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On the Politics of Lockdown and Lockdown Politics in Africa: COVID-19 and Partisan Expedition in Ghana
Issue:
Volume 3, Issue 3, September 2020
Pages:
44-55
Received:
2 June 2020
Accepted:
24 June 2020
Published:
6 July 2020
Abstract: This article examined the lockdown jigsaw that characterised Ghana’s surveillance and management of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the main opposition political party – National Democratic Congress (NDC) – and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) in particular advocated a total shutdown of the country in a bid to contain the spread of the virus, the government in March, 2020, announced a partial lockdown of specific cities and suburbs where the virus was endemic for a period of 21 days. In the process, the government embarked on an aggressive contact tracing and test that catapulted the number of confirmed cases in March, 2020, from 2 to 7,303 as at May 27, 2020. The government subsequently, lifted the partial lockdown to ease the suffering of the vulnerable masses in society while strictly observing social or physical distancing and other protocols advocated by the World Health Organisation (W. H. O.) and the Ghana Health Service (G. H. S). The lifting of the restrictions by the President of the Republic, attracted varied reactions from the populace and some interest groups. While the vulnerable and the ‘have-nots’ in society whose survival is contingent on daily economic hustle and bustle in the city hailed the lifting of restrictions, the elites and economic self-dependent individuals on the other hand, criticised the government for lifting the partial lockdown. This paper argues that the partial lockdown and the subsequent lifting of the restriction on movements, was premised on the machinations of politics, economics and science.
Abstract: This article examined the lockdown jigsaw that characterised Ghana’s surveillance and management of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the main opposition political party – National Democratic Congress (NDC) – and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) in particular advocated a total shutdown of the country in a bid to contain the spread of the virus, the g...
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An Advocacy for Marine Protected Areas Initiative for Conservation of Ecological Resources and Survival of Coastal Communities in Nigeria
Issue:
Volume 3, Issue 3, September 2020
Pages:
56-60
Received:
31 July 2020
Accepted:
18 August 2020
Published:
27 August 2020
Abstract: The marine protected areas (MPAs) initiative is a globally recognized area-based environmental safety and resources conservation tool. It is mostly utilized for preserving marine biodiversity loss and ecosystem services. The instrument has been proven since introduction for mitigating against biodiversity loss by promoting the persistence, recovery and growth of marine populations around aquatic regions of the world. The Niger Delta has been a misery of adverse ecological and economic disorders for over sixty decades of ceaseless exploitation of oil and gas resources. Available records show that the Nigerian government is not oblivious to the environmental woes affecting various parts of the country, and also have not derailed to tackling them through various environmental safety and conservation initiatives. However, the vital MPAs’ initiative have not been considered by the Nigerian government in its efforts to tackling the environmental crisis related to the oil-rich Niger Delta. This advocacy is thus envisaged as a wake-up call for the Nigerian government and other international conservation agencies to look towards the coastal areas of the Niger Delta in order to realize the long-term goal of conserving the ecological resources and ensure the survival of the indigenous people of the region. Secondary data relating to marine protected areas across the globe used in the analyses.
Abstract: The marine protected areas (MPAs) initiative is a globally recognized area-based environmental safety and resources conservation tool. It is mostly utilized for preserving marine biodiversity loss and ecosystem services. The instrument has been proven since introduction for mitigating against biodiversity loss by promoting the persistence, recovery...
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Factors That Affect Youth Political Participation in Ethiopia: Its Impacts on the Democratization Process
Issue:
Volume 3, Issue 3, September 2020
Pages:
61-69
Received:
28 July 2020
Accepted:
12 August 2020
Published:
3 September 2020
Abstract: In the 21st century, young people have become increasingly more organized, more engaged, and more influential in the political process. However, they are not meaning fully taking part in a formal political system which is vital to shape and transform Ethiopian democracy for a better life of a citizen. This study investigates factors that affect youth political participation in Ethiopia, focusing on its impacts on the democratization process. The comparative analysis research design and Qualitative research approach are employed to review different research papers and documents. The research analysis reveals that, lack of political knowledge and adequate education, youth political interest and apathy, economy, socio-centrism attitude and family’s pressure, fear, partisan attachment and the incumbent government performances, age and the existing institutional structures of Democracy are the major factors affecting the youth’s political participation in Ethiopia.
Abstract: In the 21st century, young people have become increasingly more organized, more engaged, and more influential in the political process. However, they are not meaning fully taking part in a formal political system which is vital to shape and transform Ethiopian democracy for a better life of a citizen. This study investigates factors that affect you...
