African perceptions of democracy
December 2011
There are many perceptions, concepts and constructs of what it means to be democratic or what constitutes a democracy. Unfortunately, many of those paradigms are linear, Western-oriented models, which tend to overlook the historical and cultural variations of democracy, especially in pre-colonial African systems of democratic governance. For example, there were associational and horizontal-type democracies,...
The conservative discourse and hegemonic failure of the reform discourse in Iran
December 2011
When Mohammad khatami’s discourse of reform in Iran gave the political field to its anti discourse of conservative with the leadership of Mohammad Ahmadi Nejad after 8 years, several factors were recognized as the cause of failure of this discourse among which software and hardware power of conservatives were the most influential factors. In addition to criticizing the aforementioned minimalizing...
Niger delta struggle: Assessment of selected Nigerians’ perceptions
December 2011
This study was meant to evaluate happenings in the Niger Delta region arising from agitations for physical development for the region in terms of provision of long-lasting infrastructural facilities, dependable social amenities, control of environmental pollution ravaging the area and physical transformation of some selected locations in the region into mega cities. It is also the desire of the Niger Delta...
The developmental state: An illusion in contemporary times
October 2011
It has unanimously been acknowledged that state activity in the market was one of the key factors which facilitated the rapid growth of Japan and the East Asian tigers (Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea), hence this essay assesses the applicability of utilizing this model to induce development in contemporary times. It analyzes the various ideological, political, and economic changes that have...
Effects of citizenship education component of social studies on civic literacy and attachment of upper basic students in Ilorin Metropolis, Nigeria
October 2011
The purpose of this paper was to find out the effect of citizenship education component of social studies on the civic literacy and attachment of upper basic students in Ilorin Metropolis. In this study, 113 students, involving 67 male and 46 female students participated in the summer school programme organised during the long vacation. The study was a quasi-experimental and pre-test post-test. The...
A philosophical introduction on the relationship between religion and politics
August 2011
Much discussion has been put forth so far by the academics and religious experts regarding the relationship between religion and politics. The result of all these represents a wide spectrum of ideas ranging from absolute lack of relationship to the complete identicality. What is far from clear, however, is the nature of this relationship. An attempt is made in the present article to clear this issue by...
Preference over outcomes: Explaining US-Sino oil diplomacy in Sub-Saharan Africa
August 2011
The start of the twenty first century signaled a new beginning for the United States and China in their quest for oil diplomacy with African oil producing countries. One of the characteristics of this venture is the difference in approach both countries follow to attain this natural resource. This research work, therefore, examines the diplomatic measures of the US and China in their negotiations with oil...
Strategies to retain and motivate employees in Africa: Examining the case of the ministry of education in Zambia
August 2011
This research paper analyzes the employee’s perception on incentives and motivation for the employees of the ministry of education (MOE) in Zambia. Concerns about educator turnover and attrition are reported widely as a global phenomenon. The study mainly followed a qualitative and was supplemented with quantitative designs. A self administered questionnaire was distributed to a sample of (n = 436)...
Inhibiting influences of some traditional practices in the home on girl-child's interest development in science
July 2011
The home is the cradle for development from where the girl-child builds and develops her knowledge, inclinations and interest. Unfortunately, the home which should provide the girl-child the good environment for developing scientific skills has become an obstacle to the girl-child's scientific development. There are a continuum of parental attitudes and traditional practices in the home directed to the...
Building from below and deepening democracy as alternative strategies for poverty alleviation and sustainable development in Africa: Challenges and opportunities
July 2011
The march towards democratic progress remains one of the defining developments of the late 20th century. For Africa, it has been (a) the dismantling of colonial governance, (b) the embracement of the monolithic party structure for its development, (c) the return to political pluralism without significant improvements in the improving the quality of life of the vast majority of the people, (d) failure to...
The challenges facing opposition political parties in rural Zimbabwe within 2000-2008
July 2011
It is recognised in greater circles that opposition political parties in both developing and developed countries have an insurmountable task to achieve in ensuring and enhancing democratic processes. They are the very institutions that are central in paving way for development in all spheres of life that is political, economic and socio-cultural. For Zimbabwe, it is apparent that, at most, opposition...
China’s promises to Africa
July 2011
When China and Africa, within the framework of the FOCAC, met three years ago in Beijing to establish a “strategic partnership”, many were curious to see how Beijing was actually going to carry out its ambitious African safari. During this gathering, Chinese authorities made eight pledges aiming at strengthening the China-Africa axis. As both parties are meeting again next month, Beijing will be...
Fiscal impact of privatization in Uganda 1992-2007
July 2011
This interdisciplinary paper investigated the impact of US capitalization policy on Africa and the postcolonial responses of Africans to these forces of internationalism by applying post-Marxist theory to a selection of social ‘writings’, creative works of art and films. It examined the post-World War II environment that necessitated the politics of capitalization by the emerging US Core and...
