Browsing by Author "Oke, O. P."

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A christian dimension to poverty discourse in Nigeria
(The Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, 2011-12) Familusi, O. O.; Oke, O. P.
Poverty, which manifests in various forms, has been a major problem for mankind and a source of concern for successive administrations at various levels in Nigeria. Given this, several attempts have been made towards its reduction, eradication and alleviation, but no major success has been recorded, thus majority of the populace continues to wallow in abject poverty while ironically some have more than enough. Several scholars have worked on different perspectives of poverty. In this piece, an attempt is made to discuss the subject matter from a Christian religious view point so as to understand religion as a major factor in the issue of poverty in Nigeria. In other words, the Church is to be understood as an agent of poverty alleviation and possible harbinger of poverty. A pragmatic religious approach to poverty alleviation is provided as recommendations.
An ethical diagnosis of proverbs 6:6-8 about leadership failure in Nigeria
(Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2025) Oke, O. P.
The bane of growth in the nation's political trajectory has been caused by leadership failure and its impact on the populace. Once acknowledged and revered as Africa's developmental power house in all respects, Nigeria has lost its pride due to selfish leaders and avaricious followers who always prioritise their interests over the good of the whole. The process of motivating, directing, and persuading people to realise a common Vision, aim, or objective is known as leadership. A proactive approach, activity, or attitude that motivates and sways others to accomplish a particular objective is more important than a title. It is the capacity to guide and lead a team towards a goal successfully. Sadly, the Situation is the exact opposite in Africa, and Nigeria in particular, where the ruling elite has transformed the nation into a conduit through which our Commonwealth is being greedily siphoned for the benefit of themselves and their progeny. Scholarly works that have already been written about leadership in Nigeria have mostly focused on how Nigerian leaders have shaped the nation 's development since its independence, with little attention paid to the importance of Proverbs Chapter 6:6—8, which offers an ethical diagnosis of the social, political, and economic Problems arising from the nation's political leaders' incompetence, ignorance, carelessness, and irresponsibility. From a methodological standpoint, the research employed qualitative methods to gather data. According to the paper's results, leadership failure has caused the African continent to fall behind other developed nations, and the advice given by Solomon in Proverbs 6:6-8 can help address the region's plethora of issues and take her back to its Position as a giant of Africa indeed.
Church leaders and their quest for social transformation in Nigeria
(Zenith BookHouse Ltd., Ibadan, 2022) Oke, O. P.
Ethical appraisal of the relationship between christian virtues and entrepreneurial development in Nigeria
(African Society for the Study of Sociology and Ethics of Religions (ASSOSER), 2020-12) Oke, O. P.
This paper underscores the importance of Christian ethical virtues in entrepreneurial development in Nigeria and how it can be of immense benefit to individual and the nation at large. Entrepreneurship which is the process of doing something new and something different for the purpose of creating wealth for the individual and adding value to society has not been having its fair share in the recent time and this was not the case in the past. The country was rated among one of the most developed economies in the world with its triplistic economy as the 12th largest crude oil producer in the world, 9th most populous country of the world and second largest economy in Africa with earnings of an estimated $2.2 million a day in oil revenue. But, in spite of these giant strides, Nigeria is still ranked among the poorest nations in the world in recent time. Its failure as a nation is attributable to many factors which includes corruption, bad governance, ineptitude, lack of managerial skills, government policies and dilapidated infrastructures. Existing studies so far carried out on entrepreneurship in Nigeria have focused mainly on the social, economic, psychological and the influence of politics in business with little attention given to the Christian ethical virtues that are germane to entrepreneurial development in this period of economic meltdown which has negatively affected the growth of the country thereby making her to take a back seat among the developed economies. There is no doubt denying the fact that entrepreneurs in Nigeria have displayed herculean task and great exploits in revamping the economy, but, their failure to imbibe the Christian virtues of prudence, justice, courage, temperament, self-discipline, diligence, resourcefulness and perseverance that are necessary for entrepreneurial development has made such exploit to experience a stunted economic growth and malnourished economic development. Therefore, this paper has examined the state of entrepreneurship in Nigeria, factors responsible for entrepreneurial failure, and how Christian ethical values can be used to address such failure. Recommendation will also be made where necessary.
