History of Trading Currencies in the Upper Cross River Region of Nigeria Before the Nineteenth Century

The history of the Upper Cross River Region of Nigeria has suffered neglect in the area of scholarly interest for a very long time. Until recently, the area was one of the least known in Nigeria. Early European mariners to the region cast aspersions on the culture history of the people and labelled them indiscriminately as “fragments of earlier world”, “human clusters”, and “splinter zone”. Given this lacuna in the culture history of the Upper Cross River Region, this paper is a bold attempt at documenting and articulating some coherent perspectives of the culture history of the people. Using sources in its methodology, the paper highlights the level of sophistication of the economy which existed in the area prior to the nineteenth century. It also serves to situate the history of the region in its proper context, showing that far from being a mere subsistence economy which was dormant, rigid and unprogressive, it was flexible and basically dynamic. The research concludes that contrary to the misconception of visitors to the region, the people had developed a viable and vibrant economic system which utilised a variety of currencies in exchange transactions. This also depicts the contributions made by ancestors of the people towards development in the region long before the coming of Europeans

The Oversight Function of the Nigerian National Assembly: A Legal and Research Analysis

Around the world, legislatures are viewed as symbols of democratic authority, and are essentially defined by the extent or degree to which they efficiently and effectively perform their core functions of representation, law-making and oversight. The oversight function has been variously described as a critical component of good governance, an instrument of nation building, and the cornerstone of democracy. It is largely regarded as the central instrument through which the legislature holds the executive branch of government to account. In settings where the function is performed efficiently and effectively, it ensures greater executive compliance with the content and intent of laws, promotes transparency, good governance and accountability, and asserts the power, influence and authority of the legislature as a defender of the interests of the citizenry. Where it is poorly performed, the reverse is the case. Over the years, the Nigerian National Assembly has been largely perceived as an ineffective legislature especially as the exercise of its oversight function has been fraught with several challenges that question the integrity of the function and the institution itself. Through a review of statutory provisions and extant literature whilst relying on the doctrinal research methodology, the paper examines research-based perspectives on the performance of the oversight function by the National Assembly, with a view to unveiling current research on the exercise of the function, and ascertaining the state of the function in the governance framework of the country. The paper concludes by making recommendations for reform of the function based on findings made

Chief Lady Afi Ekong in the Art Historical Account of Modern Nigerian Art

This paper examines the career profile and contributions of a foremost female African Artist. Chief Lady Constance Afiong Ekong. The first female Nigerian artist to be academically trained. She was born in 1930 and died in 2009. She trained at Technical College in Oxford, The Saint Martin School of Fine Arts and Central School of Arts in Holborn and specialized in painting. A pioneer of modern Nigerian art whose contributions were broad based which comprised of solo and group exhibitions. She was the first female artist to exhibit in Nigerian in 1958, and also the first to internationalize her works. Administratively, she was the Art Manager to the National Council for Arts in Nigeria which gave art visibility. Viewing her paintings is like attending a history lesson which highlights her inspirations from traditional sources, and the documentation of colonial Lagos as visual statements of the growth and development of Nigeria as a nation. The paper concludes that she had positively contributed to the development of modern Nigerian art and given intellectual support to the unheard creative voices of the women. It is therefore recommended that the Federal Government should stop playing politics with the implementation of the National Endowment Fund for the Arts

Can National Constitutions be Repealed and Enacted? An Appraisal of the Extensions or Limits of Legislative Powers

A constitution is the fundamental law of a country. Government institutions, including the legislature, are created and assigned definite functions through it. A central function of the parliament is law-making, and with this function goes the power to unmake or repeal laws. A fundamental question in light of this is whether the law-making and unmaking functions of the legislature extend to or are exercisable in respect of national constitutions to make for their repeal and subsequent enactment. Against this background and relying on the doctrinal research method, this paper appraises the legislature's law-making function to ascertain its extensions or limits where national constitutions are concerned

THE NIGERIAN LAW REFORM COMMISSION ACT 2022: OLD WINE IN A NEW BOTTLE?

As societies are in a constant state of flux, laws must be constantly refined or updated to catch up with and make provision for such changes, and in some cases, even contemplate future changes, dynamics and challenges. This requires that laws must be regularly reformed to keep them current and relevant. As a systematic process for updating and simplifying laws, law reform across jurisdictions is carried out mainly by special institutions or bodies created or mandated for that purpose. In Nigeria, the Nigerian Law Reform Commission is charged with the responsibility of reforming laws in the country, as empowered by its constitutive Act. While the Commission’s 2004 Act was essentially a relic of military rule and was largely censured for its inadequacy, impotence and inability to foster effective law reforms, its 2022 Act is perceived as a game changer. A cursory review of the 2022 Act however reveals copious and indeed striking similarities with the 2004 Act, thus questioning the novelty and distinction of the 2022 Act, particularly with respect to its ability to transform the Commission and enable it achieve its statutory objectives seamlessly. Against this background and relying on the doctrinal research methodology, this paper appraises the 2022 Nigerian Law Reform Commission Act with a view to ascertaining its ingenuity, potency and ability to transform the law reform process in Nigeria. &nbsp

