INJUSTICE AND INSECURITY IN NIGERIA AND PHILOSOPHICAL APPRAISAL USING AFRICAN TRADITIONAL VALUES
Abstract
The World of Philosophy is replete with rigorous attempts to understand and interpret reality. And man is at the centre of this endeavor. Needless to say, man is a complex creature who is instinctively endowed with personal interest and also with rationality. The power of rationality manifests in the wisdom to address human existential challenges. These challenges can manifest in the form of injustice, insecurity, poverty, deprivation, etc. This paper is aimed at addressing injustice and insecurity in Nigeria using African traditional values that consider “human life” as the ultimate value in human society. It is worthy to note that, the current spate of injustice and insecurity which has claimed the lives of many Nigerians has necessitated this appraisal hence, some indigenous traditional African Values which include the value of human life, reward for good deeds, punishment for crime or bad deeds and communal spirit, create a new perspective of the reality of justice and security. Thus, the study contends that recourse to these indigenous values would resolve the issues of injustice and insecurity in 21st-century Nigeria.