Ethics of self-sacrifice as an antidote to political corruption in the contemporary Nigeria
(Department of Religious Studies University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2018) Oke, O. P.
Sacrifice as a concept is multifaceted in nature and efforts have been made at different quarters to underscore its importance. Many scholars have examined the concept from different dimensions. However, an area which seems to have been largely ignored over the years is the ethical dimension of self-sacrifice as an antidote to political corruption in Nigeria, given the high level of moral laxity and unbridled corrupt practices that have become the bane of political office holders in Nigeria. In Nigeria, corruption, self-centeredness, nepotism and winner-takes-it-all syndromes have taken the centre-stage of the national life. The effects of these practices have made development in every sector of the nation a mirage as a result of the unpatriotic attitudes of political leaders in the country, which calls for concerted efforts of all and sundry. This paper, therefore, is a Clarion call on political leaders and their followers to make self-sacrifice a top priority in order to save the country from the political comatose and developmental kwashiorkor it has been experiencing over the years.
Examining the status of traditional rulers in the pre-post-colonial Yoruba society
(Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2019) Oke, O. P.
Traditional rulers in Yoruba society have over the years played significant roles in the social, political and economic development of the traditional society. What constitutes the major roles of traditional rulers as they affect the society generally have been discussed by various scholars. However, there was little or no attention on the dwindling in Status of traditional rulers in the modern society due to modernity and civilization which has relegated them. This has over the years rendered them and the institution almost irrelevant and mere figure heads, it has also contributed in no small measure to the security threat, unbridled recklessness and instability in the nation. The paper therefore examines the change in Status and prestige of traditional rulers in the Pre and Post-colonial periods in yoruba land and how their Status could be re- invigorated and re-energized to play a complementary role in addressing various problems facing the nation today.
Immunity clause in the Nigerian constitution and its implication for good governance
(2016-06) Oke, O. P.
The raging controversy surrounding whether to remove or retain the immunity clause in the Nigerian Constitution has been on for quite sometimes now. That is, whether there should or shouldn't be immunity for elected political office holders in the country. Section 308 of the Nigerian Constitution provides for immunity for certain elected officers in the country. Though, this section appears to be express and clearer tough, it has however generated a lot of controversies and debates. The proponents of its abrogation argue that immunity encourages corruption and therefore gives room for bad leadership. On the contrary, those who support its retention have argued that removing it will allow those at the helm of affairs in the country to be distracted from performing their statutory roles with frivolous litigations. This issue has been discussed from various perspectives and it seems no serious decision has been taken on it. But a burning matter that needs to be addressed in this paper is the effect of its inclusion on good governance in Nigeria. Therefore, this paper addresses issues such as the meaning of immunity clause, good governance, the interplay between immunity clause and good governance and recommendation will also be made to address the issue.
Interrogating the doctrine of fair hearing in the Nigerian constitution and the a-gbo-ejo-enikan-da-agba-osika in the Yoruba socio-cultural milieu
(Department of Religious and Cultural Studies, University of Uyo, 2024-05) Oke, O. P.
The right to a fair hearing as contained in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic oi Nigeria, as amended, is as old as mankind. The doctrine of fair hearing which could be said to have existed with the first man in the garden of Eden, featured where God did not condemn either of the parties, but sought to hear from them before making a decision. The doctrine, simply put, means that in any matter for adjudication, each party should be given ample opportunity to present their case. Existing studies on fair hearing which has in it, the twin pillars of natural justice of Audi alteram partem (Hear the other side) and Nemo judex in causa sua (One cannot be a judge in his own case) and its implication on Nigeria's legal System and peacemaking process have focused on the legal, administrative, sociological and political perspectives. While some are of the view that the doctrine is not relevant in the Contemporary time, due to the intricacies involved in it, others believe that the system is as relevant as ever. For them, it is the only way the masses can have a sense of hope in a country where justice is believed to be delayed and denied with impunity. However, the focus of this paper is to explore the doctrine of fair hearing in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria vis a vis the Yoruba adjudicatory process of settling disputes (A gbo Ejo Enikan da, agba osika) which has over the years been applied for the sustenance of peace and order in Yoruba society. Methodologically, this paper relied on secondary sources for data collection. Recommendations are made for the incorporation of the two adjudicatory processes where necessary to ensure a just and peaceful society.
