Edu Rekha International Journal of Arts, Law and Social Science
Volume-2 Issue-5 (September-October) 2026
Experimental study of clay soil stabilization with lime and sea water for road subgrade use. After 1080 days of curing period.
CHRISTODOULIAS JOHN
View PDFPage: 01-09Abstract
Extensive areas around the world are covered by clay soils of high swelling potential. These clays are now well known as active clays due to their behavior with volume changes according to their moisture content. In arid and seem-arid regions such as Greece or other Mediterranean countries, the clay material exists in an unsaturated condition due to deep water table. With seasonal climatic changes, the clay tends to change moisture content. The purpose of this laboratory investigation firstly was to examine the engineering properties. For this, grain size analyses, Atterberg limits, x-ray analyses, , shrinkage limits tests, swell pressure in the oedometer, cation exchange capacity and pH in disturbed soil samples have been investigated. Also, an attempt has made to stabilize and increase strength of an active clay soil with different percentage of lime and long curing period of time, in order to use the clay mixture with lime for subbase construction for roads, railway embankments, air-port running- ways. The results were very promising.
Keywords: swelling clay, lime, stabilization.
Aristotelian Teleology, Public Morality, and Statecraft: An Examination of Ethics and Politics in Classical Philosophy and the Development of Post-Colonial Nigeria
INYIKALUM, Daniel Chibuike
View PDFPage: 10-14Abstract
This inquiry investigated the structural and philosophical intersections between Aristotle’s treatises on moral philosophy and statecraft, specifically the Nicomachean Ethics and the Politics and maps their diagnostic and prescriptive utility onto the socio-political evolution of Nigeria. Operating on the central Aristotelian premise that politics is an extension of ethics directed toward the realization of the highest human good (eudaimonia), this paper evaluated the systemic failures of post-colonial Nigerian governance. Based on the qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, the study argued that contemporary Nigerian politics suffers from an existential crisis driven by the deliberate severance of public action from moral accountability, institutionalized prebendalism, and the erosion of civic friendship (philia). Through an examination of historical trajectories, socio-cultural matrices (such as the ọmọlúwàbí ethos), and structural governance deficits, the study concluded that sustainable political development in Nigeria requires a teleological realignment of state power with virtue ethics, institutional coercion for moral habituation, and the conscious cultivation of practical wisdom (phronesis) among leadership cadres. The study thus recommended that for Nigeria to transcend its current structural crises, its political culture must undergo an ethical renaissance. By embedding practical wisdom in leadership, reinforcing coercive institutional accountability, revitalizing civic friendship across ethnic fault lines, and anchoring public policy in virtue ethics
Key words: Aristotle, Eudaimonia, Political Ethics, Nigerian Politics, Prebendalism, Phronesis, Public Morality.
ARMED CONFLICTS, HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AND ECONOMIC RECONSTRUCTION IN THE SAHEL REGION
INYIKALUM, Daniel Chibuike1* & OKE, Harry Omoro JP.2
View PDFPage: 15-21Abstract
In examining armed conflicts and Humanitarian crisis in the Sahel Region, this paper observed with keen interest that the persistent and growing strength of violent extremist organizations in the Sahel threatens to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and spread instability across the Sahel region of Africa. The study was based on the Neo-Malthusian theory which insists that there exist a relationship between environmental changes and insecurity since the former would bring about scarcity in resources and the latter would also occur because of competition over scarce resources leading to violent conflict and crime. The methodology of the study was that of the qualitative method based on secondary sources of data collection. The study discovered that violence in the Sahel has exponentially increased the rate of displacement and migration from the region, compounding pressures on northern and coastal African states and Europe, the epicenters of violence and humanitarian disaster are in the Liptako-Gourma and Lake Chad Basin sub-regions. Based on the above, the study recommended that Governments across the central Sahel and affected coastal countries, along with technical and financial partners, to significantly scale up investment in expanding access to essential social services and protection, as key pathways to peace and security.