The place of poetry in contemporary Chinese and Igbo politics
June 2011
This article is a study of Chinese and Igbo political poems and their significance in the socio-political interaction of both cultures. It gives examples of their political poetry. The paper traces their different political situations that gave rise to the songs under study. To the Igbo, the article, explains the Aba women protest to the tax and land policies of the British Administration, subsequent...
Disorder and democratic development: The political instrumentalization of patronage and violence in Nigeria
June 2011
Nigeria’s fourth transition to civil rule on May 29, 1999, no doubt gave the hope of democratic, economic and social development for the nation. It was with joyous mood that it was received with seemingly overall and overwhelming conviction of ‘a final stop to military rule’. As Nigeria’s democracy gradually grows, it seems to strive within the precincts of disorder as patronage...
Intra and inter party post-election crisis/feud management in a pluralistic democracy: An x-ray of the Nigerian political landscape
June 2011
The analysis in this paper focuses on intra and inter-party electoral crisis/feud management in pluralistic polities of the world. While the study specifically focused on the Nigerian political landscape, where applicable, engaged in a synoptic juxta-positional analysis of the experiences of other pluralistic democracies notably the United States of America and India. The analysis choreographed the Nigerian...
Women in the development of Ibani (Opobo) kingdom: 1990 to 2000
June 2011
Advancement is one common goal of groups and nations. Its direct effect on society cannot be over-emphasized, hence the argument for the holistic contribution from every segment. In Opobo kingdom, a community described as disadvantaged, the low participation of women in the development and advancement of the kingdom is regarded as a bane militating against the complete advancement of the society. To...
Social conflict in the South-South Nigeria: Implications for foreign investment
June 2011
This paper investigated social conflict in the South-South region of Nigeria, and the challenges it posed to foreign investment in Nigeria. Non-parametric statistical and content analyses were essentially used as measuring tools. The results showed that dissatisfaction of the people of South-South especially the youths on the level of attention given to the development of their region and the damages to their...
Kwame Nkrumah and the proposed African common government
May 2011
Between 1957 and 1966, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana fought vigorously for the creation of a Union of African States with a Common African Government. His optimism for the unity and cohesion of Africa as a lever for continental development was unparalleled. However, his dream never became a reality due to stiff opposition from African leaders, most of whom feared the loss of their sovereignty, and the West, due to...
Elections as a strategy for democratization and conflict transformation: Liberal peace and the 1996 elections in Sierra Leone
May 2011
This paper examines the 1996 elections in Sierra Leone and its connection to the twin processes of democratization and conflict transformation in that country. It interprets those elections as part of an emerging liberal peace agenda which since the 1990s has become the dominant approach to managing conflicts, peace-building, societal reconstruction and democratization favoured by international policy...
Contemporary approaches to sustainable development: Exploring critical innovations in traditional leadership in Ghana
May 2011
The paper examines the complexities between traditional and political leadership, science and technology and sustainable development in the context of developing countries. Particular resource information was drawn from Ghana’s experience. Available literature was also reviewed. The participatory methodology was used for data collection. This included Literature review or review of existing research...
Explanation of deliberative democracy in philosophical thoughts of Jurgen Habermas
May 2011
As democracy has a generative nature, there is a continuous discussion and study about its principles, teachings, objectives and conceptual development. The current article follows theory research and scientific explanation of effect and reflections of theoretical – philosophical foundation of Jurgen Habermas (born in June, 18, 1929) for making his consultant democracy discourse. In other words,...
Political parties and instability in Oyo State in the Nigerian Fourth Republic
May 2011
Political parties are an important institutional component of liberal democracy and successful electoral machination and processes. Parties produce the candidates, set the parameters of issues and political agenda within which elections are to be fought and are furthermore expected to perform these duties from one election to another (IDEA, 2000: 226-227). Political parties are a form of human organization...
Inquiry on self-interested foreign aid: Insights from the ODA-migrations link in SSA countries
April 2011
This paper is an attempt to assess the broadly confirmed self-interested mood that drives donor States in allocating aid to poor countries. It specifically argues that Official Development Aid (ODA) makes African people move from their poor contexts to more wealthy ones with which donor countries expect to have more profitable relations. This reasoning leads to wonder whether the more ODA a poor country...
Challenges and prospects of physical development control: A case study of Festac Town, Lagos, Nigeria
April 2011
Development control is one of the measures applied by physical planning agencies particularly, local planning authority but in the case of Festac Town, Lagos, Nigeria, Federal housing authority (FHA), do ensure that developers do not deviate from building plans approved for them in the course of implementation (construction) on the plot earmarked for such. This is aimed at enhancing environmental quality,...
The political responses to the global economic and financial crises in Francophone Africa from 1980 to 2010: A paradigm shift?
