ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF 
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES

Volume 7 Number 2, 2022Volume 7 Number 2, 2022



   
 
 

 

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Democracy and the Provision of Human Rights in Nigeria: an Analysis of Human 

Rights Abuse 

 

REV. FR. Elias Ifeanyi E. Uzoigwe 

Department of Philosophy,  

University of Calabar, Nigeria 

Email: fruzoigwe@gmail.com; eliasuzoigwe@unical.edu.ng;  

ORCiD 0000-0002-3809-7114 

 

Abstract 

Democracy has been identified as government of the people by people and for the people. This 

implies that democracy is people oriented system of government. However, the practice of 

democracy in Nigeria has been characterized by a lot of challenges, especially human rights 

abuse. The essence of provision of human rights in a democratic system of government is to 

ensure that the principle of separation of powers, rule of law and people’s inalienable rights 

are respected. Experience has shown that such is not the case in the Nigerian context of 

democracy. Presently, the political situation and unrest in the country that is marked by high 

level of insurgency, terrorism, banditry and all forms of criminality clearly show that human 

rights abuse is prevalent in Nigeria. These challenges are as a result of bad governance. To 

change the narrative, the study, which employs the method of critical analysis construes that 

Nigeria needs her own philosophy in order to ensure good governance, which will bring about 

respect for human rights; and that philosophy is epistemethics. 

Keywords: Democracy, epistemethics,  governance, human rights and philosophy. 

 

Introduction 

Bad governance has been identified as the major challenge that metamorphosed into 

human rights abuses in Africa, especially in Nigeria where the political class claims that the 

country is practicing democracy, but not so in reality. The outcome of 2022 primary elections 

of various political parties is indicating that the concept of Internal Parties Democracy which 

represents a level playing ground for membership failed to be in conformity with democratic 

principles. In a democratic state that is ruled by democratic precepts, the citizens’ choice of 

policy and/or preference cannot be thwarted on the altar of nepotistic practice. How much 

candidates for electioneering campaign pay the delegates both in naira and in foreign currencies 

determines the outcome of elections and the flag bearers of some of the political parties. By 

implication, political office, leadership and governance have been commercialised, and that is 

why for some politicians, being elected into political office is a ‘do or die affair’ in Nigeria in 

particular and Africa in general. It is not a politics of competition of ideas and capacity for 

leadership and governance, but that of whose pocket is fatter than the other. The most 

mailto:fruzoigwe@gmail.com
mailto:eliasuzoigwe@unical.edu


   
 
 

 

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disheartening aspect of this ugly situation is that even among the so called elites and the 

educated chunk of Nigerian politicians, money politics translated into vote buying holds sway.  

However, adherence to the rule of law and the principle of separation of powers are key to 

promoting fundamental human rights, and also very compatible and agreeable with democracy, 

yet unyielding in Nigerian context.  

In a democratic government, it is the will of the citizens that prevail. The citizens yearn 

for leaders who are competent and capable of governing them, and who will in turn be 

accountable to them. In Nigeria, the reverse is the case in the sense that, voting and appointment 

into political offices are done based on ethnic, tribal and religious sentiments rather than 

competence, equity, fairness and justice. This position about Nigeria is corroborated when 

(Richard et la, 2010) write: “When it comes to appointment to various offices, the essential 

requirements are usually set aside. Competence of the individual is eased out or the ‘he is my 

brother’ syndrome.”  

There are huge potentials for unprecedented development Africa in Nigeria, and to a 

larger extent but all these seemingly positive factors of socio-economic and political 

advancement had been undermined via corruptible tendencies and practices. Nigeria, and 

Africa to a larger extent but all these seemingly positive factors of socio-economic and political 

advancement had been undermined via corruptible tendencies and practices. Taking 

responsibility and being accountable are part of the hallmark of good governance. Often times, 

in Nigeria, people do not take responsibility. This is one of the banes of the 21st century 

Nigerian society where people are in abject poverty, suffering, dying of hunger and all manner 

of problems amidst abundance of wealth that would sufficiently take care of all even future 

generations. It is in a society like the present Nigeria where political leaders do not take 

responsibility and are not accountable to the citizens that the rule of law, fairness and justice 

(calcine - righteousness, which is supposed to regulate all human activities), have remained 

elusive. Most worrisomely, human rights abuses are in the top gear in Nigeria. Of all the 

killings and violation of peoples’ inalienable rights, the political leaders at various levels are 

not taking responsibility, yet Nigeria is under democratic rule. What an irony! The question is: 

how many people have been brought to justice as a result of insurgency, banditry, terrorism, 

and all forms of violation of human rights in Nigeria, at least, since the fourth republic?  