Keywords: Armed conflicts, Humanitarian crisis, Sahel Region
BEYOND THE WESTPHALIAN VEIL: The Inadequacy of State-Centric Approaches in Understanding Contemporary International Security
INYIKALUM, Daniel Chibuike
View PDFPage: 22-26Abstract
For centuries, the architecture of international security studies has rested upon the Westphalian bedrock of state-centrism. Realist and neorealist frameworks historically posited the sovereign state as both the primary actor and the ultimate referent object of security, treating the international system as an anarchic arena defined by a zero-sum pursuit of material power. Applying realist and Liberal theories and the qualitative methods of data collection based on content analysis, the study argues that contemporary security architecture faces unprecedented transformations. The proliferation of transnational threats ranging from asymmetric cyber warfare and global health pandemics to climate-induced migrations and decentralized terrorist networks demonstrates that traditional state-centric models are no longer analytically sufficient. This article examines the theoretical blind spots of statism, evaluates the shift toward multi-actor frameworks. Based on the foregoing, this article recommended for a re-conceptualized security paradigm that incorporates human agency and complex interdependence.
Keywords: Westphalian Veil, State-Centric Approaches, Contemporary International Security, Statism
Conspiracy theories in the information society – between the perception of threats and the destabilisation of security. A Polish perspective
Daria KRZEWNIAK
View PDFPage: 27-35Abstract
In the information society, conspiracy theories have become a permanent feature of information cycle and important means for interpreting complex and uncertain social phenomena. Their increased presence is particularly evident in crisis situations, such as health, climate, technological or geopolitical threats, as well as in the context of information overload, declining trust in public institutions and the growing role of digital media. This phenomenon raises important questions about the relationship between subjective perceptions of threats and real consequences for security. The aim of this article is to analyse conspiracy theories functioning in the information society as narratives shaping the perception of threats and to identify the mechanisms through which these narratives can lead to the destabilisation of individual, social and state security. In particular, an attempt has been made to answer the question of how conspiracy theories influence cognitive processes, social trust and information resilience. The article uses qualitative theoretical analysis and a critical review of scientific literature in the fields of security sciences, media studies and social psychology. The analysis is based on Polish and foreign scientific publications and institutional reports on disinformation, information security and the functioning of the information society. The analyses indicate that conspiracy theories serve to reduce subjective feelings of uncertainty and threat, but at the same time lead to an erosion of trust in expert knowledge, public institutions and democratic procedures. Their dissemination contributes to social polarisation, reduced security and a weakening of the state’s ability to respond effectively to crises. Conspiracy theories are a significant factor destabilising security in the information society, especially in situations of heightened uncertainty and crises. Effective countermeasures against this phenomenon require an integrated approach combining media education, strengthening information literacy, and a consistent communication policy on the part of public institutions.
Keywords: Conspiracy theory, Disinformation, Information security, Information society, Social resilience, Threat.
Exegetical Study of The Seven “I Am” Εγώ Είμαι Sayings and Seven Miracles Θαύματα of Jesus In The Johannine Tradition: Implications for Contemporary Community
Onuoha Fidelis Ebere
View PDFPage: 36-42Abstract
This study undertakes an exegetical analysis of the seven “I Am” sayings and seven miracles (signs) of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John, with particular attention to their theological and Christological significance. The problem addressed in this research is the tendency among some scholars and readers to treat the “I Am” sayings and the signs as isolated traditions, thereby overlooking their interconnected role in revealing the identity and mission of Jesus within Johannine theology. The study adopts a qualitative research methodology, employing the historical-critical method, narrative criticism, and theological exegesis to examine relevant biblical passages within their literary and socio-religious contexts. The findings reveal, first, that the “I Am” sayings and the signs function together as complementary revelatory tools that progressively disclose Jesus as the divine Son of God. Second, the study establishes that each sign serves as a narrative foundation that illuminates and validates a corresponding “I Am” declaration, thereby deepening the reader’s understanding of Johannine Christology and the call to faith. Based on these findings, the study recommends that biblical scholars and theologians adopt an integrated approach to interpreting John’s Gospel, recognizing the unity between discourse and action. It also recommends that Christian educators emphasize the theological coherence of the Gospel in teaching and preaching to enhance doctrinal clarity and spiritual formation. The study demonstrates that the inseparable relationship between the “I Am” sayings and the signs is central to understanding the theological message of John’s Gospel.
