THE DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY OF EMMANUEL ONYECHERE OSIGWE ANYIAM-OSIGWE, VOL. 2
THE DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY OF EMMANUEL ONYECHERE OSIGWE ANYIAM-OSIGWE VOL 2
Enhancement of Socio-Political Existence and Order
Olusegun Oladipo and
Adebola B. Ekanola
Hope Publications Ibadan, Nigeria
First Published 2009 by Hope Publications Ltd. GAAF Building 110-112, Oyo Road P.O. Box 22331 University Post Office Ibadan, Nigeria hopub2004@yahoo.com
Š Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan 2009
ISBN 978-8080-50-2
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Contributors Dr. Christopher Agulanna, Senior Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Dr. Victor S. Alumona, Senior Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Dr. Olatunji A. Oyeshile, Senior Lecturer and Ag. Head, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Prof. Jim I. Unah, Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos, Nigeria. Dr. Isaac E. Ukpokolo, Senior Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Dr. Adebola B. Ekanola, Senior Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Prof. A.G.A. Bello, Lagos State University, Nigeria. Dr. Amaechi Udefi, Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Dr. Francis Offor, Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Dr. Yunusa Kehinde Salami, Reader and Ag. Head, Department of Philosophy, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Dr. Bolatito Lanre-Abass, Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Abosede Ipadeola, Assistant Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Dr. O.B.C. Nwolise, Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Prof. Kolawole A. Olu-Owolabi, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Dr. Chukwugozie Maduka, Senior Lecturer, Department of Philosophy and Religions, University of Benin, Nigeria. ’Tade Adegbindin, Assistant Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Dr. Adeshina Afolayan, Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan. Prof. Olusegun Oladipo, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan.
Contents Foreword Preface
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Foundations of Good Governance for Sustainable Development in Africa Christopher Agulanna... ... ... Reinventing Governance for Social Change and Development Victor S. Alumona ... ... ... Traditional Social Institutions and Contemporary Political Life In Relation to Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe’s Thought Olatunji A. Oyeshile ... ... ... Ideals of Democracy Issues, Assumptions, Illusions and Preconditions Jim I. Unah ... ... ... ... Towards a Viable Political Culture for Africa: Echoes from Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyaim-Osigwe Isaac E. Ukpokolo ... ... ... Good Governance in the Development Philosophy of Anyiam-Osigwe Adebola B. Ekanola ... ... ... Emmanuel Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe on the Individual, the State and World Order A.G.A. Bello ... ... ... ... The State and the Search for Political Stability in Anyiam-Osigwe’s Development Philosophy Amechi Udefi and Francis Offor ... Anyiam-Osigwe on Citizenship and Questions of Rights Yunusa Kehinde Salami ... ...
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10. Representative Leadership and the Quest for Political Stability in Anyiam-Osigwe’s Socio-political thought. Bolatito Lanre-Abass and Abosede Ipadeola 11. Godfatherism and Nigerian Politics: Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe in Perspective O.B.C. Nwolise ... ... ... 12. Constitutionalism and Political Order: Visions and Tensions in Anyiam-Osigwe’s Quest for a Philosophy of Socio-Political Order in Nigeria Kolawole A. Olu-Owolabi ... ... 13. The Principle of Checks and Balances in Nigerian Constitutional Order Chukwugozie Maduka ... ... 14. Anyiam-Osigwe, the National Question and the Problem of Instability in Post-colonial Africa ‘Tade Adegbindin and Adeshina Afolayan 15. A critique of the Entrepreneurial Spirit in Governance Olusegun Oladipo ... ... ... Index ...