The legislature, executive and judiciary do not seem to know that: “Through the 

enactment of laws and through the application of sanction when necessary, the state must 



   
 
 

 

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uphold and defend the rights of all citizens, maintain public order and tranquility and promote 

the common welfare” (Okpalaonwuka, 43). Today, some members of the upper and lower 

chambers from the six geopolitical zones are gradually becoming vocal, expressing that things 

are getting worse every day. The question is: where were they at least, for the past seven years? 

The fact remains that the good and wellbeing of the Nigerian citizens is not the reason for their 

late condemnation of all forms of social vices and violation of peoples’ inalienable rights. In 

the words of (Uchebuakpa, 4), “The members of House of Representatives and Senate are now 

being vocal in condemning high level of insurgency, banditry, terrorism, bad governance and 

human right abuses in Nigeria, because it is obvious to them that just as the citizens are not 

secured, they themselves are not safe either.” At the foundation of all these is that, there is no 

philosophy which Nigerians in particular and Africans in general can proudly call their own. 

Epistemethics is therefore proposed in this research as a viable and indispensable philosophy 

for the eradication of human rights abuses in Nigeria in particular and bad governance in Africa 

in general.  

 

Conceptual Clarifications 

Apart from the keywords, there are some other concepts one necessarily has to make 

reference to while reflecting on democracy and human rights abuses in Nigeria, which include 

but not limited to: education, governance, philosophy and politics. These will also form part of 

the concepts to be clarified. 

Democracy: The word democracy comes from the Latin words, “demos”, meaning 

people and “kratos”, meaning power; so democracy can be thought of as “power of the people” 

(Cranston, 2003). Abraham Lincoln defines democracy as “a government of the people, by the 

people, and for the people (Cranston, 2003). This implies that, democracy is people oriented 

and citizens’ centered system of government. 

Education: Etymologically, the word education is derived from the Latin word 

“educare” which means “to bring up”; and also another Latin word “educere” which means “to 

bring forth”. Education, therefore, means to bring up and to bring forth (Freire, 2000); that is, 

education means acquisition of knowledge and also the development of attitudes and skills.  

Education is an enlightening experience and purposeful activity which could be formal or 

informal or semi-formal directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge, or 

fostering skills and character traits. Though education is not synonymous with knowledge, one 



   
 
 

 

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cannot claim to be educated without gaining some knowledge. Education is synonymous with, 

but not limited to: tutoring, coaching and training.   

Epistemethics: Epistemethics is a construct of two words namely: epistemology and 

ethics. These two concepts are also among the major branches of philosophy. Epistemology 

derives from two Greek words: episteme (knowledge) and logos (study or science of). 

Therefore, when these two concepts are joined together, it becomes ‘the study or science of 

knowledge’. As a branch of philosophy, epistemology is concerned with the acquisition of 

knowledge about reality. It also deals with the nature, forms, scope, limitations, and functions 

of knowledge. On the other hand, ethics derives from the Greek word ethos which means 

‘custom or way of living’ … “ethics is a branch of philosophy that is concerned with human 

conduct, more especially the behaviour of individuals in society. Ethics examines the rational 

justification for our moral judgments; it studies what is morally right or wrong, just or unjust” 

(Canadian Government, 2015). Epistemethics is a philosophy which holds that all knowledge, 

all education must be acquired for ‘service to humanity’. Epistemethics emphasises the 

functions of knowledge and the most important of all the functions of knowledge is 

advancement of the wellbeing of humanity. In that connection, when knowledge is employed 

against humanity, it is no longer knowledge; and the person who possesses such knowledge 

would be described as someone who went to school, but not educated. The educated person 

within the context of epistemethics is the person in whose life knowledge and good moral 

conduct are inseparable. When good moral behaviour is not practically demonstrated within 

the dynamics of personal and inter personal human relationships, it is not qualified to be 

knowledge (Uzoigwe, 124).   

Governance: Governance refers to a process whereby elements in society wield power, 

authority and influence and enact policies and decisions concerning public life and social 

upliftment. Hyden elevates governance to an “umbrella concept to define an approach to 

comparative politics”, an approach that fills analytic gaps left by others.… he emphasises “the 

creative potential of politics, especially with the ability of leaders to rise above the existing 

structure of the ordinary, to change the rules of the game and to inspire others to partake in 

efforts to move society forward in new and productive directions” (Hyden, 2022). Governance 

encompasses the system by which an organization is controlled and operates, and the 

mechanisms by which it, and its people are held to account (Hyden, 2022).   