Keywords: Christological significance, Johannine theology, theologians adopt, John’s Gospel, theological message
Geopolitical Conflicts in the Middle East and Nigeria’s Oil-Dependent Economy
Ikedi John Ugwuanyi, PhD1* & Lilian C. Morah, PhD2*
View PDFPage: 43-53Abstract
Nigeria’s heavy dependence on crude oil exports makes its economy highly vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions in the global energy market. Conflicts in the Middle East have historically generated fluctuations in global oil supply, prices, and investment patterns. This study examines the implications of geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East for Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy. Using a qualitative approach based on documentary sources and content analysis, the study evaluates major episodes of Middle Eastern geopolitical tensions and their transmission effects on Nigeria’s petroleum revenue and economic planning. The findings indicate that although geopolitical conflicts often lead to short-term increases in global oil prices—temporarily boosting Nigeria’s export earnings—the long-term consequences are largely destabilizing. Volatility in oil prices creates uncertainty in government revenue projections, disrupts budgetary planning, and exposes the structural weaknesses of Nigeria’s mono-product economy. The study further argues that Nigeria’s persistent reliance on crude oil exports amplifies its vulnerability to external geopolitical dynamics beyond its control. Consequently, the paper recommends strategic economic diversification, strengthened energy diplomacy, and investment in alternative energy sectors as critical measures for reducing Nigeria’s exposure to global geopolitical shocks.
Keywords: Geopolitical conflicts, Nigeria, Middle East, Oil-dependent economy, Oil price volatility
Challenges Bedeviling State Welfare Services and Rehabilitation Programmes for Flood Victims in Yenagoa Metropolis, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
Dr. Ene Deriateide Efere
View PDFPage: 54-59Abstract
Background: Flooding is a recurrent environmental disaster with substantial consequences for human life, infrastructure, health, and social wellbeing. The Niger Delta, including Bayelsa State, is particularly vulnerable due to its geographical characteristics.
Objectives: This study examined state welfare services and rehabilitation programmes for flood victims in Yenagoa Metropolis, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, focusing on available services, operational challenges, and strategies for improvement.
Methods: Adopting a descriptive survey design, the study drew a Taro Yamane–derived sample of 400 respondents from ten flood-affected communities, of whom 394 returned usable questionnaires (98.5% retrieval), alongside 29 key-informant interviews. Survey items addressed service availability, operational barriers and improvement measures specifically, and were analyzed descriptively (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations); interview transcripts were coded thematically. Internal consistency of the instrument was strong (Cronbach’s α = 0.86).
Results: Available interventions included emergency shelters (M = 3.73), mosquito nets (M = 3.61), clothing, bedding, and healthcare support, with an overall availability grand mean of 3.44. Major operational challenges identified included infrastructure damage (M = 3.80), political/administrative constraints (M = 3.65), poor transportation (M = 3.61), and economic impacts (M = 3.54). Overall challenge grand mean was 3.13. Key recommendations emphasized transparent fund management, integration of professional social workers, systematic displacement tracking, and sustainable livelihood support.
Conclusion: Effective flood recovery requires transitioning from short-term relief toward coordinated, needs-based, and sustainable rehabilitation through government–social worker–community synergy.
