Dr Philip Vande is a seasoned academic, with research interests in Governance, Peacebuilding, Gender and Development Studies. He is highly motivated, experienced and committed in working in challenging environments that offer opportunities for positive change. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State.
The Liberal and Radical Political theories, both assume that the State occupies and plays a centr... more The Liberal and Radical Political theories, both assume that the State occupies and plays a central and dominant role in the society, being a methodology to analyse the inability or unwillingness of the State to prevent and effectively manage the increasing criminality and terrorism of herdsmen in the Benue Valley. The study concludes that the persistent attacks by the herdsmen on farmers in the Bernuc Valley are a careful and orchestrated plan to dispossess the minorities oftheir land. It is therefore imperative for the State to adopt carly warning signs, demonstrate patriotism and a strong political will to prevent violent conflicts, rather than relying brute force as a strategy for conflict management.
North Central Journal of Political and Societal Studies, 2016
Culture identifies a people and transmits values and norms that are cherished by the people. It i... more Culture identifies a people and transmits values and norms that are cherished by the people. It is apt to state that corruption and other forms of unethical behaviour have become accepted as norms and have finally settled in the mind of most Nigerians, creating a culture of impunity, lawlessness, endless material acquisition and discontentment.
ABUAD Journal of Social and Management Sciences , 2020
Poverty and inequality are some of the major evils plaguing the African continent. These frustrat... more Poverty and inequality are some of the major evils plaguing the African continent. These frustrate material well-being and pose great challenges to the realisation of sustainable development in the sub-region. In spite of the abundant material and human resource endowment, Africa and Nigeria in particular, have remained paradoxically poor and their citizens live with the stark reality of degrading and inhuman conditions.
Nigeria is characterised by striking diversities which more often than not form the basis for pol... more Nigeria is characterised by striking diversities which more often than not form the basis for political competition, rivalry and conflict. The federal system of government, a constitutional means of sharing governmental power and ensuring unity in diversity enshrined in the Nigerian Constitutions since 1954 provides a cocoon of security for each group on the horizontal plane as they interact with each other in a larger network. The seeming failure of Nigeria's federalism to ensure national stability led to the invention and operation of the federal character principle to further institutionalise power sharing and ensure a sense of national loyalty among Nigerians. Yet, the competition and conflict involved in the process ofpower and resource sharing in Nigeria has often threatened the corporate existence of the Nigerian State. Using secondary data and applying the consociational democratic theory as a framework of analysis, this paper examines the pluralistic nature and the power-sharing arrangements in Nigeria and evaluates these as they relate to national stability. In spite of the various power-sharing arrangements, the Nigerian elite have failed to agree on any, hence, the continued threats to the corporate NIgerian elite have failed to agree on any hence h s a n n g arrangements, the existence of the State. The paper recommends among others that strong institutions backed by constitutionalism should ensure true federal and democratic practice in Nigeria. This will ensure stability and national development.
VUNA JOURNAL OF HISTORY & INTERNATIONA RELATIONS, 2015
Disillusion by the character of the political leadership and instability that visited Athens in h... more Disillusion by the character of the political leadership and instability that visited Athens in his days, Plato posed some fundamental questions about who should rule as well the nature and role of education in the ideal state. He discovered that not everybody was gifted or has the golden element to search and realise the form of the good. This was the source of the poor and immoral leadership, resulting in instability and injustice. He therefore proposed a rigorous and standard educational system in an ideal state which could ensure justice and those who can acquire the form of the good will emerge as philosopher-rulers. He regarded education as the only means to achieve both the individual and social justice. This he argued, can be achieved when an individual fully develops himself, according to his abilities. It is through this form of education that intellectually and morally sound leaders will emerge. This paper argues that in spite of rich natural endowment, the Nigerian State has witnessed an increase in quantity rather than quality leadership and the state is worse for it. Nigerian leadership over the years has been characterised by mediocrity. authoritarianism, irresponsibility and so on. For the Nigerian state to realise its potential and move out of the socioeconomic and political quagmire, a properly educated, intellectually sound and morally upright leaders must replace the mediocrity and primitiveness that has been institutionalised in governance. This can come about through the involvement of the academia and other elite class in selecting and creating awareness about the calibre of people that can really salvage the political situation in Nigeria. There is also an urgent need for the agents of socialisation to properly re-orientate the citizenry in all forms of behaviour, even those that may appear politically irrelevant.
