Maiwa'azi Dandaura Samu - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Maiwa'azi Dandaura Samu

The challenge of taming the surge of insecurity and protecting Nigerians: where do we go from her... more The challenge of taming the surge of insecurity and protecting Nigerians: where do we go from here? The most common words in Nigeria today, whether on newspapers, social media, radio, or television are: Tension, inflation, corruption, join our ruling party and your sins are all forgiven, squander-mania, injustice, recession, illegal alien bandits, Fulani herdsmen murderous hooligans, mass killings, targeted assassinations, complex untraceable robberies and kidnappings, NGO and welfare workers abductions, Boko Haram fearful terrorism, terrorist beheadings, tortures, and brutal slaughters, terrorist selective ethnic and religious killings, continuous government borrowing and unexplained spendings on unprofitable, resultless projects that have not improved public life, nor the safety of the populace. Nigeria has never witnessed this level of unprecedented insecurity. The rising wave of insecurity shows that: i. Fear is mounting and people cannot see any appropriate matching steps being applied or taken to quall the security emergencies and other equivalent existent threats. People feel humiliated and neglected because government is not seen taking progressive, visible rapid, comprehensive action to deliberately end the rampaging violent bandits, the murderous Fulani herdsmen, and worst of all, the BH terrorism, which was the signature invite to power for this regime. ii. People are generally feeling progressively or increasingly unsafe in all corners of the nation, including Aso Villa, the mighty seat of the federal government. iii. People are not free to express their feelings of relative deprivation, so they are continually turning their feelings of neglect, abandonment, oppression, repression, suppression, clampdown, subjugation, domination, despotism and control into violence or extreme radical self-defense theories. Wild, domestic animals, and pets enjoy greater freedom than the Nigeria human beings. To make matters worse, the Finance bill that oppresses Nigerians with intolerable VAT rates, the Hate Speech Bill and Social Media Containment bills continue to prove the APC government determination to repress free speech, press freedom, freedom of expression and rights to dissent against hurtful government policies and regulations. No one dares speak up-it feels like a mass prison incarceration for Nigerians, which is against the tenets of democracy. iv. Survey of the feelings of the general public, and public opinion shows deep hurtful feelings that the central government has failed, and is non-performing, and can't be trusted or depended on, unfortunately, when government loses the people's trust, anarchy looms. v. There is great chasm between the led and those in power, a sort of social, economic and spiritual disconnect, so self-help results in projects like the Amotekun regional security system. vi. Classism, ageism, gender rights and human rights abuses, official impunity, gangsterism, unripened prejudices, stereotyping, ethnic and religious jingoism, antagonisms, antipathy, flag-waving, and diversities of hostilities continue to mount uncontrollably. Persistent Causes of Insecurity in Nigeria-Covetous blame game politics, winner-takes-all executive impotent political system, obstinate policies, progressive draconian edicts and executive orders that exacerbate the lives and dim the hopes and expectations of the masses, unrelenting and unmitigated unemployment, unameliorated joblessness, leading to Intentionally Induced Extreme Poverty (IIEP), vagrancy, destitution and homelessness, while the vulnerable and susceptible continue suffering without the least social welfare safety nets for the youth, the unemployed, the voiceless, the defenseless and helpless in society. So, everywhere one turns, it's just bad news, hunger, pain, sickness, helplessness and hopelessness.-Wholesale importation, influx and immigration of homegrown, and uncontrollable, crude foreign mercenaries, bandits, and unidentifiable cattle grazers of confused nationalities and identities from all over West and North Africa into Nigeria; coupled with extremely poor border control and indiscriminate visa issuance and throwing of the borders open to free immigration by the president of Nigeria.-Hopeless deterioration of living standards, coupled with the bleakness of the expectations the populace have on the nation and their own future. With almost 72% of the population living well below the extreme poverty level,

If prevention is indeed better than cure, then nation builders must find ‘proventive’ activities... more If prevention is indeed better than cure, then nation builders must find ‘proventive’ activities that will disable and demobilize insecurity. This paper briefly argues that investing in peacebuilding structures, activities and programs will generate anti-conflict capacities that can inhibit violence, insecurity and instability, hence inspire and engender development. Nations that value national security invest heavily into peacebuilding research, structures, programs and activities. The United States has invested heavily into United States Institute of Peace (USIP) enabling USIP to also invest into numerous peacebuilding research and programs locally and globally. This has contributed immensely to local and global peacebuilding capacity building, and established relative peace in many localities. Contrariwise, developing nations neglect investing into peacebuilding programs, so they continue to struggle with insecurity and intractable conflicts.