   
 
 

 

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Human Rights: Human rights are those basic rights citizens enjoy because they are 

human beings. Human rights can be interchangeably employed with inalienable rights which 

include, but not limited to: freedom to life, freedom of speech, freedom of religion (worship), 

freedom of association, and freedom of expression. All these fundamental human rights make 

for a smooth flow of the rule of law and the principles of separation of powers for which 

democracy is known. In such a situation, the supremacy of the constitution over and above all 

and equality of all citizens before the law is unnegotiable. In other words, human rights are 

“rights which all human beings have by virtue of their humanity, such as right to life, dignity 

of human person, personal liberty, fair hearing and freedom of thought, conscience and 

religion. They provide a common standard of behavior among the international community” 

(UDHR, 1948; Dada, 2012). They are natural, rational, inviolable, and unalterable, the 

deprivation of which could constitute a grave affront to one’s sense of justice (Cranston, 1973; 

Borokini, 1998). Rights, as defined, are generally understood as, “moral-political claims which 

by contemporary consensus, every human being has or is deemed to have upon his society or 

government,” claims which are recognized “as of right” and “not by love or grace or charity” 

(Damrosch et al, 2007; Henkin, 1997).    

Philosophy: Philosophy derives from two Greek words: philo (love) and sophia 

(wisdom). When added together, it becomes philosophia (love of wisdom). Philosophy can 

also be defined as a rational and critical reasoning about man, God and the universe at large. 

As the root of all knowledge, philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems 

concerning matters such as the nature of knowledge, truth, justice, politics, culture, economics, 

medicine, the mind, security, language, among others (Blackburn, 2005). Philosophy critically 

analyses a plethora of human experiences and rationally espouse systems of thought about 

humanity.  

Politics: Politics is a contestable concept. Among the broadest ways of defining politics 

is to understand it as a ‘social activity’ – an activity we engage in together with others, or one 

through which we engage others. Politics, in this sense, is ‘always a dialogue, and never a 

monologue’ (Heywood, 2013). Over the years, some people have identified politics as ‘a dirty 

game’. However, politics in itself is not a dirty game. It is the application of ungodliness and 

all forms of inhuman conduct in politics by some politicians that injects dirtiness in politics. 

Again, “The proper activity of political power is politics and it consists in the appropriate 

measures for the foundation preservation and increase on the common good by those 

responsible for it” (Messner, 2021). Politics is both public and private social activity with its 



   
 
 

 

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public and private concerns aimed at influencing others to think, behave and, in fact, go towards 

our direction in order to achieve some defined goals or at times not well defined goals.  

 

 

Democratic System of Government 

Democracy is a people-oriented system of government. But in reality there is no place 

where the people govern, nor indeed is it practicable for them to do so. For Karl Popper, it is 

the government and the ministries that govern the modern society. But at least any democratic 

government must be elected by the people and must submit itself to the approval of the people 

during elections to renew its mandate. The people can also decide to reject the government by 

voting in another government. That is why for (Popper, 1988) “democracy is the ability of the 

people to reject an unwanted government”. But for any society to be able to give the common 

man the ability to send home an unwanted government there must be a measure of 

egalitarianism in that society (Oguejiofor, 2004). The principle of egalitarianism is, therefore, 

the fulcrum or pedestal upon which any democratic society stands. 

The beautiful picture painted above has been elusive in the African context of 

democracy with special reference to Nigeria. Egalitarianism is a system of government where 

peoples’ rights are respected simply because they are human beings. Sadly, Nigeria is not an 

egalitarian society. In Nigerian brand of democracy, people are not respected because they are 

human beings, rather because of their material possession and where they come from. That is 

why religious bigotry, ethnicity, clannishness and parochialism are the order of the day in 

almost all the sectors of leadership and governance of the country. One can now understand 

why I describe the Nigerian democracy as undemocratised democracy because no nation that 

chooses to practice democracy will succeed without strict adherence to, and true practice of the 

principles of social justice, equity and fairness, and even charity in their economic activities 

just as (Pope Pius XI, 1961) advocates that “… all forms of economic enterprise must be 

governed by the principles of social justice and charity”. The indispensability of justice and 

humanness in issues of democracy and human rights cannot be over-emphasised. Scholars are 

of the view that democracy is the best system of government, because it is highly representative 

and in fact, people oriented. In a democracy, the people (citizens) are the key players and active 

participants in determining the affairs of the state. The question is: “are the peoples’ will, 

choice, interest and decision considered in the Nigerian style of democracy”? 