Keywords: state welfare services; rehabilitation; flood victims; social work; disaster management; Yenagoa; Bayelsa State; Nigeria
IMPACTS OF WESTERN CHRISTIAN MISSIONS ON EDUCATION IN CENTRAL IGBOLAND
DURUJI, SIMEON.U.N. PhD
View PDFPage: 60-66Abstract
This work examined the Impact of Western Christian Missions on Education with particular interest on Central Igboland. It necessitated by the fact that Igboman seems to have lost the decency of his culture, norms and religious values; and the glaring call from most quarters on the rekindling of lgbo traditional education to prevent it from going into extinction. The work used historical and analytical survey method in its study. It found that in spite of the numerous positive effects of western mission education in central Igboland, its adverse effect are glaring on the philosophical, social, religious and cultural lives of the people that if nothing serious is done to check it, the natural identity of the Igboman, which defines his uniqueness in religio-cultural space of Africa will be completely lost. The paper, therefore, recommends, among others, the rekindling of the traditional patterns of education in communities, families and homes in Central Igboland
Keywords: Education, western Christian mission, Igboman,, central Igbo land,, impacts
GENERATIVE AI ADOPTION BY SMES: DRIVERS, BARRIERS AND PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES IN NIGERIA
DR SHAIBU, OGWUCHE GABRIEL1*, DR MBAEGBU R. E. V.2, DR ECHETAMA C. FORSTINA3, V/REV DR CHIKEZIE IHEOMA4, DR. SUNDAY EZE AMAKODI5, KARACHI C. ISIAWUIKE6, DR CHINWE C. EBENEZER – NWOKEJI7 & DR NMONWU LUCKY PAUL.8
View PDFPage: 67-74Abstract
The rapid emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is creating new opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to improve business processes, innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. However, the factors encouraging or limiting Generative AI adoption and its performance outcomes among SMEs in Nigeria remain underexplored. This study examines Generative AI adoption by SMEs in Nigeria, focusing on its drivers, barriers, and performance outcomes. A cross-sectional survey research design was employed, with data collected from 200 SME owners, managers, and employees using a structured questionnaire titled Generative AI Adoption and SME Performance Questionnaire (GAIA-SPQ), validated with a reliability coefficient of 0.86. Data were analyzed using correlation analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings reveal that drivers of Generative AI significantly influence its adoption, while barriers also significantly affect adoption negatively. The study further finds that Generative AI use significantly affects SME performance, particularly in relation to productivity and innovation. The study concludes that Generative AI provides important opportunities for improving SME performance, although effective adoption requires favourable conditions and the reduction of implementation barriers. It is recommended that SMEs strengthen their technological capabilities, develop relevant digital skills, and adopt cost-effective Generative AI solutions to improve productivity, innovation, and competitiveness.
Keywords: Generative Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI Adoption, SMEs, Adoption Drivers, Adoption Barriers, SME Performance.
DIACONAL ECONOMY OF THE EARLY CHURCH: HISTORICAL ANALYSIS AND ECCLESIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
TIMOTHY O.E. POPOOLA, PhD.1*, AYODEJI OGIDIOLU, PhD2, EZEKIEL BANKOLE OJO3, OJO MOSES ADEDAYO4 & DADA, O. OLAWALE.5
View PDFPage: 75-81Abstract
Historical assessment of the diaconal economy of the early church is fundamental in the recent historical discourse. This so-called economy was neither utopian idealism nor primitive communism, but a contextually responsive expression of gospel identity. Its organizational and theological logic offers a durable framework for contemporary churches seeking to embody holistic mission. Fundamentally, the Nigerian church needs a re-appraisal in the light of welfare practices that characterised the early Christian church era. It is obvious in recent times that Nigeria is a nation filled with moral and ethical lapses such as individualism, self-centeredness, wealth acquisition by extortion and violation of fundamental human rights which is also apparent in church leadership. The existing scholarly works have focused on church emergence and the persecution in the early church era but an area which seems to have been largely eclipsed that requires academic engagement is the implications that the welfare and benevolence practices of the early church had on church leadership. Therefore, this study examines leadership effectiveness using welfare and benevolence practices in growing and expanding the church. It employed historical and analytical research approach; data were also gathered from secondary sources. The findings of the study established the lapses of the contemporary church leadership in the mis-management of church resources, living a flamboyant lifestyle, acquiring material wealth in excess, extorting church members things rendering them destitute than meeting their needs by fulfilling Christ’s mandate to take care of His fold. The paper recommends that, church leadership should be judicious in the right use of church resources to meet members need and that wealthy members of the mystical body should be encouraged to inculcate the habit of willful donations to the church to assist the indigent members without coercion or manipulation.
Keywords: Church Leadership, Early Church, Diaconal Economy, Implications, Welfare practices
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM IN NIGERIA AND THE POLITICS OF SILENCE: REVISITING THE LETTER BOMB ASSASSINATION OF DELE GIWA.
