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Wealth Before Welfare: Nigeria’s Tale of Misplaced Priorities

Staff Writer
The quote “when wealth is first, the people are destroyed” suggests that when the pursuit of wealth becomes the primary focus of a society or its leaders, it can lead to the detriment of the general populace. This idea is rooted in the belief that prioritizing material wealth over the well-being of people can result in social and economic inequalities, corruption, and the erosion of moral and ethical values. One nation rich, one nation poor. “ Okpa Aku Eri Eri (The Miser) ,” written by Ude Odilora in 1981, is an Igbo novel that presciently forecasts Nigeria’s trajectory over the years. It delves into Nigeria’s deeply ingrained obsession with accumulating wealth and material possessions, almost to the point of veneration. In the preface, Odilora asserts that desiring wealth and possessions is not inherently wrong, but when it becomes an obsession that overshadows essential values, it leads to tragedy. While hard work is commendable, the relentless pursuit of wealth at the expense of
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Musesophy – The Concept of Ajambene in Igbo Culture

Staff Writer
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Overview The term ‘Musesophy’ was first used in Osita Osadebe’s Agadi Nwanyị na Inine to describe the Musesophy of his  (Onye bili ibeya ebili)  ‘Live and Let Live.’ The author describes Musesophy as “the art of communicating wisdom or inspiration through songs, stories, or literary works.  In the context of Igbo highlife musicians, it is the ability to use songs to communicate words of wisdom, guidance, or knowledge to the people.” Etymologically, the word “Muse” is rooted in different ancient languages: in Latin, it is Mūsa , a derivative from the ancient Greek word Mousa . Based on various Greek dialects of the word Mousa (for example, mōsa and moisa ), it is argued that the word Mousa might have originated from an earlier form, montwa . As a noun, the word Muse can be viewed as a source of inspiration, especially for creativity or intellectual achievements. And as a verb, it can mean to think deeply or meditate about something. It is in this context that the concept of Aj
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Twenty-First Century immigrational Utterances: Nationalists vs Internationalists Peripheralism.

Staff Writer
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Overview The twenty-first century has witnessed unprecedented levels of global migration, reshaping demographics, economies, and cultures worldwide. This phenomenon has sparked intense debates and divergent perspectives on immigration, often polarizing societies into two distinct camps: nationalists and internationalists. Nationalists advocate for stringent immigration controls, emphasizing the preservation of national identity, security, and economic stability. In contrast, internationalists champion open borders (with controls), celebrating cultural diversity and the economic benefits of a globalized workforce. This writing delves into the complex discourse surrounding immigration in contemporary society. It explores how these opposing viewpoints manifest in political rhetoric, media representations, and public opinion. By examining the peripheralism inherent in both nationalist and internationalist narratives, it aims to uncover the underlying motivations, fears, and aspirations
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Gender and Sexual Alignments: Equality, Inclusion and Belonging

Staff Writer
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Overview The aim of this writing is to examine the various gender identities and sexual alignments from the perspectives of equality, inclusion and belonging. How is the socio-political, religious and economic spaces view other non-traditional gender identities in gender equality discourses? Do the current environment guarantee all genders and sexual alignments the emotional, personal, and social feelings that promote and encourage sense of inclusion and belonging? To answer the above questions, the following outline will be followed: What is gender identity? Types of gender identities Gender identities for entertainment and Self-expressions Sexual Alignment Types of Sexual alignments Yes, to equality: No to equality! Inclusion and Belonging What is gender identity? The word gender has its root in the Latin word, genus . Both the word ‘gender’ and ‘genus’ mean ‘kind,’ ‘sort,’ or ‘type.’ The word gender comes from the middle English ‘ gendre ’ which was borrowed from the Anglo-N
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How the Christians perceived Islam, Prophet Muhammad and Muslims from the 8th to the 15th Centuries – Part 1

Staff Writer
Introduction The early and medieval Christians have no theological or legal (in terms of biblical) perspectives in their perceptions of Islam, Prophet Muhammad and Muslims. Contrary to the Qur’an and Muslims who theologically, and legally perceived Christians and Christianity perhaps because of Christianity’s antecedents. Islam theologically presented a series of quandaries to early and medieval Christianity, such that some of them viewed Muslim's as pagans and some as heretics or schismatics. The Christian polemicists hardly used the term Islam or Muslim to identify their rivalry, instead, the preferences to terms such as ‘Saracens, Hagarenes, Arabs, Turks, Pagans, Moors or simply, those who follow the Law of Muhammad’ were prevalent. This writing aims to examine by typologies, the polemics of Christians that cover from the 8th century to the 15th century and discussing Christianity's arguments from the perspectives of:   St. John Damascene (675-753) Heresy and Heresia
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