Covenant University Journal of Politics & International Affairs
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Covenant University Journal of Politics & Internationall Affairs. Vol. 6 No. 2, Dec. 2018 An Open Access Journal Available Online Covenant University Journal of Politics & International Affairs Vol. 6 No. 2, December 2018 A Publication of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, College of Leadership Development Studies, Covenant University. Editor-in-Chief: Sheriff F. Folarin, Ph.D [email protected] Managing Editor: Edwin O. Agbaike [email protected] Website: http//Journal.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/cujpia/ Covenant University Journal of Politics & International Affairs (CUJPIA) Vol. 6 No. 2, Dec. 2018 © 2018, Covenant University Journals All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any meams, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. It is a condition of publication in this journal that manuscripts have not been published or submitted for publication and will not be submitted or published elsewhere. Upon the acceptance of articles to be published in this journal,the author(s) are required to transfer copyright of the article to the publisher. ISSN: Print 2354 - 3558 Online 2354 - 3493 Published by Covenant University Journals, Covenant University, Canaanland, Km 10, Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria Printed by Covenant University Press ii Covenant University Journal of Politics & International Affairs (CUJPIA) Vol. 6 No. 2, Dec. 2018 Articles Traditional Governance System in Nigeria:Lessons for Neoliberal Democracies Adedeji Oluwaseun Adewusi 1 The Internet and National Security in Nigeria: A Threat-Import Discourse Okoli A. l. Chukwuma & Idom Augustine Mogom 20 Piracy as Threat to Africa‟s Security and Economic Development Idowu Johnson, PhD 30 Globalization and „Africanization‟ of Contemporary Pop Music: Implications for History and Theory Okoli Al Chukwuma & Atelhe George Atelhe 41 iii Covenant University Journal of Politics & International Affairs (CUJPIA) Vol. 6 No. 2, Dec. 2018 Covenant University Journal of Politics & Internationall Affairs. Vol. 6 No. 1, Dec. 2018 An Open Access Journal Available Online Traditional Governance System in Nigeria: Lessons for Neoliberal Democracies Adedeji Oluwaseun Adewusi Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ibadan [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract The pre-colonial Nigerian state had a well-organized system of administration where law and social order were provided and maintained respectively. Despite the country‟s independence, Nigeria had been unable to install rights-based political and economic systems of governance that would encouragestate-building and development. The attendant societal woes paved way for neoliberalism; an economic ideology that licensed the Bretton Woods institutions to limit the political powers of the state and promote the ideas of the free market economic system.This paper examined neoliberal governance system with the aim of identifying the lessons for a “democratic”state like Nigeria. The theoretical assumptions of the World Systems theory were used to explain issues of interest. As a desk study, this paper found, amongst others, that “every foreign favour comes with a price tag.” This was because the aidprovided bythe Bretton Woods institutions such as the World Bank and IMF to the then government has subjected Nigeria to the dictates of the aforementioned donors, which the country is dearly paying for till date. Also, the adoption of neoliberal policies denied the indigenous people of Nigeria the right to freedom from discrimination and the right to dignity of human person. Therefore, it was recommended that the Nigerian government embraces an autarkic form of governance. This is highly possible by first de-westernizing the mind of Nigerians and her leaders to begin to see the need to stick to a self-sufficient and a truly democratic form of government. Keywords: Africa, Governance System, Neoliberalism, Nigeria, Traditional Institutions 1 Introduction would facilitate state-building and at the African societies had some form of same time promote development (Fatile political institutions that saw to their and Adejuwon, 2009). The prevailing daily activities prior to colonialism. level of poverty, the continued ethnic However, these institutions differ in and civil conflicts, and constant political makeup. For instance, some electoral and post-electoral strife are states like Asante, Buganda, Sokoto, some manifestations of the failure of Kano, and Zulu kingdoms had highly the independent State of Nigeria centralized political structures with (Isamah, 2002).Specifically, since the complex bureaucracy, with a king late 1980s, African countries have been constituting an apex governmental experiencing crises of governance, a body. The king is usually supported by democratic change which has all his ministers in order to facilitate the resulted in poor economic and social administration of the affairs of the development. In a continent with society. However, Igbo communities abundant human and natural resources, were mainly stateless – societies where so many people live in poverty and authority is vested on family, the village misery particularly in Nigeria with head or the age-set of adult men serious consequences on their quality of (Abdulai, 2012).The foregoing are life. The foregoing societal woes paved shreds of evidence that Africa had a way for the rise of neoliberal system of administration within which governance (Isamah, 2002). law and order were provided and The New Economic Order of maintained (Fatile and Adejuwon, Liberalism (i.e., Neo-liberalism) is a 2009).These attestations negate the situation whereby private interests seek subjective and erroneous belief among much of economic and social life to most Western scholars that pre-colonial maximize profits. Neoliberalism is an African societies never had any system economic doctrine that favours the rule of administration. Indeed, the of market forces as the engine of traditional African societies had well growth (Egharevba, Imhonopi, and organized and well-established Iruonagbe, 2015). The main argument indigenous systems of administration of the neoliberalists was that the state where social order was dispensed and intervention was the primary reason sustained, where enactments were made there were retarding growth and and enforced and, where inter- development in Africa, hence, the communal and intertribal conflicts were solution to this persistent syndromes resolved and managed (Osakede and lies in the unleashing of market forces Ijimakinwa, 2015). This is an indication (Sakakibara, 1997). It convinces people that traditional institutions had a that individualism, competition, and significant feature of putting the people self-commodification are the natural first, which helped to secure great vicissitudes of life. Consequently, civil loyalty and respect. society is concussed to accept, through However, despite modest progress in contriving capitalistic hyperboles, that some African countries such as South the world is nothing more than a market Africa and Namibia, the post- in which everything, and everyone, can colonialNigerian State has been unable be bought and sold. However, to establish rights-based political and Neoliberal policieshave posed several economic systems of governance that challenges to African countries, Nigeria 2 Covenant University Journal of Politics & International Affairs (CUJPIA) Vol. 6 No. 2, Dec. 2018 inclusive. Though they are eras but also to highlight the lessons to acknowledged as independent states be learned from the adoption of the within the global community, latter form of governance. regrettably, African countries have not Literature Review sufficiently transcended to nations with Governance/Traditional Governance national identities (Ekanade, 2014). According to Okpaga (2007:3), Nigeria like several other developing governance means “how people are countries has witnessed a series of ruled and how the affairs of the state are societal issues including administered and regulated. ”Therefore, unemployment, poverty, political governance connotes the ways and turmoil, and overpopulation among manners with which the politics of a others, which have direct impact on the nation is been executed. In any overall welfare of the people. The quest governance system, a public authority is of proffering a long lasting solution to expected to play an important role in these milieus have made successive creating a conducive environment to governments to deploy several socio- enhance development. On this premise, economic measures and policies such as Ansah (2007:8) viewed governance “as Structural Adjustment Programmes encompassing a state‟s institutional and (SAP), austerity measures, currency structural arrangements, decision- devaluation and others (Olotu, 1994), making process and implementation which are all neoliberal measures. capacity and the relationship between These measures, whose purpose was government officials and the public. toimprove the socio-economic status of ”Governance can, therefore, be good or the people in the country have rather bad depending on whether or not it has increased their sufferings and widened the basic ingredients of what constitutes the socio-economic gap between a system acceptable by the people.