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Youth Restiveness and Economic Development in Nigeria: A Study of Niger-Delta
Ezedikachi Ndubuisi Eze-Michael
Issue:
Volume 3, Issue 3, September 2020
Pages:
70-83
Received:
13 May 2020
Accepted:
17 June 2020
Published:
16 September 2020
Abstract: Youth restiveness can fit the label as a sustained protestation embarked upon to enforce a desired outcome from a constituted authority. The youths constitute a force, that if their energies are properly controlled, there will be vast progress and improvement. Nevertheless, when such energies are degenerated on actions that are unfavourable, it results into crimes. Such crimes as hostage-taking of prominent citizens and expatriate oil workers, illegal oil bunkering and arms insurgency have all caused insecurity for business to thrive, thereby affecting economic development in Nigeria. It is in line with this, that the study examined youth restiveness and its impact on the economic development in Nigeria using Niger-Delta as a study. The study used the relative deprivation and the broken window theories as the theoretical framework. The research adopted qualitative method. The population was the youths in Nigeria, particularly in the Niger-Delta. This part of the country was purposively selected because the youth in this area constituted the major restive behaviour witnessed in Nigeria between 2010 and 2018. Data were collected through documentary review (of publications on youth restiveness) as well as journals, and materials from the internet. Findings showed that the nature of most youths that engage in youth restive activities in the Niger-Delta do not have access to formal education; these youths are majorly unemployed and poor. Also, the institutional effort of the government in eradicating youth restiveness has proven incapable of alleviating the critical situation and that the governments’ lack of leadership and discipline has hindered the eradication of youth restiveness. Furthermore, the effect of youth restiveness on the economic development in Nigeria has cost the nation its stability, general improvement, cultural integrity, likelihood of survival and its preservation of national value. The study concluded that youth restiveness is a serious issue that has affected Nigerian state in the negative. It caused a drastic reduction of per capita increase of the nation’s production which forms the basis for economic development. It was recommended that, government should pay more attention to the needs and demands of the less privileged youths in the country by giving them scholarships, entrepreneurship loans and skill acquisition programs. This will engage them in legitimate works and prevent any form of idleness. There should be an enlightenment campaign against youth restiveness, as this will make citizens become more educated on the damage youth restiveness can bring to the society.
Abstract: Youth restiveness can fit the label as a sustained protestation embarked upon to enforce a desired outcome from a constituted authority. The youths constitute a force, that if their energies are properly controlled, there will be vast progress and improvement. Nevertheless, when such energies are degenerated on actions that are unfavourable, it res...
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A Naturalistic Understanding of Justice Under Pandemic
Issue:
Volume 3, Issue 3, September 2020
Pages:
84-91
Received:
31 August 2020
Accepted:
21 September 2020
Published:
30 September 2020
Abstract: The coronavirus pandemic has sparked controversies over freedom, equality and democracy, some of which affirm the government's epidemic control measures and some deny them. Through the further analysis of the meaning of freedom, equality and democracy, we demonstrate that the epidemic prevention and control measures are in line with positive freedom, proportional equality and republican democracy, but are contrary to negative freedom, absolute equality and liberal democracy. Further evaluation involves the criterion of justice. The traditional normative justice standard is the axiom system constructed by the rational man, but the problem is that the rational man here is not a real man. This paper advocates a kind of naturalistic standard of justice based on the needs and satisfactions of human being's survival, development and balance. According to this view of justice, freedom is the ability and degree of a living system to meet its internal needs. The pursuit of freedom is the instinctive response of a living system to the law of survival and development, and therefore is just. Equality reflects the comparison of the influence of one living system with another living system. Absolute equality with equal influence does not exist, and the enforcement of such equality only hinders the strong and indulges the weak, which is not in line with the law of survival and development of the life system and is therefore unjust. Only the proportional distribution according to the actual influence of living systems is fair, conducive to the survival and development of living systems, and therefore just. Democracy reflects the comparison of influence between the middle class that composed of lots of ordinary people, and the upper class that composed of a few elites，in one same group of living systems. The middle class overpowers the upper class and the upper class overpowers the middle class, which are both bad for the survival and development of living systems and therefore unjust. Only when the middle class and the upper class have equal influence or simply eliminate the classes can they unite and represent the public will of all members. Such a republican system is conducive to the survival and development of the living systems and thus is just.
Abstract: The coronavirus pandemic has sparked controversies over freedom, equality and democracy, some of which affirm the government's epidemic control measures and some deny them. Through the further analysis of the meaning of freedom, equality and democracy, we demonstrate that the epidemic prevention and control measures are in line with positive freedo...
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The Influence of Globalization in the world
Issue:
Volume 3, Issue 3, September 2020
Pages:
92-96
Received:
9 September 2020
Accepted:
27 September 2020
Published:
13 October 2020
Abstract: The process of globalization has been a controversial topic so far, and it is considered as capitalist globalization, because globalization is driven by capital and takes transnational corporation that pursues benefits as the carrier. Although this topic is a bit old, globalization has always influenced people’s life. Today, anti-globalization is also a rash issue, and those who support this view believe that globalization has increased inequality between countries. This paper uses critical thinking and a fair perspective to analyze globalization, putting forward an idea that globalization will promote the process of democracy globally. Simultaneously, globalization provides new ideas for global collaboration and even the establishment of global democratic government. The methodology of this paper is theoretical analysis, basing on literature review. Obviously, globalization is a double-edged sword. It not only benefits wealthy countries, but also improves the strength of developing countries, but the negative effective of globalization needs to be paid attention to. Globalization is the only way for the development of human society and the engine that promotes the growth of the world economy, meaning that the historical trend is irreversible and will continue to move forward. Therefore, the approach used by developing countries should be to take measures to minimize its negative impact, rather than to resist it.
Abstract: The process of globalization has been a controversial topic so far, and it is considered as capitalist globalization, because globalization is driven by capital and takes transnational corporation that pursues benefits as the carrier. Although this topic is a bit old, globalization has always influenced people’s life. Today, anti-globalization is a...
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