AND THE DEAD SING …JUSTICE
This paper attempts to explore the representation of violence and criminality in literary works, with limited focus on select Nigerian novels. In the study of literature as the language of representation, Aristotle’s concept of mimesis has come to stay as representation. However, for many a modern realistic critic, mimesis implies that literary criticism will be vacuous and trite if it does not consider the writing and reading environment. But even in reflecting the society, literature and literary criticism still maintain the otherness status of the art. Thus, from a Marxist and Post colonialist perspectives, this paper shall advance Northrop Frye’s view that the critic is no longer imaginatively subjected to a literary work but tries to make sense out of it, not by going to some historical contexts or by commenting on the immediate experience of reading, but by seeing its structure within literature and literature within culture. Here, we bear in mind that culture is dynamic and has language as its vehicle and the critic deals with language as represented in the work under scrutiny. Violence and criminality have animated the words in F.O Orabueze’s Men Behind the Masks, Adamu Kyuka Usman’s Hope in Anarchy and Mekinzewi’s And the Dead Sing… Justice. These artists have incorporated and built on the basic form patterns of language to create art from these global phenomena that have assumed the proportion of “modern culture.” In identifying loss of social value as the bane of violence and criminality and proffering intellectual militancy as a possible solution, this critic still relies on Northrop Frye’s view that literary criticism is both centripetal and centrifugal, that is, moving inwardly towards the structure of a text and outwardly toward the society and the outer world; one relying on syntax and lexical choice to delineate characters and establish mood and the other relying on the elements of history and visual aesthetics to draw conclusions. It is the beauty of literature to hold this apparent contradiction in creative tension.
BENJAMIN NWABUISI ABIA
VIOLENCE AS AN ALBATROSS TO PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE: A PSYCHOANALYTIC APPRAISAL OF CHINUA ACHEBE’S A MAN OF THE PEOPLE AND ARTHUR MILLER’S THE CRUCIBLE
More than ever, violence and criminality double as a global problem and re-occurring social issues eliciting serious attention from the people, governments, and researchers. Its nature, manifestations, perpetrators and effects differ with respect to contexts; hence, there is a growing awareness that the phenomena: violence stand out as an obstacle to peace co-existence citizens in societies. This paper, therefore, aims at exploring and exposing those mundane tendencies of man which contribute to chaotic situations as a result of violence. The texts under study have been critiqued from different angles but none from the comparative perspective, judging that the texts under study are from different genres, cultural background and literary periods, thereby creating a gap in scholarship which this paper tries to bridge. Relying on psychoanalytic theory, this paper examines the different aspects of violence that characterize the protagonists of these texts. Findings reveal that emotional, physical and psychological violence are prevalent in the literary texts under study. This paper submits that the esteemed institution such as the court of law should always follow the rule of law through proper scrutiny of cases and eschew using superstition as its basis for judgement and also those in places of authority should shun deceit and all forms of violence as well as lead the people aright. All these are geared towards eliminating criminality and violence in the 21st century globalized world.
ANTHONIA-GREG NWANEKWU CHIBUOKE, CAROLINE OLUBUNMI NWAKA & VICTORY OGOCHUKWU OKPALA
RELIGION AND THE CHALLENGES OF FANATICISM IN NATION BUILDING
This paper investigates the challenges of forms of religious fanaticism in our society today. The culture of violence is a steadily growing social phenomenon in the entire world today. It is so bad that violence has metamorphosed into various shapes, forms and definitions. The expansion of the forms and methods of incubating, hatching, and generating violence across the global community has transformed it into criminality. From this stand point religious violence has assumed new forms and dimensions. Violence from the pulpit has been discovered to be so injurious to faith adherents but remained subtle and very damaging. The subtle nature of violence issuing out from the pulpit cannot be divorced from the naivety of religious worshippers. Men and women of God capitalize on this religious ambivalence and opportunity to unleash subtle violence on the psyche of unsuspecting worshippers. Over time, this privileged position of servants of God in various religions has become means of fulfilling self’s interests especially, power, intimidation, wickedness and material acquisition. The security of lives and property should be high in the policies and programmes of any government in power. It then stands to reason that religious fanaticism is criminal, distasteful and retards national progress. The method of inquiry used in this piece is religious phenomenology. It tries to capture and explain the metamorphosis of religion in relation to its definition, understanding and practice. This work discovered that religious fanaticism begins with personal idiosyncrasies and uncontrolled passion for authority and wealth. This work is of the opinion that government of the day and recognized bodies like Christian Association of Nigeria, Catholic Bishops conference of Nigeria and Pentecostal fellowship of Nigeria should check the excesses of its clergy in parishes and formation houses while delivering ministerial, national and social duties.
