Is the State still in International Relations Theorising?

From 1945 to date, the state has been at the centre of debates in IR theorizing. While the anti-statist theorists had contested and are still contesting its centrality in IR theorizing, the unrepentant state-centric theorists even in the era of technological globalization still consider it, the fulcrum of IR. This paper in a discursive cum historical fashion, drawn mainly from secondary source, examined the nature of the debates in order to decipher its limit or limitlessness in comtemporary IR theorising. The paper, after a careful diagnosis of the concept of the state as well as undergoing the genealogical survey of state centrism in IR theorising, concludes that the state though is still the primary actor in IR but the empirical realities of the post WWII World have confirmed that it is no longer, what it used to be. Hence, it has limits in contemporary IR theorizing

Why they might have gone wild: the Yorubas of southwestern Nigeria and the politics of the First Republic

This paper argues that contrary to the general belief that the Yorubas or the westerners through their unconventional mode of politicking destroyed Nigeria’s first republic, the seeds of destruction were first sown in 1914 when Lord Frederich Lugard, the British chief imperial agent amalgamated the various autochthonous communities into one capitalist state. Drawing from the frustration-aggression theory as discernible in the works of Gurr (1970, 2000; Feierabend and Feierabend, 1972; Louis and Snow, 1981; Ellingsen, 2000; Stewart, 2000, 2002), the paper submits that if other ethnic groups had found themselves ‘trapped’ in similar conditions, their reactions could have not have more been different. The paper recommends that revisiting the 1914 episode should be the major agenda for ‘peacing’ Nigeria together from the pieces.Keywords: Yorubas, South Western Nigeria, Politics, Nigeria, First Republi

The State, the Media: Conceptual Elucidations and the Nigerian Context?

This paper undertakes two tasks. First, it critically examines conceptual problematique surrounding the concepts of the state and the media in literature, and second, it empirically teases out state –media relations in Nigeria with the objective of understanding the character of the relations. Drawing mainly from secondary data sources, it contends that while there are conceptual ambiguities revolving around the concepts of the state and the media, there had also been uneasiness in state-media relations in Nigeria which cannot be divorced from the authoritarian character of the Nigerian State. It recommends, among others, the deconstruction and decolonization of the meddlesome Nigerian State

Potential of Orange Peel Ash as a Cement Replacement Material

The potential of Orange peel ash (OPA) as a cement replacement material was investigated with focus on the effect of OPA content on the physicomechnical properties such as consistency, setting times, soundness, compressive and flexural strengths of OPA-cement blend for cement replacement between 2.5-10% at 2.5% interval. The optimal calcination temperature and time of orange peel (OP) was achieved by calcining the OP at various temperature between (600 °C, 700 °C, 800 °C) and time (1 hr. and 2 hrs.) respectively. The chemical compositions of the various orange peel ashes were determined using X-ray fluorescence equipment and the optimal conditions was obtained at 600 °C and 2 hours. The consistency and setting time tests were conducted with a Vicat apparatus on the binary cement pastes in accordance to ASTM standards. Results indicated an increase in the water required for consistency as the OPA content was increased from 2.5-10 % which was attributed to the unburnt carbon content present in the ash. Similarly, a gradual increase in the cement replacement with OPA resulted in a prolonged setting time which was could be attributed to the diminution of the clinker content and the higher water requirement for normal consistence. The soundness of the OPA cement blend experienced an increase in free lime content as the OPA content rose from 2.5-10 %. Both compressive and flexural strengths were found to decrease as the OPA content was gradually increased whereas an increase in the strengths were observed as the curing days progressed. It was also observed that 5% cement replacement with OPA did not adversely affect the strength in comparison to the OPC control due to the pozzolanic reaction which resulted in the enhanced strengths especially at 28 days

Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) services in a Nigerian university: a report