This paper has established the existence of several magnitudes in the development--conflict-insec... more This paper has established the existence of several magnitudes in the development--conflict-insecurity-poverty gridlock. I have advocated the value of perpetual professional peacebuilding work in every society as a proventive policy to secure communities, and create safe landing for peacekeepers, and peacemakers when the need arises. This will build or restore trust between government and its citizens. All peacebuilding work should support government legitimacy, and protect citizen human rights. The paper has also tried to reason that poverty is a very strong contestant in the competition for causation of violence, at least, they are cousins. Reflecting on the causes of poverty, the paper advocated a surgical precision style treatment to liberate its captives to live the lives they desire and deserve as human beings. This can be achieved by paying living wages, unemployment benefits, and the establishment of safety nets which provide every citizen with dividends of good governance and leaves no citizen behind according to the Neighbour Keeper Theory (NKT).

To understand bad governance, one must begin by appreciating good governance. Never evaluate a st... more To understand bad governance, one must begin by appreciating good governance. Never evaluate a stick by itself, assesse it comparatively. As a stick may look straight whereas it really lacks straightness integrity in some millionth of a millimetre. So lay the stick beside a ruler, then only can you tell that it is truly straight. By best practices, security implications and conflict prevention standards, good governance can simply be seen where efficient institutional and systemic processes exist.

A new agenda must be created to separate the Nigerian nation from the inherited colonial mentalit... more A new agenda must be created to separate the Nigerian nation from the inherited colonial mentalities, mutual suspicions, hatred, hostilities and partitions. There is much work to be done, and everyone has the calling to make it all happen! No one can love Nigeria better than Nigerians, so they hold the secret to transforming their nation into an enviable democracy.

Discovery instrument for Boko Haram’s theories, recruitment designs, characteristics, inspiration... more Discovery instrument for Boko Haram’s theories, recruitment designs, characteristics, inspiration to kill, identity and dignity issues, and how to heal affected communities etc.

The international systems and the present world order of states and borders as we know them are b... more The international systems and the present world order of states and borders as we know them are being shaken from the roots by violent Islamic non-state extremist and fundamentalist actors who seek to restructure the international order, which they perceive must be redesigned and controlled by sharia Islamic laws. They believe the present world order operated and controlled by the USA and its EU allies polarized by their Judeo-Christian worldviews is not only sinful, but highly hypocritical and over politicized. So they seek to de-Westernize, and de-secularize the international systems by an intentional creation of a new global divine Pax Islamica via 'thawra al-alamiyya (Islamic world revolution),' which will be states under political Islam. To achieve this Pax Islamica, the existing state structures must be eliminated, and a new borderless world state order controlled by Islamic extremist must be entrenched.

Problem Statement: Sustained unre-solved issues of organized crime, drug cartels, entrenched gang... more Problem Statement: Sustained unre-solved issues of organized crime, drug cartels, entrenched gang violence, structural violence, police-linked cor-ruption, impunity, human rights abuses, insecurity and the lack of the rule of law in Mexico has led to deep rooted grievances, and the presumed murder of 43 students thereby provoking pub-lic outrage in passionate demonstra-tions. Resolving the situation will re-quire an efficient analysis and research methodology which can serve as the basis of the application of an equitable resolution practice model because fragmented understanding of a conflict situation can only produce fragmentary solutions.

Sustained unresolved issues of organized crime, drug cartels, entrenched gang violence, structura... more Sustained unresolved issues of organized crime, drug cartels, entrenched gang violence, structural violence, police-linked corruption, impunity, human rights abuses, insecurity and the lack of the rule of law in Mexico has led to deep rooted grievances, and the presumed murder of 43 students there-by provoking public outrage in pas-sionate demonstrations. Resolving the situation will require an efficient analysis and research methodology which can serve as the basis of the application of an equitable resolution practice model because fragmented understanding of a conflict situation can only produce fragmentary solutions.

To achieve justice and human security for all conflict stakeholders through the peacebuilding pro... more To achieve justice and human security for all conflict stakeholders through the peacebuilding processes, the above stages of the JUHSI best practices matrix could be engaged. Peacebuilding must not only realize cessation of hostilities, but satisfy all parties in the areas of justice, trauma healing, socio-economic restoration, political processes improvement, and good governance. The matrix present a step by step, activity navigator that can lead to a gradual attrition on conflict issues, till the situation is made intervention friendly, and conflict parties become settlement or negotiation-friendly.

The purpose of this paper is to show reason for the seeming invincibility, and elusiveness of Bok... more The purpose of this paper is to show reason for the seeming invincibility, and elusiveness of Boko Haram to the Nigerian army, and how to break the cycle. Boko Haram (BH) contemporaneous guerrilla style warfare shadows a middle-out strategy.

The news of the possible Boko Haram ceasefire was stunningly fascinating. However, the news prese... more The news of the possible Boko Haram ceasefire was stunningly fascinating. However, the news presents more concern than relief. Looking at all the past happenings, unfolding surprises and future prognosis of the Boko Haram conflict, the ceasefire pathway seems to be fraught with a lot of high and low stake risks. Identifying some inherent risks and possible appropriate responses to these risks is the objective of this paper.

