Before I begin I would love to say a happy new year to us all.
And to ask how we are all spending our new year, new year resolutions here and there I guess☺️☺️.
So it's quite long I posted on this great community and so I would say I am back for good 😊😊.
Sorry for the long break🙏🙏
Guess I didn't miss a lot.

So today I am here to little stuff with ya all.
Last month my little sister reached out to me telling me she was given an assignment on Traditional rulers and conflict resolution strategies in rural communities in akwa ibom state Nigeria. One would wonder why the topic but she is year one student at one of the university in my home town here in Nigeria ams she is studying Mass communication, so you see why the question came this way right?

Now having taken time to do the assignment for her I decided to share some of my insight here with us on this platform I hope you learn as you read, thanks.👇👇👇👇👇

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INTRODUCTION:-

Before we start let's look at the definition of conflict. Conflict is said to be a struggle over values and claims to scarce status, power and resources in which the aims of the opponents are to neutralize, injure or eliminate their rivals(jeong 2000).
It also means an existing state of disagreement or hostility between two or more people (Nicholson, 1992). Conflict does not necessarily mean hostility or war. It may denote just ‘a different perception’ of something (Barash and Webel,2002). However, conflict often manifest in discord, struggle, contest, disharmony, feud, clash, contest, rivalry, fight, and the likes.
Research has shown that the Chinese and the Yoruba's sees conflict as not being evil, but rather the mismanagement of it. The Yourba's especially sees it as a way of building relationship because it is often said that conflict is the motor and engine of relationship. It's impossible to speak of a relationship without conflict and it is impossible to speak of conflict without a relationship. The Chinese sees it as danger and opportunity, so which ever ways this term paper is set to find out possible ways of resolving or settling conflict in Akwaibom state of Nigeria.
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Different places or society has different ways of settling conflict, we would be looking at the ways traditional rulers in Akwaibom state settle conflict in their different communities.
In the Annang it is often said that Its better to have someone to quarrel with than to lack one. This popular Annang proverb captures holistically the reality, inevitability and even the necessity of conflict in human relationship. With this Annang understanding of conflict, even though one is very troublesome within the family circle, his family members still value him and can never desert him in times of trouble and does everything to support such a person if eventually involved in dispute with an outsider.

A look at who a traditional ruler is;
A Traditional Ruler is a person divinely chosen by the divinity or by the people of that community through careful selection process to govern the social, economic and political affairs of that society. It can also be seen as a person from a royal background or lineage from birth with the sceptre of leadership to successfully lead the people without fear or favour as it is hereditary. Often times, they are usually individuals or group of people who have the traditional background, knowledge and wisdom to decipher situations when they occur. Several scholars have defined traditional rulers based on time and circumstances.

Cookey (2010) defined a traditional ruler as a person who by reason of his ancestral position, occupies the throne or stool of an area, and who has been appointed to it in accordance with the customs and traditions of the area, and whose throne has been in existence before the advent of the British in Nigeria. Based on this definition, the traditional ruler has outright executive, legislative as well as judicial powers. Leaders in alignment to this definition are: Emirs in Northern Nigeria such as the Emir of Bauchi, Kano, Zaria, Adamawa, Ilorin and Gombe.In Western Nigeria. We have Alaafin of Oyo, Ooni of Ife, Oba of Benin. This is different in eastern Nigeria as the system of administration before the coming of the Colonial rule was based on small communities being headed by a purely democratic process and hereditary. According to Egwurube (1988), Traditional Rulers are individuals or group of individuals who occupy communal political leadership positions by immorality (or immortality and are through the consent of the community members granted authority and legitimacy to direct the affairs of particular ethno-cultural or linguistic groups in an ordered manner. In the selection process of whom the baton of rulership should fall upon, we see the role of the gods of that land in the process. The chief priest is summoned to consult the gods of their lands. This happens in eastern Nigeria. This is so to avoid enthroning a dictator or a tyrant , hence the involvement got the gods.

The community members at this point do not have a say over the decision of the gods as it is divinely chosen and being the highest form of authority and the mouth piece of the land. The individual chosen must be someone with traditional prowess of the community, must be knowledgeable in the art and culture, and the wise sayings of the land. He must be traditionally rooted in the culture of his people and wisdom to rule and decipher situations as they arise. The throne they occupy could be for a short or long period of time.The position is highly sacred to the elders and the populace. Abu (2017) perceives traditional rulers as those who claim to be of royal birth in the sense of being descendants of the people who founded dynasties in the past history of their specific areas, and as a result of this gained respects from the common people in their territories to counter I would describe a traditional ruler as a person who is skilful, competent, articulate, civilised, empowered in the concept of traditional principles and intellectually equipped with conflict resolution mechanism. That is why Allison (2003) said that the power of traditional authority is rooted in tradition, given its deep root in group beliefs and values it powers is not to be underestimated because it is intricately attached to spiritualism or cultural level of giving meaning to people’s lives, of allowing them to experience a sense of belong. Hence, Thomason, (2007) maintained that traditional authority derives its powers by appealing to customs and tradition. Despite the continued assistance by political leaders to Traditional Authorities, no significant step has been taken to improve the status of the traditional rulers in Nigeria.