This is a brief report of Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) services in Redeemer’s University, Nigeria (RUN). It highlights the operations of SDI services in RUN. SDI services in RUN are aimed at meeting the growing information needs of faculty members. It has enhanced the reputation of the library as well as increase patronage of library services. To elicit information from the faculty, a profile form was designed. The form is a description of the process and procedure of providing current information but personalized to the faculty, and keeps them abreast of the latest development. One of the major challenges of the operations in RUN is that certain search engines being used in the provision of SDI services e.g yahoo and AltaVista are not good enough for effective information retrieval. Much is expected to be done in this regard

Pervasive intra-party conflicts in a democratising Nigeria: Terrains, implications, drivers and options for resolution

Intra-party conflicts of all shapes and complexions have been part and parcel of Nigeria’s democratic journey. However, in recent times, they have become much more pervasive and even assumed crisis dimensions, with negative implications for democratic stability and consolidation. Drawing from the literature and interpreting the evidence, this article examines the terrain, implications and drivers of intra-party conflicts in a democratising Nigeria with a view to recommending options for resolution. It proceeds from the premise that pervasive intra-party conflicts, which have now assumed crisis dimensions, are not given, but have been nurtured by certain structural factors which have shaped the contours of politics in Nigeria. Specifically, it argues that the crises are closely connected with the neo-patrimonial character of the Nigerian petro state, the nature of politics being played by the political actors, praetorian hangover, and the paucity of democrats who genuinely have democratic temperaments to play the game of democratic politics according to established rules. It calls for, among others, the reform and strengthening of the internal conflict management capacities of political parties in Nigeria.Keywords: democracy, political parties, elections, intra-party conflicts, conflict management, Nigeri

Neo-Liberal Globalization, the State and Conflicts: Some Remarks on Sub- Sahara Africa

This article interrogated in theoretical cum descriptive fashion the linkage s between neo-liberal globalization the state the arena of politics and conflicts using sub-Sahara Africa as a research backdrop Drawing from secondary data sourced mainly from textbooks and journals and leaning on dependency theoretical platform it found out that neo- liberal globalization has affected states in the global system differentially While the developed states of the north had developed various strategies to deal with the enigma and had even made huge success of it the dependent post-colonial states in Africa have been at the mercies of this technologically driven post- cold war phenomenon Merciless it argues that globalization has dented the integrity of these states in manner that made them to lose legitimacy in the eyes of citizens under their confines The outcome of such state of affairs was the relocation of legitimacy from them to the sub-state movements which in most cases have now become the new sites of conflicts in the region The article recommended two action areas for reversing the trends First at the national level the state the epicentre of the socio-economic space needs to be reconstituted It is expected that a genuinuely democratic nation-states could serve as building blocks for continental integration Second sub-Sahara African states must move the integration process beyond rhetori

From ‘Economic Objectives’ to Constitutional Protection: A Path to Entrenching the Right to Development in the Legal Framework of the Gambia

The 1997 Constitution of The Gambia offers minimal protection of economic rights that are essential in the realization of the right to development. The justiciable provisions of the bill of rights in Chapter IV of the Constitution are largely of civil and political rights in nature. Chapter XX of the Constitution outlines several objectives to guide State policy and law formulation as well as law enforcement. However, these principles are non-justiciable in nature, leaving the general population without judicially enforceable human rights despite years of economic deprivation. The status of economic rights and the resultant neglect in investing towards realization of economic rights continues to influence the current state of poverty index in The Gambia. Women, who are faced with multidimensional vulnerabilities, are pushed further down the poverty line by this reality aggravating their economic status. Article 8(1) of the UN Declaration on the Right to Development calls on States to undertake, all necessary measures for the realization of the right to development and for States to take effective measures to ensure that women have an active role in the development process. In this light, this paper will unpack the ‘economic objectives’ envisaged in section 215 of the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia and measure the content of this provision against already existing obligations of The Gambia at the regional and international level. The paper will highlight the need to elevate the economic objectives into justiciable human rights in the domestic legal framework of The Gambia to realize the right to development. The paper will also propose strategies to promulgate laws that will eventually make the realization of economic rights a possibility

