Amobi P . Chiamogu, PhD | Federal Polytechnic, Oko (original) (raw)

Conference Presentations by Amobi P . Chiamogu, PhD

The exercise of franchise and fielding of candidates for electoral positions in most democracies ... more The exercise of franchise and fielding of candidates for electoral positions in most democracies are costing fortunes for candidates and political parties. Funding electoral campaigns has become critical and determines to a long extent who contests elections in developing countries. In spite of several check rules and measures, access to state treasury had facilitated funding of political activities and programmes especially those in power. To that end, this paper seeks to examine how the Peoples " Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) financed their campaigns for the 2015 General Elections in Nigeria. It further seeks to determine the accepted sources of funding for political campaigns while appraising the ongoing probe of abuse of arms(security) vote by the Jonathan " s government. It also examines the sources of fund available to other political parties.

The principal concern of this paper is to examine the practice of democratic governance in Nigeri... more The principal concern of this paper is to examine the practice of democratic governance in Nigeria in terms of its legitimacy credentials with special emphasis on leadership recruitment processes and exercise of governmental power in the fourth republic. Juxtaposed against the pristine ideals of liberal democracy, it argues that the over one decade of " democratic governance " in the country is typified by sordid experiences and unsetting effects, chiefs amongst which include the erosion of the people " s wishes expressed through electoral processes and their consequent alienation in governance. It is therefore the contention here that there can be no democracy in the real sense of the word without popular support and full integration of the people in the governing process especially as it concerns public participation in policy process and leadership recruitment.

This paper emphasizes the need for voter education in Nigeria against the backdrop of the implica... more This paper emphasizes the need for voter education in Nigeria against the backdrop of the implications of void votes syndrome occasioned by voter illiteracy and ignorance on the country’s fledging democracy. It argues that leadership recruitment via electioneering processes remains the best way of promoting popular sovereignty in representative democracy, and as such, the electorates should be better informed, guided, and educated to reduce the incidents of invalid votes during elections so as to give effect to the people’s choices. It concludes by submitting that there can be no democracy, in the real sense of the word, without public participation in electoral processes which, in Nigerian context, is being negatived presently by scores of invalid votes during elections.

Elections have followed a particular trend in the political history of Nigeria with the ruling pa... more Elections have followed a particular trend in the political history of Nigeria with the ruling party (party-in-power) rarely ever losing elections. Character of Nigerian politics had inadvertently snowballed into one party system where there is either no opposition or it is fractionalized onto insignificance. This paper studies in extenso the dynamics and issues giving rise to the prevalence of opposition in the 2015 general elections wherein for the first time in the annals of elections in Nigeria, an opposition party waxed very strong and garnered great force to unseating a 'ruling party'. It after a detailed espouse of literature, observed that imposition of candidates, internal wrangling, factionalization and lack of internal democracy laced with docile character cum personality of the defeated president form the fulcrum for the supremacy of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The paper further opines that overt inability of the outgoing president to assert himself firmly and demonstrate greatest personal drive to handling headlong national issues like insecurity, economic depression coupled with his lackluster disposition to galvanizing and welding federal cabinet into a usual 'cult' made his house to exist in disarray. The study adopted extensive use of secondary data which were analyzed content wise along postulations of disturbance theory as put forward by David Truman. It finally submits that lack of coordinated drive to handle issues knitted in the fact that Jonathan never planned to be a political leader created great opportunities for emergent crass of opposition politicians to thrive.
Keywords: Elections, Opposition Politics, Ruling Party, Internal Democracy, Disturbance Theory and All Progressives Congress (APC)

The exercise of franchise and fielding of candidates for electoral positions in most democracies ... more The exercise of franchise and fielding of candidates for electoral positions in most democracies are costing fortunes for candidates and political parties. Funding electoral campaigns has become critical and determines to a long extent who contests elections in developing countries. In spite of several check rules and measures, access to state treasury had facilitated funding of political activities and programmes especially those in power. To that end, this paper seeks to examine how the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) financed their campaigns for the 2015 General Elections in Nigeria. It further seeks to determine the accepted sources of funding for political campaigns while appraising the on-going probe of abuse of arms(security) vote by the Jonathan’s government. It also examines the sources of fund available to other political parties.