AMBROSE ONYEKA JUSTICE IHEANACHO
CHILD RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN AHMADOU KOROUMA’S ALLAH IS NOT OBLIGED AND ELNATHAN JOHN’S BORN ON A TUESDAY
Literary artists often employ their crafts to portray shades of child rights violations which may sometimes lead to physical and psychological complications. Literary critics, therefore, have explored various degrees of child rights violations and the denial of the agency of children in many literary works. Both the writers and the critics tackle this attitude of undermining the rights of children with the hope to prick the conscience of the society against such obnoxious act. This study will add to the discourse of child rights violations as portrayed in Ahmadou Korouma’s Allah Is Not Obliged and Elnathan John’s Born On A Tuesday in order to highlight some of their grave consequences on children and the society at large. The choice of the two texts is informed by the fact that serious scholarly research in the novels have never focused on issues of child rights violations. Using the qualitative method of analysis, the study utilises the Sociological and Systems Theory to illustrate how environmental factors of social, economic, political and multiple interrelated systems breed mediums of child rights violations. The study aims at exposing the various ways in which these violations occur, and their consequential effects on the child and by extension the society. It further examines how issues of child rights violations can be completely eradicated. This study, therefore, submits that adequate parental guidance and monitoring, political will and stability, and religious tolerance, protective roles of clerics and individuals, use of child rights organisations and proper sex education could bring to an end issues of child’s right violations and abuses.
THOMAS-MICHAEL EMEKA CHUKWUMEZIE & UCHENNA FRANCES OBI
CLIMATE CHANGE, INSECURITY AND HERDSMEN-FARMER CRISIS IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIA
More than ever before, the dangers associated with climate change has become more evident and impactful in all societies across the globe in the contemporary era. The dilemma results from natural occurrences to human-induced manifestations; all pointers to the depth and impact on human lives. The present study examines the nexus between desertification of northern Nigeria that harbors 98% of herdsmen in the country and conflicts with farmers on account of the search for arable land for grazing. The continued pattern of migration of the Fulani herdsmen from the North to other parts of the South is a clear manifestation of the pervasive impact of climate change in the region. Thus, the clashes between herdsmen and farmers is presently threatening inter-group relations especially in the middle belt; aggravating ethnic, religious and political tensions across the country. The security conundrum into which this dilemma has put the country manifest as one sore thumb requiring surgical intervention before a possible conflagration that could unbundle the Lugardian architecture of 1914.This paper, contributing to the debate on climate change, green economy and security adopts a qualitative approach in methodology and with a historical narrative model for its analysis by utilizing both primary and secondary sources of data. It concludes that governments across the region especially sahelian West Africa must positively engage themselves to proffer a joint response to the malaise in the land. It specifically tasked the Nigerian state to be proactive in environmental policies that could curb rise in bloody conflicts in the land.
VICTOR UKAOGO
YORUBA FILM INDUSTRY AND TRADITIONAL THEATRE: A RETROSPECTIVE OVERVIEW
Although the golden age of Yoruba folk opera, Yoruba travelling theatre and Yoruba theatre is over, but their contribution to the development of film genre in Nigeria remains historical. Although some documents hold it that the rise of contemporary Nollywood Film Industry points to Kenneth Nebue’s Living in Bondage (1992), history has it that the Yoruba Travelling Theatre deserves the accolades for the rise of Nigerian Film Industry. Consequently, the paper argues for the recognition of the status of the Yoruba travelling theatre as the cradle of what is now Nollywood films. It undisputable that Kenneth Nebue’s Living in Bondage brought the industry to limelight, nevertheless, The Yoruba popular theatre practitioners are catalyst for the rising video film production in Nigeria. The paper explores their contribution via their rich tradition of touring plays (mobile theatre), especially those of Pioneer Ogunde’s Aiye (1979), Jajesinmi (1980) and TaxiDriver (1982). Ironically, none of these films has been given national recognition.