 



   
 
 

 

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A Brief History of Democracy in Nigeria 

The first republic in Nigeria began in 1963 with Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as the first 

President and head of state, and Sir Abubakar Tafa Balewa as the Prime Minister and head of 

government. Democracy under the first republic was characterised by cacophony of voices 

following the elections of 1964, the coup of January 15, 1966 and counter coup of July 29 of 

the same year with Sir Tafa Balewa and Major General Aguiyi Ironsi losing their lives. Also, 

the civil war from 1967 to 1970 was a major setback in Nigeria’s quest for democracy. General 

Yakubu Gowon became the military head of state for nearly a decade 1966-1975. After the 

bloodless coup of 1975 which ousted General Gowon, Brigadier General Murtala Mohammed 

took over the administration of Nigeria. General Murtala was assassinated in another coup in 

1976 and Lieutenant General Olusegun Obasanjo took over the same year and saw Nigeria’s 

transition to ‘democracy’ three years later. 

In the second republic, “Elections in July and August, 1979 saw Shehu Shagari become 

the first ‘democratically-elected’ president of Nigeria and a new constitution introduced an 

American-style presidential system, rejecting the British parliamentary model. But Shagari’s 

government was characterized by extensive corruption, wastefulness, and a failure to thaw 

civil-war era ethnic and religious divisions in the country” (Hoffmann, 2021). There was 

another military coup in 1983 that brought in Major General Muhammadu Buhari as the leader 

of the military regime. According to Hoffmann, “Buhari’s authoritarian leadership was 

unpopular and worsened by recession. His government was overthrown in August 1985 by 

General Ibrahim Babangida who promised to end military rule but would remain in power until 

1993. He expanded a corrupt network mostly sustained by oil revenues which has been 

organized but still endures in Nigeria” (Hoffmann, 2021).  

In the third republic, Ernest Shonekan became the leader of an interim government after 

General Babangida annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election, which the majority of 

Nigerians believed would have ushered in ‘the very first true democracy’ in the country in the 

sense that, the elections represented the peoples’ will and choice. Unfortunately, “Babangida 

refused to recognize the outcome of the free and fair elections held in June 1993. He imprisoned 

the elected president Moshood Kashimawo Abiola and stymied the creation of a full-fledged 

third republic. But he struggled to contain domestic pro-democracy demands before creating 

an interim government council later that year which was then quickly replaced by a new 

military ruler General Sani Abacha” (Hoffmann, 2021). It is important to note that after General 

Sani Abacha’s death in 1998, General Abdulsalami Abubakar took over and began a transition 



   
 
 

 

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military government and oversaw the return to the ‘so called democracy’ with an election in 

April 1999.  

The fourth republic in Nigeria began with the election that brought in the former 

military head of state, Olusegun Obasanjo to the presidency on May 29, 1999 under the 

platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In the words of (Pini Jason, 1999), “Our elections 

are flawed not just because politicians rig elections but largely because the Nigeria police aid 

rigging for the party in power”. After contemplating all that was happening, I warned in an 

article: Come October, We Shall All Be Losers! The result of that election included the return 

of the military in December 1983. What we have today…. is the aftermath of the 2003 electoral 

malpractices. 

What about the abduction of a sitting governor, Dr. Chris Ngige, in Anambra State in a 

‘democratic government’?  As it were, “The impunity displayed in Anambra, aided to the hilt 

by the police has convinced everybody that democracy under a federal system is a huge joke 

unless there are state police. The president imposes his will all over the federation with the 

police. All the argument about possible abuse of state police by the Governors today falls on 

its face in the light of gross abuse by the President Obasanjo of the unitary federal police. All 

lovers of true federalism must now renew the agitation for state and local government police!” 

(BenEzenwa, 2008). The concerns raised by Jason are as true as it is the situation today where 

all forms of impunity and violation of peoples’ inalienable rights are on the increase on daily 

basis under the so called democratic rule.        

In the dynamics of democracy, equity, fairness, justice, purposeful, progressive, people 

oriented and Godly-leadership and politics as well as good governance, there necessarily has 

to be a viable philosophy that grounds them. In America, for instance, that philosophy is 

pragmatism. Americans carefully drafted pragmatism as a philosophy that guides their 

democracy and it is working for them. Nigeria is said to have embraced democracy since 1999 

after long period of military rule and its dictatorship. Sadly, the fact remains that democracy 

has not been practiced in Nigeria in reality. Democracy in Nigeria could be likened to what 

David Hume would describe as a figment of imagination in his theory of knowledge. The kind 

of democracy that is practiced in Nigeria from Obasanjo administration 1999 to 2007, 

Yar’Adua/Jonathan administration 2007 to 2011, and Jonathan administration 2011 to 2015 is 

an undemocratised-democracy or a theoretical/paper democracy. Going further about the so 

called democratic dispensations in Nigeria, (Lawson, 2022) writes: “Between 2015 and 2022 

of APC administration, Nigerians have witnessed military dictatorship, tyrannical and 



   
 
 

 

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autocratic government, nepotism and totalitarianism put together.” The question is: How can 

rule of law which enables human rights to thrive function in such a society depicted above?  

