Constitutionalism, Democracy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria

This paper argues that the popular consensus that democracy foster development takes for granted the fact that democracy can only foster development if a democratic practice is predicated on the ability of a society to imbibe a culture of constitutionalism. While the developed societies recognize this fact, and as early as 1215 limitation had been placed on the power of the king in England, the 21st century African's political class especially Nigeria, has continued to practice an unbridled exercise of political power. This paper maintains that, the failure to institutionalize mechanism of power control for the protection of the interest and liberties of the general populace including those of the minority jeopardizes the attainment of development. That until the Nigerian constitution entrenched the principle of constitutionalism that secure democratic process on the people, development will remain a Sisyphean task. Drawing examples from some countries the paper concludes that genuine development that is sustainable, can only be realized in Africa and most importantly in Nigeria if all ethnic groups, cultures and cleavages both individuals and groups are accorded their due rights of participating in the formulation of the constitution that guide their relationship with the state and among each other and the government adherence to the dictate of th~ people's constitution, this in turn helps to checkmate the excesses of government, then the people's rights, interests and preferences can be guaranteed and sustainable development ensured

Gender and Conflict

The defining features from the beginning of 20th century to the early 21" century include numerous armed conflicts, authoritarian regimes, and genocidal episodes, and the last quarter of the 20th century ushers in a significant increase in attention to women's rights and protagonism in the context of political violence and terrorism. These negative developments necessitated research and policy initiatives on conflict prevention, resolution, and reconstruction activities that recently focus on gender dimensions to conflict, with a view to incorporating their concerns to policy and academic settings, in order to better understand and respond to the impact conflict has on men and wome

Kidnapping and Security Challenge in Nigeria: Perceived Causes and Solutions

In recent years, the future of Nigerian society has become a pressing concern as security issues apparently dominate government action and more and more nation states are coming under pressure from their own citizens. Some political analysts have diagnosed it as crisis of representative democracy and argued for a stronger role for civil society, to proffer solutions to the challenges confronting what some scholars has classified as challenges of failing democratic state, 1 among which is the challenge of kidnapping. There is a pervasive security challenge in most developing countries especially Nigeria, and that the police are obviously incapable of arresting the situation. This is evidence, among others, by the incessant inauguration, formulation and launching of new security outfit comprising of police and soldiers. This has become the face of most security outfit in Nigeria like other developing countries. This joint task force is branded differently by different state and even local government such as the Swift Action Squard (SAS) in Osun State, Rapid Response ' Squard in Lagos, to mention but few

Good Governance and Local Government Administration for Development: Multiple Perspectives

This paper examines the relationship between good governance and local government administration. It begins with a review of the concepts of the good governance, local government administration their importance for development at the local government level. It argues that both good governance and local government administration need to coexist if any meaningful development is to take place at local level. The paper further identifies some problems that hinder good governance at the local level and suggests ways of solving them

Much Ado-About The Idea Of E-Governance In Nigeria's Democracy: Myth Or Reality!

More scholars and researchers on contemporary political analysis seem to be resolved on the consensus that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has drastically changed the process of democratic governance in the world for the better, consequently, countries which have totally embraced and implemented the e-governance technology platform have not only ensured sustainable development, they have also directly ensured effective and efficient service delivery which invariably enhances citizens’ participation in all spheres of government. In view of this, recent scholars are alarmed by the fact that a country like Nigeria has for decades since independence, continued to score very poorly on the global e-Government Development Index (EGDI), amides her fast growing and most lucrative telecommunications, and Information & Communications Technology (ICT) market in Africa - her vast wealth in both human and material resources notwithstanding. As a Reconstructionist study, the paper adopts the traditional methods of critical and rational analysis of ideas and arguments in philosophy with a view to offer conceptual and contextual analysis of various literature, texts, and library materials addressing the subject matter of e-governance. The study identifies the cancerous nature of corruption inherent among the elite class as one of the major factors militating against the full implementation of the e-governance platform, since it adoption will largely check the excesses known to exist among government officials. Government is therefore strongly advised to endorse and pass into law, the full implementation and use of the e-governance platform in all spheres of government. Its adoptions and implementation should also be considered as a fundamental human right to all citizens in the countr

