Papers by Okoro Asangausung
International Journal of Arts and Humanities, 2021
The study was conducted in Ibibioland, Akwa Ibom State to explore the role of the woman in confli... more The study was conducted in Ibibioland, Akwa Ibom State to explore the role of the woman in conflict situations and the strategy she employs in conflict mediation. Guided by the assumptions of Radcliff-Brown's structural functionalism and Talcott Parsons' social system theory, cross-sectional survey research design was adopted in the study. Personal interviews and focus group discussions were employed for data collection. Three hundred and sixty participants were selected from the eighteen (18) Local Government Areas making Ibibio ethnic group. Multi-stage sampling involving purposive and simple random sampling techniques was employed to select participants among women above 25 years of age. Some of the women were visited in their houses and interviewed personally in order to obtain relevant information on their role and strategies in conflict mediation while 18 sessions of focused group discussions were held in the nearby civic centers in these Local Government Areas. The local language was used to obtain information from participants with the aid of a tape recorder and was later transcribed. Data obtained were analyzed thematically. Findings show that marriages create social relationships through which the sanctity of the god of in-law (abasi Ukod) and grandchild (abasi eyeyen) among others became the bond of peace in Ibibioland. Women mediate in conflict situations directly and indirectly and sometimes unconsciously. Their roles in conflict management, though mostly on unofficial capacities, bring peace and stability to the society. The strategies employed include, but are not limited to apologies, women's cultural groups, traditional songs, and marriage. The study recommends that women in Ibibioland should be involved officially in conflict management initiatives and their strategies adapted in conflict situations.
The paper investigated the issue of human right violations by officers of the Special Anti-Robber... more The paper investigated the issue of human right violations by officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force using Akwa Ibom State as a case study. The study is guided by the assumptions of social conflict theory developed by Karl Marx. This theory is best appreciated because of the conflicting nature of the social relationships of society and its law enforcement institutions. Descriptive survey design was employed. Structured questionnaire aided the collection of primary data. The non-probability sampling approach was used for the study which involved purposive and snowball sampling methods. The study population consisted victims of human right violations, ex-convicts, people who have knowledge about the activities of SARS and selected officers of the Nigeria police force from the age cohorts of 18 years and 65 years. Primary data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings show that the appearances of officers of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) are known for show of force, torture, incessant killings and their outlook is always terrified. Identifying an erring officer in SARS is always a difficult one. SARS are still in their operation and violations of human rights are still in the increase, hence, the public outcry to scrap SARS unit from the Nigeria Police Force. The study recommends that a competent court of jurisdiction must be ready to give fair hearing to cases against the Nigeria Police Force on human right abuses and compel the Inspector General of Police to produce the erring officer to appear in court in order to face the consequences of his/her actions and inactions squarely. SARS unit of the Nigeria Police Force should either be restructured with different orientation and operation with international best practices or stands the risk of being scrapped with compulsory retirement of all the officers attached to the unit.
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Papers by Okoro Asangausung