ADDITIONAL TITLES IN AKWA IBOM STATE

1. Obong Emem: This means chief of Peace.(Royal of Peace and Conflict Resolution Mandate)
2. Adaha: The Pillar of the Community/Land 3. Oku Ibom Ibibio: Supreme Royal Traditional monarch of Ibibio land. This means the priest of the Almighty God of Ibibio.
3. Obong Unwana: the traditional chieftaincy title of honour which means chief of Light. It is conferred on the worthy sond of the land who have served the people with diligence via civilization.
4. Obong Ifiok: this means Royal Special Adviser to the traditional council.
5. Obong Uforo: chief of progress and development .
6. MPKISONG: Royals of the land or princes of the land. This is conferred on greatwr princes of the community.

Methods of Conflict Resolution by Traditional Rulers in Akwaibom state.
The methods of performing conflict resolution includes:-
(a) Mediation;
(b) Adjudication;
(c) Reconciliation;
(d) Arbitration and;
(e) Negotiation.
The above sometimes also includes employing extra-judicial devices like gods, curse or charms to persuade or convince the disputants about the implication or otherwise of their behaviour.
Mediation:-
Mediation is an old method of conflict management surrounded by secrecy. It involves non-coercive intervention of the mediators(s), called third party either to reduce or … go beyond or bring conflict to peaceful settlement. Mediators are sought from within the communities or societies of the parties concerned. Elders are respected as trustworthy mediators all over Africa, because of their accumulated experiences and wisdom (Ajayi & Buhari).

Adjudication:-
This involves bringing all disputants in the conflict to a meeting usually in the chambers or compounds of family heads, quarter heads and palace court as the case maybe. Dialogue was linked with the adjudicatory processes in traditional (Olaoba, 2005).
Reconciliation:- This is the most significant aspect of conflict resolution. It is the end product of adjudication. After the disputants have been persuaded to end the dispute, peace was restored. This restoration of peace and harmony was always anchored on the principle of give a little and get a little. This idea buttresses the idea of the disputing parties to give concessions. A feast was usually organized to confirm the readiness of the conflicting parties towards reaching points of compromise(Olaoba 2005).

Arbitration:-

Thi is the least used conflict resolution method in Akwaibom. The reconciliation function is practiced by an authority figure that mediates between conflicting parties but is empowered to make binding judgments. The purpose is not to render a judgment in law but to reconcile the conflicting parties and its norms. The relationship between the authority and the community is cushioned by community representatives who advise authority (Ajayi & Buhari 2014).

Negotiation:-

Negotiation, “the secret is to harmonize the interests of the parties concerned”. Thus, even when the conflict involves a member against his or her society, there is an emphasis on recuperation and reinsertion of errant member back into its place in society. The recovery of a dissident member can just as well be seen as the restoration of the harmony and integrity of the community, as the assertion of value consensus and social cohesion, so that the management of the conflict favours the concerns of both parties (Olaoba, 2005). In traditional Yoruba society, for example, peace was negotiated. Apology for wrongs done to individuals and the entire community was a feature of negotiation. Such apology was channelled through the elders, compound heads and chiefs of high calibre in the society. It is done on the representative level or quasi-representation.

Conclusion:-
In conclusion it is seen that traditional rulers employ alternative dispute resolution to settle different phases of conflict in Akwaibom. The prowess of the traditional ruler is being displayed in the mediation process to bring peace and harmony among the people and the community at large. Reconciliation, mediation, litigation ( when parties are not satisfied with the outcome of the dispute), Personal data of the spouse and Close kinship are the methods used to settle dispute in Akwaibom state. Hence a lame man cannot occupy the vantage position if he is not well informed and articulated about the traditional tenets of the land and the mechanisms of Alternative Dispute Resolution to govern the people.

References:-

Ajayi, A.T & Buhari, L.O. 'Methods of Conflict Resolution in African Traditional Society’. African Research Review: An International Multidisciplinary Journal, Ethiopia Vol. 8 (2), Serial No. 33, April, 2014:138-157.

Akpabio, H.E. Traditional Rulers and Alternative Dispite Resolution: A Case Study Of Etinan Local Government Area, Akwaibom state, Nigeria.VOL. 5 NO. 1, June, 2022.
Barash, D. P. and Webel, C. P. (2002) Peace and Conflict Studies. CA: Sage Publications.

Cookey, S. J. S., Alemika, E., Amucheazi, E., Oyebode, A.B. &Yahaya, A.D. (2010). Traditional Rulers in Nigeria. Ibadan:Safari Books Ltd

Egwurube, J.O.(1988),’ Traditional Rulers and Modern Local Government’ In Adamolekun, L. et al, Local Government in West Africa since Independence, Lagos, Unilag Press, . 154-157.

Jeong, H. (2000) Peace and Conflict Studies: An Introduction. Aldershot: Ashgate.

Olaoba, O. B. (2005). Ancestral focus and the process of conflictresolution in Traditional African societies. A. O. Albert (Ed.)in Perspectives on peace and conflict in Africa in Essays in Honour of General AbdulSalam Abubakar, Ibadan: JohnArchers Ltd.

Denis,M. J. Traditional Conflict Resolution Approaches in Annang Tribe of Akwa Ibom state Nigeria. Vol8 issue 6.,June 2019.

Nicholson, M. (1992) Rationality and the Analysis of International Conflict. London: Cambridge university Press.

I remain

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