Principle of separation of powers in the old Oyo empire as a template for the contemporary political structure in Nigeria
(2021-12) Oke, O. P.
The well- structured political administrative set-up of the old Oyo Empire allowed relative peace to reign in various communities and traditional rulers were not left out as they were charged with the responsibility of ensuring that there was peaceful co-existence among people in those communities. Therefore, for there to be peace in the old Oyo Empire, the Alaafin and his Council of Chiefs known as the Oyo-Mesi developed a structure built on the principle of separation of powers to address various conflict related matters. This was borne out of the fact that for development to be achieved in any community, people must live in peace no matter what. In order to achieve this, separation of power was put in place to avoid usurpation of duty and overlap of functions. The peaceful co-existence experienced in the old Oyo Empire was made possible due to this deeply rooted principle. Existing studies on the roles played by Alaafin and his chiefs in the old Oyo Empire have mainly focused on the social, economic and religious perspectives with little attention paid to how Alaafin in council made use of the principle of separation of powers to resolve conflicts, and how such strategies can be adopted as a template in the contemporary political structure in Nigeria today.
Proverbs and taboos as tools for women oppression among Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria
(Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria., 2020-01) Oke, O. P.
The relevance of women in every culture cannot be over-emphasized, this is because human society positioned them in an enviable place. They are described as home builders and house keepers. In any society, they wield enormous influence and, in some spheres, and cases, they have contributed strongly and positively to societal growth and transformation. However, as much as their influence is, many societies have consigned them to the background. Such societies have negative views and opinions about women through the use of proverbs and taboos that are largely inherent and culture based. Existing studies on women in Africa and Nigeria in particular have focused mainly on the contributions of women in every area of human endeavour with little attention paid to how proverbs and taboos that are satirical in nature have been used to reduce women to subordinate and second class citizens. Therefore, this study examined some selected proverbs and taboos among the Yoruba of Southwest, Nigeria and how they have negatively affected the rights of women and the way such rights can be enhanced in the Contemporary society. Recommendations were offered on how women can rise to the challenge of being relegated to the background so as to be able to contribute more meaningfully to the society without being culturally caged.
Revival of religious moral values as a panacea for insecurity in Nigeria
(Department of Religious Studies, Babcock University, 2013-12) Familusi, O. O.; Oke, O. P.
Right to live and right to die: a religious and legal look at euthanasia
(College of Humanities, Management and Social Sciences, Mountain Top University, MFM-Prayer City, Ogun State, 2018-12) Oke, O. P.
Over the years, the debates on the right to live and right to die (euthanasia) have evoked avalanche of human sentiments from scholars. Previous studies so far carried out have focused mainly on the medical, moral and psychological perspectives with little attention paid to the religio-legal dimension in the entire discourse. This is the gap in scholarship that this work intends to fill. That is, a consideration of the camps of irreconcilable proponents and opponents of euthanasia in the Contemporary society from the religious and legal angles. The study employs qualitative method in carrying out this research. The paper finds out, among other things, that the rate of euthanasia can be brought to the barest minimum if both religious leaders and the judiciary take the bull by the horns in addressing the various issues that make euthanasia to become rampant in the society. This paper therefore examines the meaning of euthanasia, the argument for and against and the Position of the three major religions in Nigeria and the law in the discourse. Recommendations are also offered on how to treat terminally sick person in the society.
Satire in Yorubaland as a panacea for corrupt practices in the contemporary Nigeria
(Yoruba Studies Association of Nigeria (Egbe Onimo-Ede Yoruba, Naijiria), 2017-06) Oke, O. P.