Keywords: Political Finance,Campaign Finance, Abuse of State Administrative Resources, Security Vote and Electioneering Campaign

Papers by Amobi P . Chiamogu, PhD

Journal of Governance and Accountability Studies, Jul 25, 2022

Journal of Government and Political Issues, Nov 22, 2022

Social Media Regulation, Freedom of Expression, and Civic Space in Nigeria: A Study Based on Authoritarian Mass Communication Theory, 2022

This study investigates the impact of the digital revolution on freedom of expression ... more This study investigates the impact of the digital revolution on freedom of expression and civic space in Nigeria, particularly examining the role of social media regulation in the country's shift towards autocratization. Employing secondary data sources, the research focuses on key variables, including the government's approach to online content regulation, social media shutdowns, and capacity to regulate online content. The analysis reveals that the government's attempts to control the new media space go beyond silencing the press tooutright repression, leading Nigeria towards authoritarianism characterized by reactionary tendencies. Moreover, the study finds that the combination of excessive social media regulation, a suppressed judiciary, and a weakened legislature may result in authoritarian rule in Nigeria. The paper concludes that disobedience to court orders and the use of state institutions against political opposition contribute to the erosion of democracy, highlighting the importance of a balanced approach to social media regulation to protect freedom of expression and maintain a democratic society

Social Science Research Network, Mar 27, 2018

The history of democratic struggle for votes makes it clear that in the absence of a referendum a... more The history of democratic struggle for votes makes it clear that in the absence of a referendum a low turnout is a vote against the politics of the time in question. There has been a continued spiral downward decline in the turnout of voters in successive elections conducted since the dawn of civilian administration in Nigeria since 1999. From national through state and local

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 2019

The 1979 and 1999 constitutions of Nigeria created anti-development frameworks that unhealthily e... more The 1979 and 1999 constitutions of Nigeria created anti-development frameworks that unhealthily endowed the federal government with excessive powers in direct contravention of the most basic tenets of federalism. One of the items that has remained subtly contrived in the exclusive list is power generation. The 2005 Electric Power Sector Reform Act through Sections 8, 65 and 66 established and licensed Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to take charge of transmission and system operation of high voltage network of the Nigerian electricity supply industry. Thus, the Nigerian energy policy structure continues to be top-down involving huge investments in large electricity mega plants, generating electricity into mega grids for mega distribution. Based mainly on secondary sources of data, this paper is a descriptive and analytical clarification of issues on power sharing as key impediment to poor electricity generation, transmission and distribution in Nigeria. The study examines the implications of power behemoth federal government that stifles autonomy of federating units in Nigeria. It observes that the exclusive right to electricity transmission by the federal government negates sustainable electric power supply in Nigeria. It therefore recommended devolution of powers and streamlining of Second Schedule of 1999 Constitution to reflect a true federal system

SSRN Electronic Journal

The return in 1999 to civilian rule and constitutional democracy in Nigeria gave rise to the re-e... more The return in 1999 to civilian rule and constitutional democracy in Nigeria gave rise to the re-emergence of governmental structures and institutions that hitherto were suspended and underutilized. Military rule had grown an over pampered and powered executive arm of government which was transmuted unto a supposed democratic setting. The legislative arm of government is thus a nascent organ with adapted tenets and procedures that are yet to be fully domesticated. This paper therefore examines the roles of the legislature in appropriation with the intents of determining if it has powers to alter, change and or make further budgetary provisions. The study adopted extensive use of secondary data that were analyzed content wise and surmised that whereas the Executive manages the national economy that the legislature through its powers of appropriation authorizes withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in order to foster good governance of Nigeria.

Proceedings of The International Conference on Social Sciences in the 21st Century

Stolen and abused opportunities abound in countries with weak administrative/governance instituti... more Stolen and abused opportunities abound in countries with weak administrative/governance institutions where people largely and inappropriately rely on sub-optimal indices such as blood/family ties, ethnic affiliation, kinship linkage, friendship, race, gender and religious links in the creation, allocation and distribution of values. In such countries, Nigeria inclusive, competence and meritocracy are completely or partially ignored. Although this is a form of corruption, it is almost generally accepted but for those who cannot derive gains at the time of need. Even the current anticorruption narrative is yet to beam investigative insight into the menace. This paper thus seeks to explore and analyze the dimensions of parochial attachments in recruitment and selection processes in the Nigerian Public sector. It also traces the debilitating implications of championing sub-optimal indices in value/resources allocation/distribution with regard to service delivery. It further observes in apposition to the study problematique that determination of most forms of relationships amongst Nigerian citizens follow ethnic and nepotic constructs which are not unconnected with poor performance of the public sector. The paper adopts a qualitative research strategy using comprehensive document review in tune with critical examination of extant literature. The paper thus submits that skewed quota system and zoning arrangement as consociational approaches in the Nigerian federalism negate national unity and massively impinge on public sector performance. It therefore recommends best practice in forms of integrity, accountability, adherence to competence and meritocracy, discipline, professionalism, patriotism, and impartiality in the observance of the federal character principle in Nigeria.

