Papers by Okpanachi L Odiji
Two Decades of Legislative Politics and Governance in Nigeria’s National Assembly, 2021
Studies in Politics and Society (SIPAS) is a peer reviewed journal of the Nigerian Political Scie... more Studies in Politics and Society (SIPAS) is a peer reviewed journal of the Nigerian Political Science Association. It serves as a platform for the development and exchange of ideas on political issues within and outside Nigeria. Scholarly articles are invited on any issue or field of Political Science and the Social Sciences. Areas of focus include but not limited to political theory, state and governmental institutions, public policy, public development, political economy, development and underdevelopment, gender studies, social change, conflict and peace studies, security and strategic studies, international politics and diplomacy. It also accepts scholarly reviews of relevant books. SIPAS is an annual publication which features in May/June, with special (that is thematic) editions on specific themes in December/January. Papers for consideration in either of the editions should not be under assessment or published elsewhere.
The most important objective of any sovereign state is that of maintaining her territorial integr... more The most important objective of any sovereign state is that of maintaining her territorial integrity and securing lives and properties of the citizenry. This unfortunately has been a tall dream in Nigeria where insurgents and other criminal elements outsmart security forces to unleash terror on the people. One of the major reasons adduced for this negative trend is the impracticability of security forces to be everywhere at every time and this in turn necessitates the formation of local vigilantes to assist military and police agencies in combating crimes at community levels. This paper examines how the motivation of local vigilantes could lead to the realisation of the National security objective of Nigeria. Studying their activities in three different locations namely Biu, Ondo and Ejule, in Borno, Ondo and Kogi states respectively, we discovered that given necessary motivations such as governmental oversights, material incentives and commendations, the vigilantes are capable of assisting the state in not only maintaining law and order but supplying the necessary intelligence needed to ensure security for the whole country.
While reasons such as monetization of politics, unemployment and ethnicism have variously been id... more While reasons such as monetization of politics, unemployment and ethnicism have variously been identified as the cause of electoral violence in Nigeria, no efforts seems to have been made to assess the nexus between managerial competencies and the electoral atmosphere the system is bequeathed with. This paper therefore invokes Fayolism which highlights the principles and expected functions of management to establish that inefficient management of electoral matters by institutions such as Independent National Electoral Commission, the Police and Political parties is first and foremost the cause of violence being witnessed in the polity. Inferences for this analysis were drawn from experiences of the 2015 general elections and its forerunning campaigns. Recommendations such as the need for appointment of competent hands to man electoral, political and security institutions as well as getting these institutions adequately prepared for upcoming tasks were made to nib-in-bud the problem of electoral violence in any polity.
This work focuses on socio-political exclusion which characterises the Nigerian fourth republic a... more This work focuses on socio-political exclusion which characterises the Nigerian fourth republic and the damage it has brought to the system. It is structured to address the conceptualizations of Socio-political exclusion, Democracy, and the Nigerian Fourth Republic; observed acts of socio-political exclusion in the Nigeria's Fourth Republic and the repercussion of this exclusion on the nation. Exploiting the Marxist social conflict theory and drawing information from events which have been unfolding as depicted in the news media and other authoritative sources, the discourse observes that, the myriad of problems inherent in contemporary Nigeria sprang out of the unlevelled political playing field designed and handed down by the ruling class made up of retired military and their civilian cronies. It concludes therefore that unless the political contest field is redesigned to accommodate those that are currently excluded from both socio political and economic activities; the ensuing crises might bring the fourth republic just like its predecessors to an undesirable end.
While so many attempts have been made by the Nigerian state to engage its teeming unemployed yout... more While so many attempts have been made by the Nigerian state to engage its teeming unemployed youths in public and private services, the Youth Enterprise With Innovation in Nigeria (YouWiN) is yet another employment generation strategy of the government but this time with the aim of igniting the entrepreneurship potentials of the Nigerian youth population to enable them create jobs for themselves. This work attempts to review this laudable initiative weighing its strengths and weaknesses and the philosophy behind its conception. Exploring the utilitarian theory of ethical conduct alongside the felicific and ethical calculus to appraise the rationale behind the programme, and taking cognisance of predominant infrastructural deficit in the country, the study concludes that the YouWiN idea though sounding noble, was actually a miscalculation in view of the near absence of those social amenities that should have aided the achievement of the long-term objectives of the policy.
weak emphasis on thorough and concrete conceptualisation of the environment-politics nexus for th... more weak emphasis on thorough and concrete conceptualisation of the environment-politics nexus for the continent's development. Scope of the Journal ''Ayika'' means environment in Yoruba language of Nigeria. Hence, AYIKA: JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENT AND POLITICS IN AFRICA is established to treat issues of environment in ways that will provide sound policy and socioeconomic and political perspectives from scholars within and outside the African continent. Papers to feature in this journal may speak to the global dimension of environmental issues, but must have profound bearing on the African connection in terms of abating tremendously the environmental inducing underdevelopment variables in the continent. By implication, the journal will provide, and be, an avenue to proffer practical policy and political insights to Africa's most pressing and strategic environmental issues. Aim of the Journal AYIKA: JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENT AND POLITICS IN AFRICA is an environment politics journal in Africa that so much focuses on the African continent. It covers theoretical, policy, programmatic and other overarching dimensions and dynamics of environmental politics, governance and diplomacy in Africa. As a result of this, original review articles and every other kind of intellectual manuscript from academic fields cum disciplines such as philosophy, geography, international relations, economics, political science, sociology, psychology and related scholarly areas will be published in the journal.
In efforts to provide safe and conducive environment for citizens as well as foreign nationals co... more In efforts to provide safe and conducive environment for citizens as well as foreign nationals conducting businesses on her shores, the Nigerian state have over the years constituted several regular law enforcement and security agencies mandated to maintain law and order as well as prevent and fight insurgencies including the terrorism they characterize. The Yan Tatsine uprising during the second republic and Boko Haram extremism cum attacks of the fourth republic have however raised doubts in certain quarters on the intelligence gathering ability of these state security outfits. While some scholars and policy makers have in this light called for a total overhaul of some if not all of these governmental agencies, this paper opts to take a critical look into the role of local vigilante organizations in assisting the state in her war against terror and other violent crimes such as rape and kidnapping. Focusing on the activities of some vigilante cells in Borno State which aligned in 2013 as 'Civilian JTF' to rout-out Boko Haram from their communities, and adopting the group theory approach to political inquiry, this study which assesses and confirms the positive activities of the vigilantes, also calls on the government at various levels to work out a synergy of these vigilantes' activities and those of the conventional state security forces/services for the enhancement of the entire Nigerian security system.
Following the latest outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in some West African countries between 2... more Following the latest outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in some West African countries between 2014 and 2015 and the politics that occasioned the spreading and containment of the virus, this paper explores realism to revisit the actions and inactions of states in the entire saga. Extracting data from primary sources including official documents, the discourse opine that United States' disapproval of affected states' request for the Zmapp experimental drug was a blessing in disguise as Nigeria later looked inward and deployed local resources and expertise in resolving her own case. It is particularly believed that if the same willpower, energy and enthusiasm are directed towards aiming at solving other challenges confronting the nation-most especially the socio political and economic quagmires, Nigeria would have by now been out of the woods she currently finds herself.
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Papers by Okpanachi L Odiji