Taking 2007 elections as a case study, (Jason, 1999) expressing displeasure over the 

activities of the President of the nation down to Independent National Electoral Commission 

(INEC), the electoral umpire who should have ordinarily been an impartial judge expresses: 

“So disappointingly but not surprisingly his (the Mr. President’s) plans and projections together 

with his ilk came to pass in 2007 general elections. No thanks to INEC…led by Maurice Iwu, 

who compiled and read out results that PDP has again had a landslide victory, from state to 

federal constituencies, even in parts where opposition theretofore was wielding strong 

influence”. 

The situation was not different from 2015 till date because, “…the Attahiru Jega and 

subsequently, Yakubu Mamood led INEC did not do anything differently. The APC 

administration, of course, has not done anything better than the PDP administration” (Yusuf, 

2022). These men and women of the political class in Nigeria are the same set of politicians 

with the same mindset, orientation and ideology; their crisscrossing from one political party to 

another notwithstanding. This must have been the reason why (Maier, 2002) like Chinua 

Achebe blame the leaders for the lopsidedness in the country when he says that, “In Nigeria 

the blame for its lost generation falls squarely on the shoulders of its people’s leaders…” 

 

Human Rights Abuse in Nigeria 

In Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, there is a 

provision for fundamental rights of citizens which include: “the right to life, right to freedom 

of thought, conscience and religion, right to freedom of movement, right to freedom from 

discrimination, and the right to acquire and own property anywhere in Nigeria”. The question 

is: Who obeys the constitution among the political leaders in Nigeria and by extension, Africa? 

Who respects the inalienable rights of the citizens? Is there any validly and generally acceptable 

constitution in African countries, articulated by the citizens and through dialogue and general 

consensus accepted by Africans? Is the Nigeria constitution, for instance, drafted in the interest 

of the generality of the Nigerian citizens or for the good of the political class?      

 Because of the broad spectrum of human rights, I would like to limit this segment of 

the discourse to violation of the right to life and freedom of expression. The right to life is the 

most abused of all the inalienable rights in Nigeria. The right to life is a substantive right and 

is among the most important of all the rights guaranteed and protected by contemporary 



   
 
 

 

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international law. It is universal and obligatory; without it, no other right would make sense 

(Hunter et al, 2010). Environmentalists and human rights advocates rightly argued that apart 

from the killings and other forms of violation of human life, especially by anti-humanist 

governments, some environmental activities could in themselves lead to violation of human 

rights, especially the right to life. It is so because, “Initially, the right to life was aimed at 

preventing arbitrary killings by the government. In recent years the right to life has evolved to 

extend to address certain environmental harms that directly or indirectly infringe on the right 

to life. This extension of the ambit of the right to life is as a result of the efforts and works of 

the environmental and human rights advocates” (Hunter et al, 2010). This makes one to quickly 

recall the level of human rights abuses and violation of the right to life in the oil producing 

communities of Niger Delta in Nigeria.  

Some of these communities suffer as much as having their farm lands, source of 

drinking water, and also the rivers where they fish polluted with oil spillage. Worse still, some 

of the security agencies and the oil companies do not also help matters. Similarly, 

(Onwuazombe, 2017) sheds more light on this when he articulates that: “Human rights abuses 

and violations in Nigeria in general and in the oil producing communities in particular cut 

across the entire spectrum of rights. The abuses come in different forms and could be direct or 

indirect. The inhabitants of the Niger Delta region are subjected to regular rights abuses and 

violations by the state security agents and the oil corporations. The perpetrators of rights 

violations are hardly or never held accountable or brought to justice due to the myriad of 

problems besetting the judicial institutions”.  

Police brutality, and the peoples’ reaction that metamorphosed into ‘ENDSARS’ 

protest in October 2020, which led to the massacre of so many ‘unarmed’ Nigerian youths, 

seems to be the high point of human rights abuses in Nigeria in recent times. Those Nigerian 

youths whose lives were wasted, do they not have rights to life? Is it not their inalienable rights 

to express themselves about bad governance of the present administration through peaceful 

protest? For (Wale, 2021), “Whether anybody has been brought to justice as a result of killings 

of innocent Nigerian youths at the Lekki Tow Gate, Lagos, is a question of primary significance 

that needs urgent answer”. With the level of human rights abuses, it is apparent that what is 

obtainable in Nigeria today is dictatorial democracy, undemocratised democracy, 

theoretical/paper democracy or at best imperial democracy. In other words, (Hollenbach, 2002) 

clearly understands the situation when he argues that: “Hitherto there has been movement from 

constitutional democracy to imperial presidency where the party in power is no longer party 