Corporate Social Responsibility and the Crisis of Development in Africa

This paper argues that the idea of corporate social responsibility, that is gaining currency in the developed world today as the means of curtailing the excesses of capitalism, is not receiving the same attention in the developing areas of the world, particularly Africa. The paper maintains that the neglect of the idea of corporate social responsibility, because of the desire to resolve the crisis of development being witnessed in Africa, is a serious mistake because the neglect of this ideal is responsible for the crisis in the first instance. The paper concludes that genuine development (sustainable development), rather than mere economic growth can only be realized in Africa if both individuals and groups respect the rights, interests, and preferences of all members of the community in the pursuit of their economic activities. This new imperative is not difficult because responsibility to the community is a significant aspect of the traditional African value system that can easily be revived in order to come out of the prevailing crisis of development and realize the dream of an African renaissanc

Perceived Satisfaction and Effectiveness of Rehabilitation of Victims of Human Trafficking in Nigeria: Implications for Political and Psychological Interventions

This study examined the perceived satisfaction and effectiveness of rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking in Nigeria. Survey design was adopted and two hundred and six participants were selected for the study using snowball sampling technique. The age range of the participants was between 19-32 years with mean of 21.6 years and standard deviation of 2 years. They were all females rescued from foreign countries and within the country. Perceived Benefit of Rehabilitation Programme Questionnaire (PRPQ) was developed and used to collect data. The findings revealed that most beneficiaries appreciated the provision of accommodation and feeding but believed that facilities available could be better. The beneficiaries did not condemn the psychological andemotional interventions provided but argued that it could be improved upon. It was concluded that recovery of human trafficking victims may require very rich programmes designed by different professionals such as social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists, medical personnel, legal professionals etc

FOREIGN POLICY MAKING AND IMPLEMENTATION UNDER OLUSEGUN OBASANJO'S ADMINISTRATION (1999-2007)

This paper examines Nigeria's foreign policy making and implementation under Olusegun Obasanjo'scivilian administration. Therefore, th is work interrogateshow Obasanjo's administration formulated and implemented Nigeria's foreign policy. To successfully accomplish this task, both primary and secondary data were collected. Interviews conducted with principal actors and secondary data obtained from books, journals, magazines, bulletins, newspapers and government records were analysed to achieve the objectives of the study.Among other findings, the study observed that there were structures put in place for Nigeria's foreign policy making processes under Obasanjo's c ivilian rule. It is important to note also, that the actual foreign policies formulated were dictated primarily by Obasanjo's personality and executive leadership decisions. The paperthereforc recommends, among others, that strong institutions should be put in place to facilitate foreign policy _ making and execution, and there should be standard operational procedures in foreign policy making and execution that would strengthen institutions and limit personalities

APPLICATION OF ICT IN MODERATING EFFECTS OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN DEVELOPING ECONOMY: AN ALTERNATIVE SURVIVAL STRATEGY FOR STREET CHILDREN IN OGOMOSO SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, NIGERIA

Covenant University (NIGERIA) The problem of street children is a worldwide phenomenon. Many capitals and urban centers of the world have become a haven of survival for many children in distress. In Africa, street children do not only have limited access to basic resources, but in many instances have been denied the right to childhood. These children are forced to live and earn on the street due to their vulnerable and distressed situation. Some of them are members of very poor families who must engage in different odd jobs to supplement their family income. Every child should have a right to education. Such right is likely to elude many Nigerian children for obvious reasons. Although, primary education has been declared free and compulsory, but school materials such as uniform and school shoes are still the responsibilities of parents. Some parents cannot afford to send their children to schools due to poverty. More so, Nigeria’s exponential growth in population, with children less than 15 years of age, accounting for about 45 per cent, has put immense pressure on the country’s educational resources and infrastructure. These factors have made mainstream education for street children a daunting task if not impossible. However, information and communications technology (ICT) provides an alternative means of providing a high quality basic education to these vulnerable children at a cheaper cost and spread over a larger segment of the population. This study therefore evaluated the application of ICT in moderating the effects of the street children as a social problem. The sample consisted of 42 street children: 32 males and 10 females participating in a programme tagged “My computer, My Class (MCMC) introduced by one of the senators from Oyo state Nigeria and located in Ogbomoso South Local Government Area. Three instruments were used to gather data: a Participatory Self Reported Scale (PSRS), Progress Monitoring Scale (PMS) and Perceived Programme Efficacy Scale (PPES). The psychometric properties of these scales were obtained. Four hypotheses were raised and tested. The findings showed a significant difference in expectations about the future among the new entrants and the old participants. There is a significant progression in contact with the parents before and during the programme. There is significant difference in awareness on health and sanitation before and during the programme. The study concluded that the programme has been facilitating access to awareness and basic education in a meaningful way. It is recommended that government should employ MCMC approach to provide basic education to her large number of disadvantaged children