Corruption has become an enigma in Nigeria, the different strategies and programmes that have been proffered and implemented by governmental organisations to curb it over the years are all to no avail. Scholars have also considered the issue from various angles at different forums. However, an area which seems to have been largely ignored in the entire discourse is the cultural value of satire in Yorubaland. That is, how satire can serve as a panacea to political corruption in Nigeria. There is no denying the fact that corruption has contributed in no small measure to the present level of poverty in Nigeria due to the unequal distribution of resources meant for the generality of the people. This dastardly act has accounted for the untold hardship on the masses that constitute the majority. This study therefore, makes effort to consider the importance of satire in Yorubaland and how it can be used to address political corruption among the stakeholders in Nigerian politics.
Social significance of religious camps along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Nigeria
(Department of Religious Studies, University of Lagos, 2021) Oyetomi, A. O.; Oke, O. P.; Taiwo, B. S.
Religion has a way of affecting every facet of the life of an individual or group of persons. Human beings are social animals who respond to their natural environments religiously. This response leads to institutionalised religious practises that are observed by adherents. Many religious institutions begin to proliferate and expand their tentacles as they grow. This expansion led to the acquisition of an expanse of land in choice areas among which is the Lagos-Ibadan expressway corridor. Many religious institutions have their campgrounds along the axis, which is over 120 kilometres long. The effects of the activities of these campgrounds have made scholars criticise them and faulted their mode of operations. Hence, the need to consider the social significance of the religious camps along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, which is what this paper tries to survey. Max Weber’s Social Action theory is adopted in the analysis of the study while employing a simple sampling method of survey. The findings of the survey show that religious camps are socially significant in enhancing social relations and interaction, improving the Standard of living, and improving the availability of social amenities. The paper recommends that religious camps should employ means that will not put worshippers at health risks in their camps.
The contributions of the christian church to poverty creation in Nigeria
(Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, 2019) Oke, O. P.
Poverty is a global phenomenon and various Solutions have been proffered by scholars over the years to reduce it. Attempts by government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), government agencies and individuals to alleviate the menace have continued to generate avalanche of debate from both national and international agencies and, most importantly, in Nigeria. Existing studies on poverty have focused mainly on how churches in Nigeria have made efforts to alleviate poverty through the setting up of various poverty alleviation programmes to better the lots of the people. Yet, an area which seems to have been largely ignored which requires a serious academic engagement is how churches have endangered the economic Standard of its members through various teachings and programmes that do not have any direct impact on the economic life of the people, thereby making them to continue to wallow in abject poverty. The methodologies employed are oral interview and materials that are relevant to the subject matter. Therefore, this work will, among other things, examine how churches in Nigeria have endangered the economic lives of their members. Lastly, recommendations will be offered on how the church leaders will re-direct their teachings to focus more on how to improve the living Standard of their members.
The efficacy of traditional songs in the control of deviant behaviour of incest among Yoruba people of South-western Nigeria.
(ISRG Publishers, 2022-11) Oke, O. P.
Incest is a cultural term that describes sexual contact between members that are closely related, especially between members of a nuclear family, that is, between parents and children or between siblings. The alarming rate of incest in our societies in the recent times calls for an urgent attention as it has brought a dirty blow on family stability and societal structure. Existing literature on incest have focused more on the modem approaches to deal with culprits of incest like making an arrest and prosecution by the police and other security agencies of culprits while little attention is paid to how traditional songs were used in time past to deal with offenders thereby bringing the menace to a barest minimum and restoring sanity into the society. The incessant cases of incest in the society makes it imperative to explore one of the mechanisms that was effectively used in the pre-colonial time to restore social order. Traditional songs were copiously intoned to address the menace of incest which led to the considerable peace experienced in the past by the Yoruba people. Oral tradition and written records that are relevant to the subject matter were made use of in this study. We observed through our findings that traditional songs were more effective in the pre-colonial period in controlling deviant behaviour of incest and can also play a complimentary role in the rejuvenation of social order in Yoruba society today, if properly and systematically integrated.
The relevance of religious leaders in fostering an enduring democratic change agenda in Nigeria
(African Society for the Study of Sociology and Ethics of Religions, 2018-12) Oke, O. P.