April 2011
This article analyzed and compared the political responses to Africa’s twenty-first century versus twentieth century economic and financial crises in order to explicate the dynamics of policy innovation and continuity. Based on studies of Francophone countries, this comparative institutional analysis proposed direct attention to how ideas (paradigms), interests (strategies of the elites), institutions...
The myth and reality of women in politics: A discourse of the core issues
April 2011
This paper examines the myth and reality of Women in politics and the attendant core issues. In the process, the historical dimension and/or, backdrop of Women’s political actions and inactions were critically examined while the concept of politics was analyzed. Within this analytical context, the seeming increasing political fortunes of women in Nigerian politics in the context of the role they are...
Violence, terrorism and security threat in Nigeria’s Niger Delta: An old problem taking a new dimension
April 2011
This paper offers a new and broader look at the violent agitation and domestic terrorism in the region highlights the missing link in previous studies and fills this gap in literature. Premised on projections and analysis based on experiential knowledge of facts on ground, this paper analyzes and explains the Niger Delta crisis within the Frustration-Aggression theory and argue that frustration is the bane of...
Gender issues in human resource management in Nigerian public service
March 2011
The paper deals with gender issues in human resources management in Nigerian public service. It observes that successful government in Nigeria has not pursued an employment policy aimed at gender balanced, hence, female gender has suffered untold subordination and discrimination, whereas the state is supposed to accord them equal right and opportunities with their men counterparts. Despite efforts put in place at...
The Nigerian civil war, 1967-1970: A revolution?
March 2011
The paper seeks to cast the Nigerian civil war of 1967 to 1970 within the mould of a revolution. In achieving this aim, the paper necessarily explores the theory of revolution and at the same time carries-out a comparative analysis of civil wars that later morphed into revolutions within the international political system. The Nigerian civil war has never been referred to as a revolution. Rather, the military...
War on terror: Pakistan’s apprehensions
March 2011
After the 9/11, Pakistan has become a front line state in US “war on terror” even though quite reluctantly, but since becoming a partner it has played a crucial role in this war. However, it also has certain serious apprehensions in this process. There is a general feeling amongst the masses and also the decisions makers of Pakistan that once the US “war on terror” is over, Pakistan...
US policy of capitalization and its discontents in Africa: A post-Marxist reading of postcolonial responses in art, film and social ‘writings’
March 2011
This interdisciplinary paper investigated the impact of US capitalization policy on Africa and the postcolonial responses of Africans to these forces of internationalism by applying post-Marxist theory to a selection of social ‘writings’, creative works of art and films. It examined the post-World War II environment that necessitated the politics of capitalization by the emerging US Core and...
Nigeria’s experience in dealing with public service ethical dilemmas
March 2011
The overarching thrust of this article is to share Nigeria’s experience in dealing with normative ethical dilemmas towards fostering sound public service fitness and better governance. The experience indicates that these dilemmas arise from critical relations involving “civil servants” and “political office holders”, “civil servants” and “citizens”, and...
The political economy of conflict resolution in a natural resource economy: The case of Nigeria’s Niger Delta
March 2011
This paper embarks on a comprehensive study of the entire peace initiatives adopted to resolve the Niger Delta conflict in Nigeria with a view to uncover the relationship between the character of the Nigerian State, the emergence and the continual nature of the crisis. With the aid of fragmented organizational structure theory, the paper discovered that there is a strong relationship between the character of...
Early childhood education: Its policy formulation and implementation in Nigerian educational system
March 2011
This paper dealt with childhood education as a preparatory step for primary education, a starting point for the child’s general development and the foundation of Nigerian education system, using the mother tongue as a means of communication and as medium of instruction. The paper emphasized that if pre-primary education is to serve its purposes as stated in the National Policy of Education in Nigeria amongst...
Bridging research across the subfields of international relations and comparative politics: The case of a secessionist movement in Southern Sudan
February 2011
This article demonstrates the potential for rigorous and systematic bridging research across the subfields of comparative politics and international relations. Examining the issue of secessionist movements and a detailed case study of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), the article contends that understanding both ‘domestic’ and ‘international’ issues are crucial for such...
Resource governance and conflict in the Niger Delta: Implications for the Gulf of Guinea Region
February 2011
Gaps between the definition of expectations, grants of power and verification of accruals from resources, especially oil and gas, tend to undergird the governance processes in most states that comprise the Gulf of Guinea. These gaps have been responsible for the various problems that have become part of, and which have engendered violence and conflict in the region. As a major stakeholder in the politics and...
An examination of privatization policy and foreign direct investments in Nigeria
February 2011
The Federal Government establishment of and subsequent growth of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in compliance with the Keynesian theoretical paradigm, was for over two decades a fundamental component of development strategy in Nigeria. The SOEs were needed to provide social services and utilities and serve as engine of social and economic development. However, they served the purpose for which they were established for...