SSRN Electronic Journal

The issue of Africa living with the scourge of endemic poverty is not a recent trend. This is for... more The issue of Africa living with the scourge of endemic poverty is not a recent trend. This is for the fact that poverty is one of the major factors defining the underdeveloped and developing third world societies worldwide and Africa in particular. Several factors have been identified in this study as being responsible for the perpetuation of poverty in Africa. These include war and armed conflicts, illiteracy, poor agricultural practices and land owning policies, poor water and sanitation, health and education, corruption, among others. The G8 we know is a forum of the eight leading industrialized nations of the world. In their summits, they have reached a number of policy agreements aimed at fighting poverty and eradicating it to the point of making it a history. There were theoretically some arguments for and against the dependence on exogenously induced economic measures to eradicate poverty rather than the endogenous measures. The dependency and the modernization schools of thought proffered their solutions to the scourge of poverty in Africa. In all, it was seen in this study that the G8 has made few efforts in line with debt cancellation, aids and technical assistance as well as in the areas of trade liberalization. All aimed at fighting poverty in Africa but it was discovered that these are not enough as their failures were numerous. It was therefore suggested that African countries should look inwards for the solution to their poverty. If not, if the G8 is really serious and committed there are many more things they need to do if they will actually help in making poverty a history in Africa.

Water Resources Monograph, 1982

Public Policy and Administration Research, 2013

Unemployment and poverty are twin scourge that are global phenomena. The rate of unemployment and... more Unemployment and poverty are twin scourge that are global phenomena. The rate of unemployment and poverty in Nigeria amidst plenty of natural and human resources has earned the country the image of a paradox. In spite of numerous policies and programmes initiated to address them, available statistics show that both phenomena are on the increase yearly. This paper advocates for a rethink in the country's educational curricula as one of the cardinal measures for unemployment and poverty reduction; in that light, it canvasses for a paradigm shift from emphasis and insistence on credit passes on core science subjects as prerequisite or sine qua non for studying Technical and Vocational Education courses and Training, to interests of prospective students in the area. It concludes that the shift will not only swell geometrically the number of students admitted to study such courses each session, it will produce graduates armed with requisite skills to take up self employment consequently reducing rates of unemployment and poverty on the one hand. On the other hand, it will also pave way on one prong for "artisans" who are practicing technicians with the "technical-know-how" to enroll in technical and vocational education courses and acquire the "technical-know-why" in their practices; one the other, graduates and teachers who have become informed and interested in the area could benefit from the new arrangement, thereby placing them and other professionals on good stead for unlimited technological exploration, innovations, inventions and discoveries propelled by advanced technological manufacturing and mechantronics.

Abstract Unemployment and poverty are twin scourge that are global phenomena. The rate of unemplo... more Abstract
Unemployment and poverty are twin scourge that are global phenomena. The rate of unemployment and poverty
in Nigeria amidst plenty of natural and human resources has earned the country the image of a paradox. In spite
of numerous policies and programmes initiated to address them, available statistics show that both phenomena
are on the increase yearly. This paper advocates for a re-think in the country’s educational curricula as one of
the cardinal measures for unemployment and poverty reduction; in that light, it canvasses for a paradigm shift
from emphasis and insistence on credit passes on core science subjects as prerequisite or sine qua non for
studying Technical and Vocational Education courses and Training, to interests of prospective students in the
area. It concludes that the shift will not only swell geometrically the number of students admitted to study such
courses each session, it will produce graduates armed with requisite skills to take up self employment
consequently reducing rates of unemployment and poverty on the one hand. On the other hand, it will also pave
way on one prong for “artisans” who are practicing technicians with the “technical-know-how” to enroll in
technical and vocational education courses and acquire the “technical-know-why” in their practices; one the
other, graduates and teachers who have become informed and interested in the area could benefit from the new
arrangement, thereby placing them and other professionals on good stead for unlimited technological
exploration, innovations, inventions and discoveries propelled by advanced technological manufacturing and
mechantronics.

