Ojifo-Raphael

The age of reason has turned out to be the age of structure; a time when, in the absence of purpose, the drive for power as a value in itself has become the principal indicator of social approval. And the winning of power has become the measure of social merit. -John Ralston Saul There is an intuitive notion of what power actually is, and that is what informs, in part, the ideas herein contained. Power here connotes the capacity to perform in the context of subjects such as politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of legal codes by authority. What these concepts are, why they exist, why they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms must a government protect (and what must not) and why, what form government should take and why, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe a legitimate government, and when a people may reject a government (whether legitimately or not) are key questions that addresses the nature, limits and...

The age of reason has turned out to be the age of structure; a time when, in the absence of purpose, the drive for power as a value in itself has become the principal indicator of social approval. And the winning of power has become the measure of social merit. -John Ralston Saul There is an intuitive notion of what power actually is, and that is what informs, in part, the ideas herein contained. Power here connotes the capacity to perform in the context of subjects such as politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of legal codes by authority. What these concepts are, why they exist, why they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms must a government protect (and what must not) and why, what form government should take and why, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe a legitimate government, and when a people may reject a government (whether legitimately or not) are key questions that addresses the nature, limits and ...

VIOLENCE IN AFRICA AND THE NIGERIAN SITUATION. Avoidable bloody conflicts- and their likes are, in Africa, far from new, they are just as old as traditions are; but that does not mean these rustic trends cannot change for the better. The character of african conflicts, these days, is that they have never been this linked; they now have a common denominator. Nothing substantial links, say, the Nigerian Civil War with the Rwandan genocide, and with other Civil wars and conflicts that took place in Africa in the 60s, 70s, 80s and even the 90s. On the African continent, we are experiencing a Cold War between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which spilling over to Somalia, is causing acute suffering on both the most and less vulnerable (where Eritrea is supporting the jihadist group, al Shabaab, in its fight against the Ethiopian-backed government in Mogadishu); in  Sudan and South Sudan, insurgencies have been fuelled in each other’s kitchen, with both parties laying clai...

VIOLENCE IN AFRICA AND THE NIGERIAN SITUATION. Avoidable bloody conflicts- and their likes are, in Africa, far from new, they are just as old as traditions are; but that does not mean these rustic trends cannot change for the better. The character of african conflicts, these days, is that they have never been this linked; they now have a common denominator. Nothing substantial links, say, the Nigerian Civil War with the Rwandan genocide, and with other Civil wars and conflicts that took place in Africa in the 60s, 70s, 80s and even the 90s. On the African continent, we are experiencing a Cold War between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which spilling over to Somalia, is causing acute suffering on both the most and less vulnerable (where Eritrea is supporting the jihadist group, al Shabaab, in its fight against the Ethiopian-backed government in Mogadishu); in Sudan and South Sudan, insurgencies have been fuelled in each other’s kitchen, with both parties laying claims to objects and issues whi...

Ojifo-Raphael: LET’S CHANGE OUR PARADIGM A speech made in Univer... : A speech made in University of Port Harcourt by OJIFO RAPHAEL UNDIANDEYE, Students’ Union Government Presidential Aspirant, February 2...

A speech made in University of Port Harcourt by OJIFO RAPHAEL UNDIANDEYE, Students’ Union Government Presidential Aspirant, February 2014. THE CHANGE WE’VE ALWAYS HOPED FOR, IS NOW! Dear Friends, We have reached an inflexion point; a moment in our history where our fingerprints on the ballot would determine the future of our government; a moment in which our footprints, on the sands of this university, would determine the future of national and continental leadership. Student’s leadership is undeniably the trustee of societal leadership, and as such, ought to be given premium, not just by those out there, but by us in here. For this very reason, we must not fail to lay our hands on worthy causes which should drive our leadership. It is very clear (and history guides us accordingly) that whatever informs the leadership student’s offer today is that which will certainly drive the leadership they will offer tomorrow. If leadership at this stage of our studentship, is c...

A speech made in University of Port Harcourt by OJIFO RAPHAEL UNDIANDEYE, Students’ Union Government Presidential Aspirant, February 2014. HOPE IS ALL WE NEED NOW! Fellow Comrades, I am speaking to you today because, everywhere in the world today, students’ leadership is determining the direction of national and state development. The national space we live in today is a country of over 150 million people with over 200 universities. It is the second largest economy on the African Continent. Upon independence, it had a per capita income that was larger than that of several Asia-pacific countries and a preferred investment destination. It has always had the potential which is trying to materialise (at best) and hardly materializing (at worse). Nigeria is richly endowed by providence. She is strategically positioned and blessed with a high spectrum of human and material resources and not plagued by the numerous natural disasters like draught, earthquakes, tornadoes, ...