Democratic governance and the management of oil conflict in Nigeria’s Niger Delta: Policy options and challenges
February 2011
Nigeria oil producing region has for long remains a site of contention between the state and local groups fighting for conscious environmental practice, resource control and development. During the long years of military rule, repression and military occupation were the core of state response to agitations and protests of the people in the region. The nation’s returns to democratic rule spur hope that things will...
The politics of retirement income security policy in Ghana: Historical trajectories and transformative capabilities
February 2011
The study of pensions, retirement or old age income support policies in the developing world has been relegated to the background largely because such programs are limited in scope and cover only a small fraction of the population, mostly formal labour market employees. However because pension policies address issue relating to income security at the latter stages of life, it is crucial that we understand how they were...
The weakness of opposition parties in Botswana: A justification for more internal-party democracy in the dominant Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)
February 2011
Botswana’s opposition parties are too weak to unseat the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). To substitute for weak opposition, this paper advocates for more internal democracy in the BDP for Botswana’s democracy to consolidate. The BDP has leadership elections but few other elements of internal democracy. Policy-making is centralised on the party leadership to the exclusion of party membership. The leadership...
The new partnership for Africa’s development (NEPAD) policy on women empowerment in Africa: A critical appraisal
January 2011
The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is a new continent-wide development strategy targeted at halting poverty in Africa in the twenty-first century. The NEPAD policy initiators seek to promote the roles of women in all activities as one of its long term goal of developing Africa through various strategies spelt out under International Development Goal by promoting income generating...
Jacob Zuma and Minority Groups in post-apartheid South Africa: An examination of his reconciliation policy toward the Afrikaners
January 2011
National reconciliation is an element which has characterized South Africa’s post-apartheid political discourse. The term “rainbow nation” coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, became emblematic of Mandela’s call for peace, harmony and the co-existence of all citizens. Mbeki, on the other hand, placed African unification above national reconciliation, but Jacob Zuma adds a new aspect to...
Voting behaviour in Uganda since 1996: An investigation into the factors likely to determine voters’ choices in the 2011 elections
January 2011
Exploring factors likely to influence 2011 poll in Uganda is the main objective of this paper. The data for this study was obtained through a content analysis of election results (1996, 2001 and 2006) and interview, which was carried out in the period between July to October, 2010 across the different regions in the country, North, South, West, East and Central to ascertain the factors that are likely to...
Leadership flaws and fallibilities impacting democratization processes, governance and functional statehood in Africa
January 2011
The United Nations, the World Banks, other western institutions and nations have all reported that, despite its richness in human and natural resources, Africa is characterized by wars, poverty and disaster. In spite of the continent’s devastating tyrannical rule since the period of independence, it was only towards the late 80s that a World Bank (1989) report blamed Africa’s underdevelopment and...
RENAMO: from military confrontation to peaceful democratic engagement, 1976-2009
January 2011
This article examines RENAMO (Resistensia Nacional Mozambicana) in the context of Mozambican politics. The study seeks to illustrate that although the movement was widely cast as a band of armed bandits (bandidos armandos), it was founded on firm political principles of democracy. It will be argued that any link by the movement to forces of imperialism and retrogression was merely a matter of expediency...
State versus society in Egypt: Consolidating democracy or upgrading autocracy
December 2010
It is to be noted that the ideological and theoretical debate concerning issues of social evolution and development in Egypt was generally state centered, and relied heavily on theoretical concepts such as bureaucratic authoritarianism, Oriental despotism and the Asiatic mode of production. For some considerable time the state seemed formidable enough to have subdued society through its authoritarian mechanisms such as...
When customary laws face civil society organisations: Gender issues in Botswana
December 2010
In Botswana, society continues to operate under a dual legal system: an indigenously-based customary legal system, and received law, that is, the Constitution, based on a system inherited from the former colonial state. The fact that the constitution places prominence on custom within a range of contexts is particularly significant for women's rights. How far the Government is able to promote basic women's...
Government by incompatibles: A case study of the 1960 - 1964 Nigerian federal government
December 2010
In the Western world, governments are put in place for the benefit of the masses. Thus, in the formation of government and the initiation and implementation of policies and programmes, the interests of the masses are paramount and sacrosanct and are consequently safeguarded and protected. One cardinal factor that has made this possible is the fact that governments, in that part of the world, are formed by the...
Evolution of political regime and evolution of popular political representations in Burkina Faso
December 2010
Under the cover of some kind of democratisation, Blaise Comparoé's regime in Burkina Faso has developed the capacity of using and transforming institutions with the sole aim of keeping power. Without being truly democratic, this hybrid system allows parties to be set up and to actually function; it also allows the setting up of civil society organisations, an independent press to exist so that it could ensure...
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