Al-Akhdarī in Mandinka Ajami

The entire manuscript is available for download as a PDF file(s). Higher-resolution images may be available upon request. For technical assistance, please contact [email protected]. Fieldwork Team: Dr. Fallou Ngom (Pricipal Investigator; Director, African Studies Center), Ablaye Diakité (Local Project Manager), Mr. Ibrahima Yaffa (General Field Facilitator), and Ibrahima Ngom (photographer). Technical Team: Professor Fallou Ngom (Principle Investigator, Project Director and former Director of the African Studies Center at Boston University), and Eleni Castro (Technical Lead, BU Libraries). This collection of Mandinka Ajami materials is copied as part of the African Studies Center’s African Ajami Library. This is a joint project between BU and the West African Research Center (WARC), funded by the British Library/Arcadia Endangered Archives Programme. Access Condition and Copyright: These materials are subject to copyright and are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are fully cited using the information below. For use, distribution or reproduction beyond these terms, contact Professor Fallou Ngom ([email protected]). Citation: Materials in this web edition should be cited as: Ngom, Fallou., Castro, Eleni, & Diakité, Ablaye. (2018). African Ajami Library: EAP 1042. Digital Preservation of Mandinka Ajami Materials of Casamance, Senegal. Boston: Boston University Libraries: http://hdl.handle.net/2144/27112. For Inquiries: please contact Professor Fallou Ngom ([email protected]). For technical assistance, please contact [email protected] / Custodial history: The manuscript's owner inherited it from his father (Imam Keba Dabo Cisse) after his death. His father was born in the region of Sedhiou. He had an advanced Islamic education and served as Imam and a religious leader in Ziguinchor until his death. Al-Haji Basiru Darboh, the author of Al-Akhdarī in Mandinka Ajami was from Daru Salaam, Badibu, The Gambia.The manuscript is a Mandinka Ajami exegesis of the popular Mālikī jurisprudence text known as Al-Akhdarī, which is used across Muslim West Africa. Al-Akhdarī, is based on the name of the Algerian scholar, Abū Yazīd ʿAbd al-Raḥmān bin Muḥammad al-Ṣaghīr bin Muḥammad bin ʿĀmir, who authored the original text in Arabic. He is regarded as one of the greatest Muslim scholars of Algeria. Similar interpretations and commentaries of Al-Akhdarī in Ajami exist in West Africa, including among the Fuuta Jalon Fula. Al-Akhdarī is one of the key texts of Islamic jurisprudence studied in Islamic schools in West Africa. The author of the Mandinka exegesis of Al-Akhdarī, like many other Muslims in the region, used Mandinka Ajami in order to broadly disseminate the ethos and traditions of Islam among his people, which is based on the Malikī School of jurisprudence. His intention was to ensure that Mandinka readers understand Islamic jurisprudence in their own language so that they can practice their religion without any confusion. On page 2, the author provides a list of Mandinka Ajami letters he used throughout the text. The manuscript was digitized in the home of the owner (Abdou Khadre Cisse) in the neighborhood of Kandialang in Ziguinchor, Senegal

Removal of copper (II), iron (III) and lead (II) ions from Mono-component Simulated Waste Effluent by Adsorption on Coconut Husk

The use of coconut husk as a low-cost natural adsorbent for the removal of Cu (II), Fe (III) and Pb (II) from simulated industrial waste effluent was studied. Batch experiments were conducted to determine the effects of varying adsorbent loadings, pH, contact time, metal ion concentration and temperature of adsorption. The adsorption of Pb (II) was found to be maximum (94%±3.2) at pH 5, temperature of 100°C, metal ion concentration of 30 ppm and contact time of 30 min. The adsorption of Cu (II) and Fe (III) were maxima (92%±2.8 and 94%±1.4) at pH range of 5 - 7, metal ion concentration of 50 ppm, temperature of 50°C but at different times of 30 and 90 min respectively. 1 g of the adsorbent material was found to be optimal for all the metal ions; the Freundlich isotherm was found to be suitable for the adsorption of Cu(II) and Fe(III) while the Langmuir isotherm was found to be suitable for the adsorption of Pb(II). The adsorption kinetics was also studied