Readings in Peace and Conflict Studies: Essays in Honour of Professor Isaac Olawale Albert, 2019
There has been a consensus among scholars and practitioners that there is an umbilical cord betwe... more There has been a consensus among scholars and practitioners that there is an umbilical cord between peace and the overall development of a society (Strachan, 2013; Paffenholtz,2009 and Tschirgi,2003). In fact, the document on National Economic Development and Empowerment Strategy (NEEDS, 2004, p.49), clearly asserts that: Conflict prevention will be mainstreamed to put in place structures and processes that encourage a culture of peace, in which conflicts are addressed before they degenerate into violence, and in which public officers as well as civil society members have the opportunity to be trained in the prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts.
Aristotle, a prominent figure in ancient Greek Philosophy made tremendous contributions and pione... more Aristotle, a prominent figure in ancient Greek Philosophy made tremendous contributions and pioneered the organic origin of the state and postulated who should rule in the just or ideal state and how it should be organised. He emphasised that justice is the hall1mark of the ideal state. He distinguished between general and particular justice. Emphasising on the particular justice (and its two forms of distributive and corrective justice) Aristotle indicated that justice entails fairness and lawfulness in the state. Based on the theory of justice, Aristotle argued that the end of the state is to ensure the ultimate end of all humans happiness. The state exists to provide and ensure the just conditions for the actualisation of the best end. He described the happiness meant for man by nature as one lived according to the dictates of virtue and justice. The essence of the state is thus to bring about the virtuous life in the citizenry. He also submitted that injustice in a state brings about instability and revolutions. The implication for Nigeria is that the Nigerian nation state is characterised by injustice and the persistent crises and instability in Nigeria is a reflection of the injustice in the system. The paper recommends among others that there is an urgent need for the reconstitution and transformation of the Nigerian state and devolution of powers and resources to the federating units and other sections of the state.
FUDMA Journal of Politics and International Affairs, 2020
Corruption is endemic in Nigeria and every government comes with a promise to fight the hydra hea... more Corruption is endemic in Nigeria and every government comes with a promise to fight the hydra headed monster. It is also a truism that the legislature is well placed to legislate and carry out oversight and investigative duties to prevent, curb and punish corruption. This study investigated the role of the Eighth National Assembly in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. The secondary method of data collection and documentary analysis were used to generate and analyse data for this study. More so, structural functionalism was used as a framework of analysis. The study found that the Eighth Nigerian National Assembly made some concerted efforts in the fight against corruption, through the passage of bills aimed at the prevention and punishment of corrupt practices, organization of public and investigative hearings, among others. Yet, it was clear that the legislature in the period under review failed to cooperate effectively with the executive in the struggle against corruption. T...
The Liberal and Radical Political theories, both assume that the State occupies and plays a centr... more The Liberal and Radical Political theories, both assume that the State occupies and plays a central and dominant role in the society, being a methodology to analyse the inability or unwillingness of the State to prevent and effectively manage the increasing criminality and terrorism of herdsmen in the Benue Valley. The study concludes that the persistent attacks by the herdsmen on farmers in the Bernuc Valley are a careful and orchestrated plan to dispossess the minorities oftheir land. It is therefore imperative for the State to adopt carly warning signs, demonstrate patriotism and a strong political will to prevent violent conflicts, rather than relying brute force as a strategy for conflict management.
North Central Journal of Political and Societal Studies, 2016
Culture identifies a people and transmits values and norms that are cherished by the people. It i... more Culture identifies a people and transmits values and norms that are cherished by the people. It is apt to state that corruption and other forms of unethical behaviour have become accepted as norms and have finally settled in the mind of most Nigerians, creating a culture of impunity, lawlessness, endless material acquisition and discontentment.
ABUAD Journal of Social and Management Sciences , 2020
Poverty and inequality are some of the major evils plaguing the African continent. These frustrat... more Poverty and inequality are some of the major evils plaguing the African continent. These frustrate material well-being and pose great challenges to the realisation of sustainable development in the sub-region. In spite of the abundant material and human resource endowment, Africa and Nigeria in particular, have remained paradoxically poor and their citizens live with the stark reality of degrading and inhuman conditions.
Nigeria is characterised by striking diversities which more often than not form the basis for pol... more Nigeria is characterised by striking diversities which more often than not form the basis for political competition, rivalry and conflict. The federal system of government, a constitutional means of sharing governmental power and ensuring unity in diversity enshrined in the Nigerian Constitutions since 1954 provides a cocoon of security for each group on the horizontal plane as they interact with each other in a larger network. The seeming failure of Nigeria's federalism to ensure national stability led to the invention and operation of the federal character principle to further institutionalise power sharing and ensure a sense of national loyalty among Nigerians. Yet, the competition and conflict involved in the process ofpower and resource sharing in Nigeria has often threatened the corporate existence of the Nigerian State. Using secondary data and applying the consociational democratic theory as a framework of analysis, this paper examines the pluralistic nature and the power-sharing arrangements in Nigeria and evaluates these as they relate to national stability. In spite of the various power-sharing arrangements, the Nigerian elite have failed to agree on any, hence, the continued threats to the corporate NIgerian elite have failed to agree on any hence h s a n n g arrangements, the existence of the State. The paper recommends among others that strong institutions backed by constitutionalism should ensure true federal and democratic practice in Nigeria. This will ensure stability and national development.