   
 
 

 

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for the people but an authoritarian and over-centralised one-man show. There is the 

underscored point of our leaders settling for relations of super-ordination and subordination as 

if they and us are into a master-slave affair. We know that slavery institutionalizes inequality 

and non-reciprocity in the most radical way. The Nigerian scenario of obvious forms of unequal 

interdependence that exists between these rulers who are not accountable to those whom they 

rule might be less radical than slavery but nonetheless still harmful. The people who live in 

society of this kind of rulers are at best subjects, not citizens. They do not share actively in 

governing themselves but must simply cope with decisions made by another. Being reduced to 

a state of non-agency and simply coping does enormous violence to their human dignity”. It is 

practically impossible for one to value human dignity without first and foremost valuing human 

life as sacred and then, humanity itself. The sacredness of human life has to be infused and 

diffused and embedded into the consciousness of the political leaders in Nigeria so as to ensure 

preservation of human life, respect for human dignity and eradication of all forms of violation 

of human rights because man is primarily and essentially an image of God-imago Dei. 

In all these, one thing that is obvious is that the citizens neither trust the government 

nor their agents. Most worrisome is that even the judiciary which is said to be the last hope of 

the common man is superlatively compromised. And so, Nigeria operates at the level of almost 

a lawless state, where some of the politicians and elites in government are careless at the 

manner in which human life is wasted in the country. All the apparati of the government are 

grossly dysfunctional such that the security personnel who brutally and inhumanly violate 

peoples’ rights and often waste their lives are not held accountable, not even at the level of 

criminal justice system. Among the reasons given for this neglect is systemic and institutional 

corruption. Furthermore, (Onwuazombe, 2017) adds his voice to the perplexing experience 

when he argues that: “… there is an apparent lack of trust and confidence in the courts and 

general apathy towards the judicial processes amongst Nigerians as the civil remedies in law 

are merely enforced. Furthermore, the criminal justice system and the judiciary, generally 

perceived as dysfunctional, are ineffective in bringing security personnel and corporations 

involved in crimes and violation of rights to justice due to systemic and institutional corruption, 

lack of independence of judiciary, political interference and so on”.    

On 26th and 27th July 2022, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) embarked upon 

peaceful solidarity demonstration with the members of Academic Staff Union of Universities 

(ASUU) to register their grievances over the Federal Government’s insensitivity to education 

in the country such that, the public universities have been locked down for six months as at 



   
 
 

 

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those dates, and students roaming the streets. It is with this kind of attitude that African citizens 

should put on their thinking apparatus and say in unism: “let us prioritise our values” and rise 

to the occasion by inaugurating the era of ‘man know thyself’ in Africa.  

 

Epistemethics: An Antidote for Human Rights Abuse in Nigeria 

A case study of the challenges of governance in Africa has been identified in human 

rights abuse in Nigeria, even under the so called democratic dispensation. Education, or 

acquisition of knowledge has been identified as a necessary condition for good governance and 

effective leadership across the globe. There can be no good governance without strategic 

thinking and other problem-solving mechanisms like critical thinking and moral-leadership. 

Knowledge is acquired either through formal, informal, or semi-formal education. Again, in 

terms of strategic intent and focus on leadership, education is key and indeed, an indispensable 

tool. Prioritising education and grounding it in morality will go a long way to ameliorating the 

problem of bad governance and ungodly-leadership evidently manifest in human rights abuses 

in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.  

Nigeria, at this propitious time, needs leaders with clarity of thought, vision, and 

tenacity that is anchored on ‘situational resourcefulness and sensitivity’. As the pivotal of 

human capital development across the globe, education is key and knowledge is power. At the 

point in which Africa nay Nigeria is today, we need emergency plan to prioritise our education. 

In the classical era, the most celebrated Greek philosopher, Socrates, construed that, 

“knowledge is virtue”. Unfortunately, one sees that today, there are people who have gained 

knowledge, yet they are advancing the course of evil, abusing human rights and destroying 

human lives with impunity. The class of people described above have knowledge without being 

virtuous. The right education that is grounded in morality is lacking in this type of situation 

which is the case in today’s Nigeria. This calls for thorough re-examination of the status quo 

ante. One can now appreciate (Paolo Freire’s, 2000) advocacy on “education for critical 

consciousness”. Long before Freire, Plato (as cited in Rusk’s Doctrine of the Great Education 

1969) teaches that: “Education is what makes a man eagerly pursue the ideal perfection of 

citizenship and teaches him how rightly to rule and how to obey. This is the only education 

upon our view that deserves the name; that other sort of training, which aims at the acquisition 

of wealth…. mere cleverness apart from intelligence and justice, is mean and liberal, and is not 

worthy to be called education at all.” On the other hand, Aristotle construes education as the 

“development of a sound mind in a sound body.”  