Okhueleigbe, Osemhantie Amos
View PDFPage: 82-89Abstract
This study critically examined the nexus between investigative journalism and the politics of silence in Nigeria by revisiting the letter‑bomb assassination of Dele Giwa; it aimed to interrogate competing explanations for the killing, assess its influence on investigative practice and media resistance, and evaluate the implications of institutional silence for press freedom and democratic accountability. Anchored in the Political Economy Theory of the Media and the Social Responsibility Theory of the Press, the research employed a qualitative digital‑ethnographic design and analysed 545 spontaneously generated Facebook comments, of which ≈300 were retained as analytically relevant while ≈245 peripheral remarks were discarded, using iterative inductive–deductive thematic coding, constant comparison and reflexive memoing to surface dominant narratives, counter‑narratives and mnemonic practices. Findings indicated that multiple explanatory frames circulated but public attribution overwhelmingly implicated state actors; that Giwa’s unresolved death materially and psychologically contracted fearless investigative inquiry, displacing resistance into cultural memory; and that the politics of silence institutionalised impunity, eroded juridical and normative safeguards for the press, and stalled mechanisms of democratic accountability. The study concluded that unresolved political violence should be treated as a structural media‑policy problem requiring transnational and civil‑society interventions, truth commissions, independent safety funds and regional enforcement pathways, to restore investigative capacity, reconstitute public trust, and deter future assaults on journalistic autonomy.
Keywords: Accountability; Censorship; Impunity; Investigative Journalism; Memory; Press Freedom; State Violence
Digital Vulnerabilities and Safeguarding Dynamics: A Philosophical and Socio-Ecological Analysis of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse within the Nigerian Context
Maurice Chukwukere1* & Judith Ngihbi2
View PDFPage: 90-97Abstract
Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA) represents a rapidly escalating public health, child protection, human rights, and existential challenge across Sub-Saharan Africa. While digital connectivity expands exponentially in Nigeria—driven by widespread mobile broadband access and social media adoption—child safeguarding infrastructures remain critically lagging. Moving beyond purely empirical and legal perspectives, this article synthesizes conceptual insights from contemporary child safety literature with deep theoretical frameworks, including Bronfenbrenner’s Socio-Ecological Model, Finkelhor’s Precondition Model, Heideggerian philosophy of technology (Gestell), Byung-Chul Han’s digital panopticism, and Agamben’s concept of homo sacer. It evaluates how traditional socio-cultural norms, economic vulnerabilities, digital literacy gaps, and ontological shifts in digital presence intersect to facilitate online grooming, sextortion, non-consensual image creation, and synthetic media abuse (such as AI-generated deepfakes). Furthermore, this paper critically analyzes the statutory efficacy of the Child Rights Act (2003) and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act (2015/2024 Amendment), alongside institutional models such as Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs). Finally, a multi-tiered socio-ecological safeguarding framework grounded in communal ethics (Ubuntu) is proposed to enhance institutional, legislative, and community-based resilience against digital child exploitation in Nigeria.
Keywords: Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA), Philosophy of Technology, Socio-Ecological Model, Digital Grooming, Sextortion
Re-Imagining a Philosophy of Education: Insights from Ludwig Wittgenstein
Philip Chika Omenukwa
View PDFPage: 98-107Abstract
Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA) represents a rapidly escalating public health, child protection, human rights, and existential challenge across Sub-Saharan Africa. While digital connectivity expands exponentially in Nigeria—driven by widespread mobile broadband access and social media adoption—child safeguarding infrastructures remain critically lagging. Moving beyond purely empirical and legal perspectives, this article synthesizes conceptual insights from contemporary child safety literature with deep theoretical frameworks, including Bronfenbrenner’s Socio-Ecological Model, Finkelhor’s Precondition Model, Heideggerian philosophy of technology (Gestell), Byung-Chul Han’s digital panopticism, and Agamben’s concept of homo sacer. It evaluates how traditional socio-cultural norms, economic vulnerabilities, digital literacy gaps, and ontological shifts in digital presence intersect to facilitate online grooming, sextortion, non-consensual image creation, and synthetic media abuse (such as AI-generated deepfakes). Furthermore, this paper critically analyzes the statutory efficacy of the Child Rights Act (2003) and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act (2015/2024 Amendment), alongside institutional models such as Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs). Finally, a multi-tiered socio-ecological safeguarding framework grounded in communal ethics (Ubuntu) is proposed to enhance institutional, legislative, and community-based resilience against digital child exploitation in Nigeria.
Keywords: Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA), Philosophy of Technology, Socio-Ecological Model, Digital Grooming, Sextortion