VUNA JOURNAL OF HISTORY & INTERNATIONA RELATIONS, 2015
Disillusion by the character of the political leadership and instability that visited Athens in h... more Disillusion by the character of the political leadership and instability that visited Athens in his days, Plato posed some fundamental questions about who should rule as well the nature and role of education in the ideal state. He discovered that not everybody was gifted or has the golden element to search and realise the form of the good. This was the source of the poor and immoral leadership, resulting in instability and injustice. He therefore proposed a rigorous and standard educational system in an ideal state which could ensure justice and those who can acquire the form of the good will emerge as philosopher-rulers. He regarded education as the only means to achieve both the individual and social justice. This he argued, can be achieved when an individual fully develops himself, according to his abilities. It is through this form of education that intellectually and morally sound leaders will emerge. This paper argues that in spite of rich natural endowment, the Nigerian State has witnessed an increase in quantity rather than quality leadership and the state is worse for it. Nigerian leadership over the years has been characterised by mediocrity. authoritarianism, irresponsibility and so on. For the Nigerian state to realise its potential and move out of the socioeconomic and political quagmire, a properly educated, intellectually sound and morally upright leaders must replace the mediocrity and primitiveness that has been institutionalised in governance. This can come about through the involvement of the academia and other elite class in selecting and creating awareness about the calibre of people that can really salvage the political situation in Nigeria. There is also an urgent need for the agents of socialisation to properly re-orientate the citizenry in all forms of behaviour, even those that may appear politically irrelevant.
Readings in Peace and Conflict Studies: Essays in Honour of Professor Isaac Olawale Albert, 2019
There has been a consensus among scholars and practitioners that there is an umbilical cord betwe... more There has been a consensus among scholars and practitioners that there is an umbilical cord between peace and the overall development of a society (Strachan, 2013; Paffenholtz,2009 and Tschirgi,2003). In fact, the document on National Economic Development and Empowerment Strategy (NEEDS, 2004, p.49), clearly asserts that: Conflict prevention will be mainstreamed to put in place structures and processes that encourage a culture of peace, in which conflicts are addressed before they degenerate into violence, and in which public officers as well as civil society members have the opportunity to be trained in the prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts.
Aristotle, a prominent figure in ancient Greek Philosophy made tremendous contributions and pione... more Aristotle, a prominent figure in ancient Greek Philosophy made tremendous contributions and pioneered the organic origin of the state and postulated who should rule in the just or ideal state and how it should be organised. He emphasised that justice is the hall1mark of the ideal state. He distinguished between general and particular justice. Emphasising on the particular justice (and its two forms of distributive and corrective justice) Aristotle indicated that justice entails fairness and lawfulness in the state. Based on the theory of justice, Aristotle argued that the end of the state is to ensure the ultimate end of all humans happiness. The state exists to provide and ensure the just conditions for the actualisation of the best end. He described the happiness meant for man by nature as one lived according to the dictates of virtue and justice. The essence of the state is thus to bring about the virtuous life in the citizenry. He also submitted that injustice in a state brings about instability and revolutions. The implication for Nigeria is that the Nigerian nation state is characterised by injustice and the persistent crises and instability in Nigeria is a reflection of the injustice in the system. The paper recommends among others that there is an urgent need for the reconstitution and transformation of the Nigerian state and devolution of powers and resources to the federating units and other sections of the state.
FUDMA Journal of Politics and International Affairs, 2020
Corruption is endemic in Nigeria and every government comes with a promise to fight the hydra hea... more Corruption is endemic in Nigeria and every government comes with a promise to fight the hydra headed monster. It is also a truism that the legislature is well placed to legislate and carry out oversight and investigative duties to prevent, curb and punish corruption. This study investigated the role of the Eighth National Assembly in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. The secondary method of data collection and documentary analysis were used to generate and analyse data for this study. More so, structural functionalism was used as a framework of analysis. The study found that the Eighth Nigerian National Assembly made some concerted efforts in the fight against corruption, through the passage of bills aimed at the prevention and punishment of corrupt practices, organization of public and investigative hearings, among others. Yet, it was clear that the legislature in the period under review failed to cooperate effectively with the executive in the struggle against corruption. T...
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