   
 
 

 

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Epistemethics is, therefore, proposed in this research as a viable philosophy that will 

aid in ensuring that human rights abusses and all forms of tyranny in the cloche of democracy 

give way for good governance and people-oriented leadership. Poor education ‘in character 

and learning’ on the part of African leaders is a significant part of the challenge of bad 

governance in Africa. The Latin maxim: ‘Nemo dat quod non habet – No one gives what he 

does not have’ is as true as wise considering the present situation in Africa. This study suggests 

that African political leaders should not just have Senior School Certificate, Bachelor’s Degree, 

Master’s Degree or even Doctoral Degree in any field of study, they should as a matter of 

necessary condition and situational sensitivity go through moral formation in character first 

and foremost to be ‘human’ in their actions and inactions. They must have at least basic 

education in morality, where they will undergo training in ‘ethics, not without critical thinking’. 

And until the moral values they acquire through learning in ethics and critical thinking are put 

into practice, they will not be regarded as educated, rather, they will be regarded as people who 

went to school. That is why Plato’s demand for philosopher king to be at the helm of affairs of 

the state is as expedient as ever in today’s Nigeria. Good moral life has not yet become a culture 

in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general; and when it becomes an intrinsic aspect of our 

culture, the entire world will turn to Africa for genuine aid in all spheres of human endeavour, 

not the other way round, where people from the West and across the globe pretend to be giving 

aid to Africa and yet ‘milking’ Africa dry through the back door. 

Epistemethics construes leadership and governance as service to God and humanity. 

Political leadership in Nigeria has failed woefully simply because the leaders do not see their 

function as service to God and humanity, rather, they commercialise government and construe 

politics and governance as means of getting rich overnight and, in turn, enrich their immediate 

families, allies and circle of friends, especially those who would help them in looting public 

funds and also aid in the cover up of such a corrupt act. Any time governance and leadership 

are perceived as service in Africa, Africans will rise from their slumber and have a new breath 

of life, and good governance and sustainable development will flow like a river.      

Situational Sensitivity and Resourcefulness as an Intrinsic Part of Epistemethics 

By situational resourcefulness and sensitivity, I mean, for instance, that African leaders 

and, indeed, all Africans should rise up to the challenge and be sensitive to the fact that Africa 

is abysmally and alarmingly lagging behind almost in all spheres of human endeavour and in 

all segments of the global economy. It is so because majority of the African leaders choose to 

be insensitive to the fact that the level of poverty and hunger ravaging Africa ought not to be 



   
 
 

 

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so because, all the countries in the continent are superlatively endowed with rich human and 

natural resources. It is this same resources that few individuals within the political circle have 

hijacked, laundering them into other countries and these other countries use those resources to 

develop and advance their course. Is that not situational insensitivity of the highest magnitude?  

Is it not situational insensitivity and lack of criticality that, some of the Nigerian 

students who are currently forced out of school for seven months now [that the Federal 

government forced the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to embark on strike] are 

today campaigning for some of those politicians who have kept them out of school? Is it not 

situational insensitivity that some of the Nigerian students, their parents and even some other 

members of the society erroneously believe that there is no money to fund education in Nigeria, 

yet before their eyes, the same politicians raise billions of naira from the sales of nomination 

forms for various positions in different political parties? Without situational sensitivity and 

resourcefulness, critical thinking, deep-seated reflection, and decisive action for emancipation, 

Nigeria in particular and Africa in general will remain the way it is.  

 

African Rebirth and Epistemethics Reflection 

It is one of the principles of epistemethics that African pessimism must give way for 

deep-seated reflection and decisive action. African pessimism, which is symbolically 

embedded in lack of reflection, situational insensitivity and lack of resourcefulness are among 

the factors that have orchestrated high level of bad governance and human rights abuses both 

in Nigeria and in the continent. Some of the African leaders and even the citizens tend to hold 

the idea that, “that is the way we are”. Some of the leaders have no idea about governance, and 

would not have reflection and take decisive action that could lead to emancipation of their 

people from ‘neo-slavery to real freedom’. Some of the citizens prefer to eat today and get 

hungry tomorrow through their actions and inactions. That is largely why in Nigeria, some of 

the youths whose inalienable rights are being trampled upon and whose future are also being 

destroyed would willingly allow themselves to be employed as political thugs, take all manner 

of risks, and go much further to help rig elections for the greedy politicians and the so called 

elites because of mere peanuts.  