Issues relating to expected roles of leaders generally in Nigeria have been discussed severally at various fora. But, an area where attention is yet to be focused on, is the aspect that has to do with the duties and responsibilities of religious leaders on matters affecting the political life of Nigerians, bearing in mind the high level of corruption, nepotism, favouritism, kidnapping, robbing Peter to Pay Paul syndrome and the menace of militant groups who have constituted themselves as clogs in the wheel of political development in our country. There is the need for the religious leaders to wake up from their slumbers and take the bull by the horn in order to find a lasting solution to the myriads of problems that have bedevilled the political structure in Nigeria. This is very important so that the change agenda of government will not be a mere wishful thinking. Therefore, the aim of this paper will be to examine the interconnectivity between religion and politics, the social responsibility of religion in the democratic change agenda and the role expected of religious leaders in Nigeria. Recommendations like the religious leaders being focused to their callings and others will also be made to address the seemingly insurmountable political problems in the country.
The socio cultural implications of house-wives rivalry among Yoruba women of South-Western Nigeria
(Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria., 2024) Oke, O. P.
House wives' rivalry among Yoruba women has over the years become a teething socio-cultural menace that requires a scholarly attention for family stability and a better society where peace and harmony find their footings. It is a known fact that female gender in Yoruba land and Nigeria in general has been marginalized, stereotyped, decimated and humiliated in various ways by their culture that gives the male counterparts such opportunity which has negatively impacted them in various ways like depression, physical disability, psychological trauma and even death. Existing studies on this subject matter, have discussed this menace extensively from the psychological, physiological, sociological, ethics and legal perspectives, with little attention paid to the intra gender violence that are common mostly among house wives in Yoruba land which on many occasions breaks in pieces the social-cultural bond of unity and we- feeling that the people are known for. While many scholars condemn the act in its entirety, as it is believed to be incongruity with rights to dignity of human person, personal liberty, private and family life, others are of the few that Women are to be seen and not to be heard and for this reason, they are to be continually marginalised and treated as second fiddles. This is the gap in study this paper intend to fill Methodologically, the research employs a qualitative method to elicit Information from those involved in family matters, culture, gender issues and human development- Recommendations will be offered where necessary for an improved inter-personal relationship among women for a peaceful society.
The socio economic implications of ethno-religious conflict in Nigeria
(Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2022-06) Oke, O. P.; John, E. O.
Ethno-religious conflict and its attendant implications have become the Order of the day in Nigeria and its economic effects on the nation over the years are mindboggling. Many houses and means of livelihood destroyed resulting in poverty among many families. Existing studies on ethno-religious conflict have focused mainly on the political, spiritual and ethnic dimensions to the neglect of how it has impacted negatively on the economic development of the nation, thereby making the country to take a backseat among the comity of nations. Ironically, as religion could be used as instrument of social harmony in many civilizations, it could also serve as a motivation for conflict, hence its description as a double edged sword. Our findings revealed that bad governance, marginalization/inequality, weak security network and corruption are the major factors that precipitated ethno-religious conflict in Nigeria. It is on this note that this paper discussed the socio-economic implications of ethno-religious conflict on Nigeria. In particular, the paper investigated the genesis of ethno-religious conflict in Nigeria, its causes and effects and how the incessant ethno-religious conflict can be addressed headlong thereby bringing about a peaceful co-existence among the people which will invariably result in monumental development in the nation.
Vote buying, electoral violence and democratisation in Nigeria
(Department of Classics, Universiy of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria., 2019) Oke, O. P.
This paper examines the menace of vote buying and electoral violence as recurring decimal in Nigeria’s political journey since it returned to democratic government in 1999. Nigeria has over the years witnessed incessant electoral violence which has claimed many lives and has badly affected the country’s nascent democratic experience. 1t is opined to have dented the image of the country among the comity of nations. At the beginning of the country’s democratic experience after many years of military Interregnum, Nigerians thought the civilian administration would be better as those elected or appointed as the case may be, were expected to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people who voted them into power. Existing studies on democratic governance in Nigeria have focused majorly on the historical, economic and the social effects of bad governance to the neglect of how vote buying and electoral violence could constitute a perennial clog in the wheel of progress in our efforts at sustaining our hard earned democracy. This paper therefore in clear terms makes effort to discuss the menace of vote buying and electoral violence, their consequences and how to ensure a free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.