ABSTRACT Culture is a central aspect of any human society. Once affected, positively or otherwise, the society’s way of living changes. Like other Southern African cultures, Mozambican culture is facing a new set of challenges, coupled with classic hindrances as it joins the global community. One of these challenges is the uncertain trajectory of mass […]
Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP): Issues and Challenges
ABSTRACT This paper examines the emerging concept of the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP), which is being orchestrated by ILO and the matrix of issues and challenges that confront the implementation of this programme. This paper presents perspectives on decent work from experiences in countries such as Nepal, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Moreover, it tries to […]
A Critical Analysis of Funding Strategies for Repositioning Higher Education in Nigeria
ABSTRACT There has been continuously declining budgetary allocations to higher education in most countries in the midst of increasing demand and awareness of its important contributions to global competitiveness, economic growth and sustainable development. This new trend has remained a contending challenge to educational planners and development economists to develop sustainable strategies and techniques for […]
Politics of Rumour and Rumour in the Power Dynamics
ABSTRACT Rumour is generally viewed as suspect evidence because, it is supposedly, communication constructed on unverified information. However, rumour, has seemingly transcended this generalized negative connotation and has acquired some air of importance with news value placed on it. This paper attempts an examination of rumour as a political manipulation tool, its social relevance and […]
Money Politics, Political Culture of Godfatherism and the Future of Democracy in Nigeria—Lessons from the 2007 Gubernatorial Election in Edo State
ABSTRACT Nigeria is one of the African countries that is responding to Western pressures to make its states acquire a liberal and democratic culture. Over the years, Nigeria has practiced what can be described as fraudulent democracy. This democracy has been characterized by obnoxious acts such as indiscriminately using money and by very powerful and […]
Patron-Client Politics: Democracy and Governance in Nigeria, 1999-2007
ABSTRACT: This paper will examine patron-client politics in the context of democracy and governance in Nigeria with special focus on the first phase of the Fourth Republic, 1999-2007. This paper, which is essentially based on study of secondary source data, reveals that the politics is neither historically new nor peculiar to Nigeria. Its evidence abounds […]
Elections in Nigeria Since the End of Military Rule
ABSTRACT: Since the end of military rule in May 1999, the nationwide elections have been trailed with issues and incidents that generate a lot of anxiety, fear and trepidation. For the record, since the exit of the military from political power, there have been general elections in 2003 and 2007. The conduct and outcome of […]
From the Editors – Volume 4, No. 2
Over the past few months many of us have been following the news of forthcoming elections throughout Africa. We have been following the prospects for successful 2011 elections in Nigeria in particular, due to its great significance to the entire region. With this in mind we open this latest issue with several important contributions on Nigerian politics. The first, by Dr. Oarhe Osumah and Austin T. Aghemelo of Ambrose Alli University in Ekpoma, Nigeria, entitled “Elections in Nigeria Since the End of Military Rule,” emphasizes the recent challenges to the democratic process in Nigeria and the all-too-often brutal political divides (and allegedly democratic allegiances) that follow in the wake of democratic elections. Their observations on recent “democratic” experience in Nigeria are timely and struck us as well-researched and well-informed words of both “democratic” hope and caution. We were so impressed with this first piece that we included a second contribution from Dr. Osumah, entitled “Patron-Client Politics, Democracy and Governance in Nigeria, 1999-2007.” Once again, you will undoubtedly appreciate the wisdom of Dr. Osumah’s thoughtful observations; throughout, one hears his undoubted hope for Nigeria’s political future.
Book Review: Experiments in Freedom: Explorations of Identity in New South African Drama
This book is a study of post‐apartheid identity formation through an analysis of South African drama. Anton Krueger, a playwright and academic, looks at about a dozen plays written in English and produced between 1994 and 2004. The book is 231 pages and is divided into seven parts and subdivided into 28 chapters of varying […]
Social Justice, Democracy and Cultural Renewal in Nigeria
Globally, democracy is at the heart of social justice. This is because it represents a vehicle for the actualization of the principles of fairness, equality of opportunity, liberty, and social rights and the absence of social and class barriers. In the Third World, social justice is largely constrained by the failed attempts to deepen and […]