Keywords: Redesigning education curricula, Unemployment reduction, Poverty reduction, Technical and
vocational education and training

The poor rate of success for artificial insemination (AI) can be attributed to many intrinsic and... more The poor rate of success for artificial insemination (AI) can be attributed to many intrinsic and non-intrinsic causes like the individual animal’s semen quality, the minimum standard set for semen quality prior to acceptance for freezing and post-thawed semen, the freezing and thawing protocol and the number of spermatozoa per straw for insemination. And even though, a wide variety of evaluation methods and/or tools are used to investigate the quality of bull semen, it is still difficult to determine to which extent subfertile sperm contributes to the inability of achieving conception. However, analysis of semen for an individual bull based on different parameters provides better information to predict its fertility. For this reason; now a days semen production centers are moving away from subjective semen assessment which is largely uncorrelated to field fertility to objective semen analyses that incorporate computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA) and flow cytometry. A multiparame...

Social Science Research Network, 2015

International journal of Asian social science, 2012

The paper attempts a critical explication of the dynamics of purported unity in diversity amongst... more The paper attempts a critical explication of the dynamics of purported unity in diversity amongst multinational states in the third world with federal system of government along the lines of horizontal and vertical power relations in administration and governance. It is based on secondary sources of data that made way for proper espouse of the views of varied scholars on the key issues under study. The analysis observed that there obtains conflict between and among the organs and levels of government in the making and implementation of public policies.

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, Apr 30, 2019

The exercise of franchise and fielding of candidates for electoral positions in most democracies ... more The exercise of franchise and fielding of candidates for electoral positions in most democracies are costing fortunes for candidates and political parties. Funding electoral campaigns has become critical and determines to a long extent who contests elections in developing countries. In spite of several check rules and measures, access to state treasury had facilitated funding of political activities and programmes especially those in power. To that end, this paper seeks to examine how the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) financed their campaigns for the 2015 General Elections in Nigeria. It further seeks to determine the accepted sources of funding for political campaigns while appraising the on-going probe of abuse of arms(security) vote by the Jonathan’s government. It also examines the sources of fund available to other political parties.

Keywords: Political Finance,Campaign Finance, Abuse of State Administrative Resources, Security Vote and Electioneering Campaign

Journal of Governance and Accountability Studies, Jul 25, 2022

Journal of Government and Political Issues, Nov 22, 2022

Social Media Regulation, Freedom of Expression, and Civic Space in Nigeria: A Study Based on Authoritarian Mass Communication Theory, 2022

Social Science Research Network, Mar 27, 2018

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 2019

SSRN Electronic Journal

Proceedings of The International Conference on Social Sciences in the 21st Century

SSRN Electronic Journal

Water Resources Monograph, 1982

Public Policy and Administration Research, 2013

Keywords: Redesigning education curricula, Unemployment reduction, Poverty reduction, Technical and
vocational education and training

Social Science Research Network, 2015

International journal of Asian social science, 2012

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, Apr 30, 2019

Open Journal of Political Science (OJPS), 2021

Over time, internet penetration, social media production and consumption have skyrocketed with th... more Over time, internet penetration, social media production and consumption have skyrocketed with the unparalleled hike in advancement, adaptation and usage of information communication and technologies (ICTs). This geometric increment has greatly influenced the character of politics and administration in countries especially in emergent liberal democracies where populism has continued to be misapplied. In such countries, Nigeria inclusive, political leaderships have strangulated safeguards through mindful annihilation of institutions of checks and balances thereby subjugating the citizenry. Social media has thus turned out a veritable platform for activists to create awareness on socio-political issues and mobilize protests. This study, therefore, focuses on the strength of social media in creating social, political awareness and mobilizing political protests in Nigeria. In this study, the #BringBackOurGirls, #RevolutionNow and #EndSars protests as test cases will be examined to understand the dynamic role of social media in creating group consciousness and mobilizing political protests in Nigeria. The study problematique will be approached using the qualitative research design through secondary sources of data that shall be analyzed content-wise. Based on the in-depth espouse of related literature, the social movement theory serves as the basic theoretical framework of analysis for the study. The study observed that a long period of marginalization and suppression of sections of the Nigerian society capped in lack of accountability and irresponsible governance constitute the major rationale for the massification of groups on social media. It also observed that orchestrated repressive measures bottled up anger in individual citizens who converge on social media groups to ventilate their displeasure and grievances. These social media platforms which enable seamless and rapid distribution of socio-political information generate public sympathy that wakes up clannish ties, propels people, to sum up group grievances and incite members against the state. The study, therefore, surmised that widespread smartphone usage boosts group consciousness and facilitates group mobilization and protests against bad leadership.