Ideas rule the world, is a philosophical maxim of timeless validity. Nigeria in particular 

and Africa in general need leaders who have ideas and who would be willing to move out of 

their comfort zones to cross pollinate and cross fertilize their ideas. How? By systematically 



   
 
 

 

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employing a philosophy of their own in all spectra of their lives. Africa needs a philosophy or 

philosophies which they can boldly call their own, and then, both leaders and the led make the 

philosophy or philosophies their own in word and in deed. With epistemethics, the narrative 

will be changed because morality and its apparatus like good conscience, will be an intrinsic 

part of our political culture.  

 

Re-evaluation and Prioritisation of Values as an Intrinsic Part of Epistemethics 

Why has Africa in the midst of plenty could take care of all and even generations to 

come, millions of people are dying of poverty and hunger? Why is it that the number of out of 

school children today in Nigeria are about 20 million according to UNESCO? Apart from inter 

and intra neo-colonialism, nothing is wrong with Africa, except bad governance and ungodly-

leadership that is enshrined in lack of a philosophy or philosophies that Africans call their own. 

Having a philosophy that people appropriate and make their own in all spheres of their lives 

serve as a game changer and indeed, a catalyst towards advancing their own course. America, 

for instance, adopted pragmatism as their own philosophy. If one closely looks at almost all 

segments of the life of American people, one would notice that pragmatism permeates 

everything they do and it is working for them.  It is when Nigeria in particular and Africa in 

general have their own philosophy or philosophies that is (are) grounded in morality that, 

separation of powers, rule of law and independence of judiciary will be possible and then 

political interference will also give way for good governance. It is because Nigeria has no 

philosophy she calls her own that is grounded in morality that students, for instance, who 

graduate with First Class Honours would be given twenty-thousand-naira incentive with little 

or no publicity; while their fellow students who make Third Class or even Pass can go necked 

and involve themselves in all forms of atrophy in the name of ‘Big Brother Naija show” on 

social media, for instance, are rewarded with gifts of cars and millions of naira. Is it not a clear 

indication of misplacement of priority encapsulated in bad governance? What a misnomer! 

What a deterioration of values? One can now appreciate one of the principles of epistemethics, 

which emphasises re-evaluation and prioritisation of values.  

 

Conclusion/Recommendations 

Democracy has been identified as the government of the people by the people and for 

the people. Human rights, on the other hand, are those rights all the citizens of a country have 

equally before the law not minding one’s status in the society. Bad governance has become a 



   
 
 

 

176 
 

way of life in Africa in the sense that one can hardly see a country within the African continent 

where there is no record of corruption and human rights abuses, especially violation of the right 

to life and freedom of expression. It is also identified that the root cause of this hydra headed 

monster is traced to lack of a philosophy or philosophies that Nigerians in particular and 

Africans in general can boldly call their own.  

In this discourse, epistemethics is proposed as a viable philosophy such that, if imbibed 

by the rank and files of the Nigerian society, the rights of the human persons will be respected 

simply on the basis that they are human beings sharing in humanity, and all forms of willful 

and deliberate abuses of the peoples’ inalienable rights will, if not totally eradicated, drastically 

reduced. It is so because one of the principles of epistemethics is that respect for the dignity of 

human person should be a grand norm for personal, intra-personal and inter-personal 

relationships. Respect for the dignity of human person and his inalienable rights should be 

among the grand norms of every political leadership and governance that is truly described as 

democratic. In the Philosophy of imago Dei, which is an intrinsic and indispensable part of 

epistemethics, respect for the dignity of man is an imperative and not an option. Respect for 

the dignity of man is part of our respect for the Absolute Being Whom man is His image (imago 

Dei). To trample upon the human dignity (abuse human rights) is a high point of disrespect for 

the Absolute Being and, in fact, to trample upon the Absolute Being, that is, God Himself.  

In all spheres of human endeavor, the human person must be given a pride of place. 

This must have prompted (John Paul II, 1982) to admonish thus: “I wholeheartedly encourage 

all those entrusted with the well-being of their fellowman to make the human person the true 

criterion of all development efforts. Development projects must always have a human face. 

They cannot be reduced to a purely materialistic or economic endeavor. The human person 

must always be the ultimate measures of the feasibility and the success of an economic or social 

programme. Progress can therefore not be separated from the dignity of the human person nor 

from the respect of his or her fundamental rights. In the pursuit of progress, total progress, 

anything must be rejected that is unworthy of the freedom and the human rights of the 

individual and of the people as a whole”. That is why this study suggests epistemethics as a 

viable and indispensable philosophy in tackling the challenges of governance in Africa, which 

is the root cause of human rights abuses in Nigeria, even under the ‘so called democracy’.  

 

 

 

 



   
 
 

 

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