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Foreword The central theme of the second pillar of Anyiam-Osigwe’s Holistic Approach to Human Existence and Development, on which the papers in this volume focus, is Socio-political Existence and Order. Whilst I am certain that these papers have subjected Anyiam-Osigwe’s thoughts and submissions to thorough academic scrutiny, I feel compelled as an apostle to use this rare opportunity to briefly share some in-house perspectives on Anyiam-Osigwe’s postulations on the central theme of this volume. In general, Anyiam-Osigwe’s treatises reflect an original thought pattern that is robust in philosophical focus and perspective. They focus ontologically on a metaphysical concept that is universal. Beyond the philosophical insight of his treatises, the depth, broadmindedness and abstract dimensions that his thoughts convey reinforce his assertion that man is endowed with a subconscious abstract mind wherein resides the knowledge of all things. This establishes the veracity of his affirmation that man’s capacity to intuit into that abstract mind endows him with knowledge from a higher octave of the ideal beyond the phenomena world or the world of immediate perception. Indeed, Anyiam-Osigwe’s views on a wide range of issues reveal a mind that is not afraid of ideas. They reveal a mind willing to explore thought forms, concepts and ideas to the broadest stretch of contemplation, perception and imagination. They examplify a mind with the courage to venture into the wilderness of thought unencumbered by pre-conceptions, and endowed with an extraordinary capacity to piece together and organise virgin or untested ideas, thoughts, concepts, and visions into a sequential and logical pattern for rational discourse. In his assertion that man is a manifestation of Divine Intelligence, Anyiam-Osigwe’s philosophy reconciles the universal cannons of existence and the abstractions of an esoteric universe with the subjective perceptible realities of phenomena. In his ontology, he encapsulates the relationship between the absolute and the subjective in a manner which indicates that ix
all development in phenomena is within the content of the abstract or universal. To this extent, his concept of A Holistic Approach to Human Existence and Development presents philosophy with an ontology which comprehends the Divine Principal as the Primal Cause, and existence as infinite. He opines that existence is immanent in the infinity of the Arch Being. In that context, the primal cause from which all forms and all beings derive is prior to and beyond space and time and at the same time manifest in it. He therefore projects an ontological disputation in which phenomena not only provide us with an insight into the transcendental but also positions man as the immanent form of the Divine Principal, thereby offering us a paradigm by which we apprehend the absolute. His ontology underscores a duality in which existence is temporal and ethereal, transitory and absolute. Furthermore, his emphasis on the role of the family in child development underscores his apprehension of being and reality in both objective and subjective comprehension. Man as a Manifestation of Divinity is inherently endowed to nurture, will, command and define the form and purpose of his society. Against this backdrop, a starting point in evaluating Anyiam-Osigwe’s perspective on “Socio-Political Existence and Order” is his submission that a better world order begins with a better me. In his espousal on the “Esoteric Possibilities of Advancing Latent Human Capacities”, AnyiamOsigwe asserts; “we must seek identity with truth in order to modify our consciousness and gain a high degree of enlightenment, which would enable us to serve humanity better”. In his view, the fundamental crisis of the modern man is that his knowledge base, in spite of its formidability, is devoid of spiritual underpinning. Any knowledge that is not composed in deep spiritual refinement is bound to negate the ordered course of universal harmony and progress. He asserts that spirituality, which he defines as value-guided conduct, is the primordial essence in which the human being is integrated in form and being. The spiritual integral is the moderating principle in man. It is the standard by which man intuits into the alter ego of his cosmic identity. x
When man integrates into his pristine essence, the spiritual integral, which provides the moral underpinning, he generates the capacity to moderate his various propensities, resulting in the subordination of lower impulses to higher ones, the moderation of his negative emotions and the pre-eminence of his positive emotions as the dominant traits. In his view, the universe is a perfect universe. It is a mathematical universe in which all is situated in an ordered and harmonious interaction. It is also a single whole. Yet it is essentially a socialising phenomenon. In its ionic spheres of unfolding, it reveals various galactic bodies, planets, and other things of this nature. In its manifestations, are the elements of air, water, earth, and fire. Yet all its components are ordered, goverened and coordinated by a single force operating with a high degree of order and precision. The governing laws of the universe are not man-made nor do they need to be enforced by a law enforcement agency. They are inherent and self regulating. Anyiam-Osigwe’s assertion that man is the centre of this awesome phenomenon gives an insight into the true identity of man and the immensity of his capacities. Perhaps, we need to draw inference from the biblical story of creation in which Adam is said to have named everything that God had created. This narrative supports Anyiam-Osigwe’s assertion that man is the immanence of divinity. He is the centre of the universe and is seized in the perfection in which the universe unfolded at the dawn of time. The insight this brings to us is that, what we call learning in the process of education is more of a process of unfolding inherent and yet latent knowledge. Anyiam-Osigwe argues that man is made perfect as the immanence of divinity. The capacity to discern good and bad is intuitive in his subconscious. Intuitiveness is the capacity of the phenomenal mind to apprehend the subconscious mind – the finer intellect in which the knowledge of all that is in being resides. In the view of Anyiam-Osigwe, man is innately sensitive to the moral ethos. Is man, therefore, inherently good? Anyiam-Osigwe says yes. Is man innately endowed with knowledge of good and bad? Anyiam-Osigwe says yes. Then how did man and his social environment come to so much evil, so much malfunctioning or disorder, so much inequity and disequilibria? xi