Global Journal of Human Social Science: F Political Science, 2021

The conduct of regular elections by authoritarian populist regimes has engendered the advent of e... more The conduct of regular elections by authoritarian populist regimes has engendered the advent of elections without democracies and democracies without rights and peoples' participation. The unwillingness of the elites and the powerful, who have taken hold of the political system, to cede to the views of the people is increasingly making the government unresponsive. The political system is fast turning into a playground for billionaires with very high propensity to exclude the people from the scheme of affairs. Political parties are getting frozen by populist leaders who are using their positions to destroy free media, undermine independent institutions, and muzzle the opposition. Individual and minority rights as well as popular will are no longer guaranteed. Citizens are thus disillusioned with politics; have grown restless, angry, disdainful and hostile to the resultant democrazy. This paper therefore analyzed the collapsing party prowess in membership and candidate recruitments that have pushed politicians on selfworth electioneering, political merchandising and entrepreneurship in their search for relevance. It further examines the vertical linkages between political parties and electorates as complemented by horizontal connection between parties and private contributors.

International Journal of Asian Social Science, 2012

International Journal of Asian Social Science, Nov 1, 2012

In C. A. Obiora and U. G. Ojukwu (Eds.), Comparative Federalism: A Reader (pp. 159-190). Nnewi: Jovan Media, 2020

Introduction The structure and composition of societies define their governance and administratio... more Introduction
The structure and composition of societies define their governance and administration. States with remarkable social diversities tend to respect their bases of heterogeneity. The units and strands of such societies cling to their groups and re-enforce their exclusivity thereby seeking respect for their local autonomy. In that order, political elites capitalize on remarkable primordial cleavages to advance attuned group behaviour that promote centrifugal and divisive tendencies in the state. Nigeria is a plural state with varied diversities counting for about 250 ethnic nationalities/groupings with the Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and the Igbos as the 3 majors generating situations where Musa is Hausa, Femi is Yoruba and Obi is Igbo just as in the other minority groups. Hence, nobody is a Nigerian and loyalty is primordial and lies with the groups. At this, the Nigerian government and administration are structured to foster representation and participation of the various groups and nationalities that make up the country.

The evolution of federalism in Nigeria derives from economic, political/constitutional, social and cultural developments which have influenced the nature and character of intergovernmental relations (Ekpo, 2004). Fiscal and power configurations exist between and amongst various levels and organs of government thereby giving rise to the adoption of federalism with overt power sharing structure inherent in the exclusive, concurrent and residual legislative lists (Chiamogu, Onwughalu & Chiamogu, 2012; Onwughalu, Obiorah, Chiamogu & Chiamogu, 2019). In a federal system of government, powers and functions are shared and divided vertically and horizontally amongst the levels of government and their agencies respectively. The three tiers of government: the federal, state and local governments supposedly have defined power allotments with the national government wielding overriding status and functions as the level that has the responsibility of fostering unity in diversity coupled with perhaps the impacts of militocracy in Nigerian politics.

Obviously, the long period of military rule strangulated core institutions and structures of governance and administration in the Nigerian democratic experiment. It did not only play with the independence of the judiciary but introduced orchestrated drive for executive ascendancy where the head of state arrogated much powers to his office (the executive) and took over the duties of the legislature. Understanding inter and intra relations between and amongst these levels and organs of governments is thus a key parameter to mapping out healthy functioning or lack thereof in federal systems of government. Polities based on those principles are complex systems, each with their own internal logic and means of translating into concrete forms the combination of self-rule and joint rule (Poirier, n.d). Interestingly, it is pertinent to observe that federalism as a system of government is context dependent. Its practice varies according to states who could make it either decentralized or centralized, cooperative or conflictual, congressional or parliamentary, dualist or integrated (Amadi, Echem & Nwoko, 2017). No two states practice federalism the same way. Nigerian federalism is patterned after that of the United States but Nigerian federalism practice is significantly different from the US.

In this chapter therefore, we shall explore critical explications on the dialectics and intrigues in power relations and configurations between and amongst the levels of government and their agencies according to the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. At that, we shall (re)define and properly position key concepts such as federalism, identify and analyse its types, determine why states adopt federalism with particular reference to the Nigerian situation. Those will be closely followed by literature-based explanation of the meaning of intergovernmental relations trailed by analysis of its models/typologies to pave way for proper and detailed espouse of the nature and trend of intergovernmental relations in Nigerian federalism focusing on the fourth republic.