Panorama of Nigerian Political Leadership Since 1960

This paper titled “Panorama of Nigerian Political Leadership since 1960”, dwelt on Nigeria political leadership from 1960 to present. It discussed the different political leaders, their leadership style and how it has contributed to the under development of Nigeria. Fifty-five years after independence, Nigeria is yet to become an industrialised country despite all the human and natural resources she is endowed with. The major reason for Nigeria’s problem is leadership failure. Quite a number of the leaders that led Nigeria for the past fifty-five years lacked the wherewithal to move Nigeria from a third world to a first world country. All they were interested in was how to amass wealth and stash it in foreign countries for themselves and their families. They were not interested in the development of Nigeria and the welfare of her citizens. Their leadership style entrenched corruption and other vices and today Nigeria regularly appears top of the list of the world most corrupt countries. The paper also discussed the major reasons for the failure in Leadership; it is hoped that the present leadership will take cognisance of these factors and make amend so that Nigeria can take its place among other nations of the world. Keywords: Consequences of bad Leadership, Leadership Failure, Leadership, Stewardship

NIGERIAN FOREIGN POLICY AND THE DEMOCRATIC EXPERIMENT: THE LESSONS OF HISTORY AND OPTIONS FOR THE 21st CENTURY

The logic of events and colonial legacy both largely foreordained Nigeria’s initial foreign policy options. Thus, until 1975, the country played a relatively hesitant and minimal role in international affairs, both within and outside the African continent. During the 1960s, the underlying foreign policy objectives sought not to elicit any changes in Nigeria's foreign policy. But the events of the 1970s, especially the role played by Nigeria in the liberation of Angola and Mozambique, led to a rethinking of Nigeria's leadership role in Africa. In other words, although foreign policy pursuits in the First Republic (1960-66) merely portrayed the ambivalence between Nigeria's status as Africa's most populous and richly endowed country, and her inability to chart an independent foreign policy path, the Second Republic (1979-83) was an improvement. One reason for this was the fact that unlike the First Republic, the Second Republic had a glorious reputation and precedence to protect, namely, the vibrant foreign policy engagements of the proceeding military government of Murtala Mohammed. On the other hand, the first eight years of the Fourth Republic were characterised by economic diplomacy. It is important, therefore, that as the 21st century gradually but steadily thins down the world into a global village, countries like Nigeria should remain relevant. A major handicap to an aggressive foreign policy has been the domination by the executive arm of government of the foreign policy decision-making process in Nigeria especially during the period under review. It is against this background that the need arises for a re-definition of Nigeria's foreign policy objectives. It is also imperative for foreign policy decision-makers to be imbued with a sustained sense of history if Nigeria must take its rightful place in the comity of nations

The geography of yam cultivation in southern Nigeria:Exploring its social meanings and cultural functions

Background: Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a very important common food crop in West Africa. Beyond its food and nutritious values, the ownership and cultivation of yam have many cultural, religious, and social meanings, which may vary between specific ethnic groups and regional areas. This study explored the diverse social, cultural, and religious perspectives associated with yam and its cultivation in southeastern Nigeria. Methods: We used a comparative approach and utilized in-depth, semistructured interviews, local narratives, and our experiential background to understand the similarities and differences in the local notions of yam and their impacts on the general societal structure across three ethnic regions in southeastern Nigeria. We discussed the findings on a thematic basis to reflect the social and cultural issues associated with the ownership and cultivation of yam. The themes ranged from religious practices, impact on social status, and gender relations. Results: We found no significant differences in the incidence of local perceptions and practices between the study areas. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated the importance and functions of yam crop in structuring the social, economic, religious and cultural fabric of the society

Ook de mondelinge motivering van de straftoemetingsbeslissing laat te wensen over

Criminal Justice: Legitimacy, accountability, and effectivit

International Conflicts and Conflict Resolution: Periscoping the Role of the United Nations

It is the contention of realist scholars and thinkers that states in the international system have a natural inclination or proclivity to war. This position is anchored on their belief that the world is inherently anarchic and that, therefore, it is in the interest of states in the international system to be prepared at all times to defend themselves. Relying on the historical-descriptive methodology of content analysis, this paper argues that though conflicts are inevitable in international relations, the international community has put in place certain mechanisms to avoid the occurrence of violent and destructive inter-state conflicts in order to preserve the global system. It concludes that the United Nations is at the forefront of ensuring that international conflicts and war are avoided or at least prevented from assuming violent dimensions which would threaten global peace and security