Anyiam-Osigwe posits that the fall of man, which is a presence in nearly all religions, indicates that at a certain age and time man appears to have deviated from the bounds of the laws that undergird the universe. The Way Forward The discussion on socio-political existence and order, therefore, draws from an analysis of man as a social animal. The human community began to evolve with man’s understanding that he can only survive and thrive within a community matrix. In other words, the self is subsumed in the other. Man is, therefore, primarily by identity, a social animal. But the human community is a community of diverse interests, each seeking to fulfill itself. In most cases, there are conflicts of interest and these call for some form of social engineering to minimise the social conflicts arising therefrom. This constitutes the basis for the political integral as a regulating model to which all members of that social community should subscribe. In all of this, Anyiam-Osigwe argues that the viable path to an ordered socio-political existence lies in the following: ! The re-divination of man through the re-infusion of moral values into the individual and the social order. ! The successful distillation of the group mind within the context of the larger society. He explains that the moral integral is not some form of social convention which man is compelled to embrace but is a phenomenon that is innate in man and primordial to human existence. Knowledge of good and bad is resident in man’s subconscious, which is the elevated form of the phenomenal mind. He argues that man does not have to learn the moral ethos; he intuits into the subconscious mind to unfold from within himself that which is moral. Therefore, the glorious social order we desire need not necessarily be dependent on stringent or restraining laws enforced with hammer-hard measures and legal mechanisms. In postulating on the resolution of the contradictions in Africa and the human community at large, Anyiam-Osigwe calls for the re-divination of man and society through the re-infusion of values into human consciousness. The human society, he says, must integrate backward towards reinventing xii
the social order premised on the spiritualisation of the social psyche and a renewed sense of community. Spirituality, he reiterates, is value-guided conduct. He identifies corruption as a virus that can only be eliminated when spirituality is integrated into the societal fabric. For Anyiam-Osigwe, core values must constitute the basis for defining and evaluating concrete existence. To that effect, he urges a cultivation of nobility of character among the citizenry that entrenches moral propriety and principled leadership in public and private life and promotes consensus. It is in this context that he advocates value-guided conduct as a universal tenet and propriety as a way of life for mankind. An important dimension of Anyiam-Osigwe’s perspective on the eradication of corruption and the promotion of an ordered society is his assertion that economic enhancement is a prerequisite in any effective strategy for the eradication of corruption or instituting order in society. In his view, spiritual development should be concomitant with legitimate economic progress and well being, just as legitimate economic progress and well being is a fundamental requirement for sustaining value-guided conduct as a way of life. Michael Anyiam-Osigwe Coordinator- General Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation Lagos, Nigeria
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Preface This is the second in the series of works devoted to the examination of the ideas of Chief Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe (19211998). The first volume is on the first pillar of his Holistic Approach to Life, which concerns the importance of personal values, personal awareness and self-mastery for national development. This volume on the second pillar focuses on the enhancement of socio-political existence and order. The papers are in line with the general focus of Anyiam-Osigwe’s development philosophy, which advocates a holistic approach to existence and development as a means of promoting “efficient living” and enhancing social progress. They severally discuss the essential conditions for enhancing socio-political stability and order. Consequently, they deal with socio-political concepts, such as governance, democracy, the state, citizenship, leadership and constitutionalism, among others. Also, they reiterate some of the key conditions – at any rate, the salient ones – for achieving a viable and stable socio-political order. Finally, they raise some issues, which require consistent attention in any serious effort to build wholesome national communities. These include issues concerning the appropriate foundation for good governance, the role of the state in the search for political stability, the relationship between the individual and the social collective in a national community, and the relevance of traditional institutions in the quest for an appropriate framework for mutual co-existence in a multi-ethnic society like Nigeria. It can, therefore, be said without exaggeration that this volume is a resource for the development of ideas on how to develop viable sociopolitical communities in Africa. Once again, the editors – on behalf of the Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan – deeply appreciate the opportunity provided by the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation and the admirable family of the late Chief Anyiam-Osigwe to be coordinators of this important initiative. Olusegun Oladipo Adebola B. Ekanola xiv
Blurb This is the second in the series of works devoted to the examination of the ideas of Chief Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe (1921-1998). The papers are in line with the general focus of Anyiam-Osigwe’s development philosophy, which advocates a holistic approach to existence and development as a means of promoting “efficient living� and enhancing social progress. They severally discuss the essential conditions for enhancing socio-political stability and order.
It is hoped that this volume will serve as a stimulus for the generation of interest in, and the mutual interrogation of, the ideas of a man who made the development of Africa a major life preoccupation and developed useful insights about it. ISBN 978-8080-50-2