Table of Contents

The Economic Role of Women in Pre-Colonial or Traditional African Societies

Nasiru Joseph Gimba…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….                  1-10

Domestic Terrorism and Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria, Issues and Trends:

A Historical Discourse

Abimbola, J.O, and   Adesote, S.A………………………………………………………………………………………            11-29

Arabic Scholarship in Contemporary Offa: A Study of a Work of Kamaldin Ali

Abioye, Abdulrauf .K……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….                  30-39

 Communication and Democratic Political Participation: An African Perspective

Abdur-Rahman Olalekan Olayiwola………………………………………………………………………………………                   40-59

Standardized Research: The Imperative of Research Hypothesis

Ndubuisi Ogbonna Ahamefula …………………………………………………………………………………………….                  60-68

Euthanasia: An Act of Mercy or Murder?

Adefarasin V.O.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….                 69-74

Beware Of Cultism – The Gathering of Demons

Sola Fosudo……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….            75-81

The Concept of ‘Supreme God’ and Urhobo Theology 

Emusi, Samson Ikuvwe Ariegbe ……………………………………………………………..….………………………….               82-98

Orality and Ojaide’s Global Vision: a Study of I Want to Dance

Akano Kehinde……………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………….            99-117

ORALITY AND OJAIDE’S GLOBAL VISION: A STUDY OF I WANT TO DANCE

Akano Kehinde

Department of English

University of Ilorin, Ilorin Nigeria

 e-mail: omotwins@gmail.com, akanoken@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

No art work emanates from a vacuum as artists harp on happenings around them to produce their works. As such, creative writers often engage social reality in order to project their understanding of the society through reconstruction of artistic materials. Oral art forms which encapsulate a people’s way of life provide the aesthetic residue which is transposed by artists to make comment on contemporary social practices.This paper considers Ojaide’s transposition of oral traditions in projecting a universal vision in his poetic collection, I want to Dance. The poet is seen as an ideologue whose work bears imprint of a revolutionary as anchored on the theory of dialectical materialism. The paper concludes that there is a symbiosis between art and society as art seeks to rid the society of social doldrums.

THE CONCEPT OF ‘SUPREME GOD’ AND URHOBO THEOLOGY

 Emusi, Samson Ikuvwe Ariegbe

Department of Religion

Delta State University, Abraka

E-mail: revemusi@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the Urhobo concept of God. It addresses two key Western misconceptions  about African (Urhobo) theology: (i) That the Urhobos (and other Africans in general)  had no clear concept of God prior to the advent o Christianity; (ii) that  the Urhobo concept of God is that of a withdrawn high God. The investigator examines data drawn from the socio-cultural beliefs and practices of the Urhobo, and concludes that the people had a clear concept of God prior to the advent of Christianity, and that the Urhobo people do not conceive of God as a withdrawn high God. 

BEWARE OF CULTISM – THE GATHERING OF DEMONS

Sola Fosudo

Department of Theatre Arts and Music

Lagos State University, Ojo

INTRODUCTION

The play Beware of Cultism…. is an expose on the horrific, dreadful and bloodcurdling activities of Cult organizations in our institutions of learning. It is a tragic enactment of how new and innocent University students are lured, coerced and oftentimes compelled to join cult groups even when it is against their wish to do so. Cult is described by the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (2005:398) as an extreme religious group that is not part of an established religion, interested in a particular thing, with certain beliefs and ideas that influence its members’ lives in particular ways. From the definition above, it is clear that Cultism is a system of religious beliefs and practices. It has affinity with witchcraft, according to Awake (Watchtower Bible and Track Society) of February 8^th 2002, and it is adduced to “Satanism”. Commenting on the origin of Confraternities and Cultism in Nigerian Universities, Professor Muyiwa Awe, himself a founding member of the first ever – Pirates confraternity confesses in an interview with Akin Okunowo (2010:xv), that:

Anyone with spiritual insight will not fail to agree that the seed of evil and the descent into decay and violence had been planted even when the benign confraternities were being founded, (in the 50’s).

EUTHANASIA: AN ACT OF MERCY OR MURDER?

Dr. Adefarasin V.O.

Department of Philosophy

Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria

E-mail: adefarasinvo@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

A moral discussion on Euthanasia is not a newly emerging issue. Rather, it has been an age-long problematic in ethical theory that has occupied scholars and non-scholars. In contemporary times however, it is an issue that is debated with a new intensity. Thus, this paper sets out to examine the general conceptual and ethical issues involved in Euthanasia. Euthanasia is the practice or act of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy. An act of Euthanasia may involve killing someone or it may involve refraining from trying to prev

ent death (permitting someone to die). However, the condition of the person undergoing Euthanasia and the intensions of the person(s) performing it are crucial for distinguishing between euthanasia and other forms of killing, such as murder or self-defense. In order to be considered an act of euthanasia, an act must be done in the interest of the person who undergoes it and the goal must be to prevent, reduce or end a patient’s suffering to preserve a patient’s dignity, or to respect a patient’s autonomy. A lot of moral and legal issues are involved in euthanasia. The argument of pro-euthanasia is that the act is meant to end the agony of patients. How valid is this reason? Life, it should be noted could be in pain or pleasure. As Bentham noted, nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. Is it possible to abolish pain entirely? Does it follow that any life that is associated with pain should be terminated? However some pains are tolerable and some beyond human tolerance. Thus, human life can be associated with a considerable amount of pain and still be worth-living, also there is a level below which pain and suffering become simply unbearable as well. In this paper, we shall discuss meaning and definition of euthanasia, methods of euthanasia, forms of euthanasia, kinds of euthanasia, euthanasia: an act of mercy or an act of murder. An attempt shall also be made to discuss the problem that arises in euthanasia. The paper concludes that euthanasia is not an act of murder, but rather, it is an act of mercy.

Keywords: Euthanasia, mercy, murder, persons, life.

STANDARDIZED RESEARCH: THE IMPERATIVE OF RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Ndubuisi Ogbonna Ahamefula

Department of Linguistics

University of Nigeria, Nsukka

E-mail: ndaham2000@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

It is generally believed that Research Hypothesis poses a great challenge to student researchers especially those in the Arts or humanities. This paper is an attempt to present in simple and easily understandable terms what research hypothesis is all about. The paper also looks at the classification of research hypothesis, the need for research hypothesis and also the paper looks at a brief guide in research hypothesis formation. The paper sees Research Hypothesis as a veritable research tool for doing highly rated researches that meets the ethical standards for research works.

THE ECONOMIC ROLE OF WOMEN IN PRE-COLONIAL OR TRADITIONAL AFRICAN SOCIETIES

Nasiru Joseph Gimba

Department of History

University of Ibadan, Ibadan

Email: josephnasiru@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Women in pre-colonial African setting, as it is today suffered discriminations. This will continue into the future if no active grand strategies to expunge the misconception that women are weaker sex. In the discussion of strategic issues, women should be considered relevant like men in the societies. To find out about gender discrimination today, it is therefore, important to trace the root for a better understanding of the present. This is why, to discuss the genesis of gender discrimination from the angle of pre-colonial African setting, the role of women in economic development at that period and how they tried to assert their freedom are significant factors in gender school of thought. These will form the bases of my discussion.

Keywords: Women, economy, development traditional Africa, discrimination, freedom, trade, Politics, Norms, and craft.