Julius Ihonvbere on September 24th, 2008

POLITICAL OBLIGATION AND DEMOCRATIZATION
Professor Julius O. Ihonvbere, OON
Text of Lecture Delivered at the Workshop on Political Obligations/Social Contract for Local Government Political Officers in Cross River State, Calabar, April 21st, 2008

It is indeed a pleasure to be amongst you here today. Let me congratulate you all on your election as chairmen of your respective [...]

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Julius Ihonvbere on September 24th, 2008

Ethnic Reconciliation
by
Professor Julius O. Ihonvbere, OON

Paper delivered at the Policy and Programme Retreat 2007, Organised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Delta State Chapter, Grand Hotel, Asaba, Delta State, February 2007.
I thank the Delta State Chapter of our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for inviting me to deliver this paper on “Ethnic Reconciliation” [...]

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Julius Ihonvbere on September 23rd, 2008

Constitutionalism and the National Question in Nigeria
Julius O. Ihonvbere
The number one political contradiction or challenge in Africa today is how to deal with the national question.  The continent’s history and the contradictions and engagements of the post-colonial era have precipitated deep political fault lines and congealed interests on both side of the political divide.  Put [...]

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Julius Ihonvbere on September 17th, 2008

The Nigerian State as Obstacle to Federalism: Towards a New Constitutional Compact for Democratic Politics

“Under a true federal constitution, each group, however small, is entitled to the same treatment as any other group, however large.  Opportunity must be afforded to each to evolve its own peculiar political institution.  The present structure reinforces indigenous colonialism- a [...]

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Julius Ihonvbere on September 17th, 2008

Imperialism and the Encapsulation of the Democratization Process in Africa
It is rather interesting to note the way in which debates on the current democratization projects in Africa have been domesticated, encapsulated, and redirected by Western scholarship, media, and institutions. It is no wonder that the initial enthusiasm which accompanied the so-called “opening up” processes has [...]

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Julius Ihonvbere on September 16th, 2008

Political Violence in a fledgling democracy
Professor Julius O. Ihonvbere
Text of public lecture delivered under the auspices of THE BREEZE MAGAZINE, Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos March 14, 2003
Mr. Chairman, it is not my intention to speak for too long today. I would prefer to be brief and to leave enough time for discussions and questions. [...]

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Julius Ihonvbere on September 7th, 2008

Governance, Economics, and Interdependence: Constraints and Possibilities in Sub-Saharan Africa
Paper presented at the Summer Institute on “Governance, Equity, and the Global Poor: A Curriculum Development Institute,” Sponsored by Spelman College and Interfaith Hunger Appeal, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, June 9-12, 1994.
The breathtaking pace of political change in Africa has surpassed any predictions or expectations….Almost every [...]

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Julius Ihonvbere on August 4th, 2008

Between Policy and Politics: Strategies for Moving Nigeria Forward.
Text of Convocation Lecture Delivered at the 13th and 14th Convocation Ceremony of The Federal University of Technology, Akure, October 30, 2002.
*Professor Ihonvbere is also Project Director, Constitutionalism in Post-Conflict Societies” Project with the International League for Human Rights in New York; Visiting Professor of Political Science, [...]

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Julius Ihonvbere on July 8th, 2008

There is a growing consensus that despite the emerging sites of hope on the African political landscape, the region still faces daunting obstacles to growth, development and peace.  Contemporary discourses on Africa, even where optimistic, reveal a certain doubt as to the continent’s future. Statistical indicators of progress are hardly reflective of the conditions of [...]

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Julius Ihonvbere on July 5th, 2008

Keynote address at The All-African Student’s Conference, Peter Clark Hall, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, May 27, 1994.
It is traditional to declare that I am indeed very happy to be here. I thank the All-African Student’s Conference for inviting me to deliver this Keynote Address at this very important gathering. I am aware of [...]

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