Boko Haram, the perpetrators of violence, victimization, and traumatization of the regional socie... more Boko Haram, the perpetrators of violence, victimization, and traumatization of the regional societies of northeast Nigeria, parts of southern Chad and Niger, and northern Cameroon, has antecedents that must be understood to comprehend their thinking and behaviour styles, and reasons why they inflict the degree of atrocities and damages that they masterfully manoeuvre and accomplish against the people and governments of the areas daily. Terrorism destroys every investment government, businesses, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), NGOs, CSOs, and individuals make into developing the economy of local societies and nations. Boko Haram has contributed to weakening the Nigerian economy by the destruction of homes, businesses, worship places, markets, etc. When the economy is weak, the people’s earning power is lowered, poverty intensifies, and the middle class disappears; suddenly, there are only the very rich, and the very poor. Hunger and criminality set in as lowered harvests create inflation of food prices, and other supplies. This in turn feeds dissatisfaction in the citizenry who then begin to form all kinds of dangerous philosophies against the system, and the seating government, that results in riots, more insurgency, terror and serious insecurity, fuelled, intensified, and egged on, by advantaged but disenfranchised elites who want to get back on top to keep control of their advantages. The cycle of a weak economy victimizes the people, and compromises the security of the nation. The violence that ensues from the population is all in the bid to find the life that will satisfy; the life that will give some measureable security in the basic needs hierarchy of psychological, food, education, social, economic securities and the drive for self-actualization.

Access to justice is the most basic human right requirement that guarantees the public’s right of... more Access to justice is the most basic human right requirement that guarantees the public’s right of liberty to enter the legal system and find justice or justness, equity, and fairness in dispute resolution. Access to justice allows equality before the Law for all citizens, like in the old saying that 'All are equal before the law.' Access to justice however is not equated to legal aid, but it means treating all, fairly according to the law; and if one feels he was not treated fairly, he should be able to get, or have the right of access to counsel and legal assistance. Access to justice is also the making available the room for individuals to improve on their capacity to use the existing justice delivery systems for appropriate legal redress. It should be an easy-to-use capacity, available to the offended, oppressed, harmed, and abused. It is permission, liberty, or ability to enter, approach, or pass to and from, or make use of, find or create the instrument of choice for righting wrongs; or freely have contact with the system that supports victim’s interest to redress any kind of crime, torts/offenses and wrongdoings.

Behind the Boko Haram open systems of conflict is a two pronged objective, firstly, political vio... more Behind the Boko Haram open systems of conflict is a two pronged objective, firstly, political violence that is designed to make the nation ungovernable and discredit President Goodluck Jonathan under the guise of the inability to secure the nation. Secondly, religious genocidal violence, aimed at drastically reducing the Christian population in the North, so as to diminish on the presence and power of the church, and its population, which has shown strong support for candidates from the common people, like Goodluck Jonathan. Political elites who strongly desire to rule, or had contested elections against him in the past, promised, and threatened to make the nation ungovernable if he won the 2011 elections. The threats were followed up later with varied violence across the North. Such threats are already being repeatedly voiced concerning 2015 elections – both for the PDP primaries and the general elections.

Conflict intervention knowledge and skills are strategically advancing, at the same time, settlin... more Conflict intervention knowledge and skills are strategically advancing, at the same time, settling conflict is becoming more complex, intractable, and perplexing. Connecting the knowledge and skills advancement with conflict settlement ingenuity needed to effectively heal all parties has become a thing of critical importance and of great demand.
All kinds of frameworks have been used to eradicate communicable diseases around the world using well-structured frameworks. What helped health administrators achieve this feat? How can their enterprise be used to similarly eradicate complex, intractable conflict? This paper engages this concept and more.

Conflict sensitivity knowledge will help the conference conveners, designers and subsequently del... more Conflict sensitivity knowledge will help the conference conveners, designers and subsequently delegates see how the decisions they make will affect intergroup relationships for generations to come; therefore supporting the development of the mind-set for creating intentional ways of doing things, so as to arrive at better outcomes with less friction. The aim is to help conference designers and subsequently delegates deal with the real complexities of the conference issues in respect to their conflict risks, so they can address topics with less frustration and more clarity and reach better outcome, guaranteeing ultimately a more secure Nigerian society.

This material presents a research or study into the history, impact, justice implications, and pr... more This material presents a research or study into the history, impact, justice implications, and preventive strategies for the Boko Haram Terrorist/Insurgency conflict in Nigeria. The key assumption of this thesis is that, violence and terrorism can be prevented the same way communicable diseases are preventable, by combating conflict generators with transformative action regarded as soft security. The focus therefore was, to determine ways, and generate key learning from some Boko Haram events that can be used for preventing ethno-political-religious violence and terrorism in Nigeria. The ultimate purpose of the thesis is utilitarian; to enhance the Nigerian government's body of knowledge in preventive and deterrence counterterrorism that is centered on the protection of human life and the freedom families enjoy in their nations with MINIMAL use of military Preventive counter-terrorism and sustainable Peacebuilding: Nigeria and Boko Haram case study Page 4 of 78 force and more focused on addressing personal, relational, systemic and cultural root causes with community based action and insurgent de-radicalization activities.