Without doubt, it is essential to pursue robust military operations and tactical confrontations in tackling the surge in banditry, criminality, kidnapping and violent conflicts in Nigeria especially in the North East, North West and South East. However it is admonishing to enhance processes that promote effective administration of justice and strengthening of institutions that promote justice, equity and peace.

In his work “Theory of Peace”, Johan Vincent Galthung distinguished between Positive and Negative peace, by defining Peace to be beyond the absence of violent or armed conflict between parties or groups but to include systems and institutions that facilitate collaborative and supportive relationships among parties or groups that foster peace.

According to Johan Galtung, what he called “Positive peace” can be achieved in ways such as restoration of relationships, the creation of social systems that serve the needs of the whole population and the constructive resolution of conflict. In addition, he is of the view that “Peace does not mean the total absence of any conflict. It means the absence of violence in all forms and the unfolding of conflict in a constructive way. Peace therefore exists where people are interacting non-violently and are managing their conflict positively – with respectful attention to the legitimate needs and interest of all concerned .”Protracted Social Conflict(PSC) as Edward Azar termed it, “ov CC/t hostile interactions between communal groups that are based in deep-seated racial, ethnic, religious and cultural hatreds, and that persist over long periods of time with sporadic outbreaks of violence; when a group’s identity is threatened or frustrated, intractable conflict is almost inevitable”. As Edward Azar stated: “Reducing overt conflict requires reduction in levels of underdevelopment. Groups that seek to satisfy their identity and security needs through conflict are in effect seeking change in the structure of their society”

Structural functionalism “focuses on structure – the patterning of roles, the form of institutions, and the overall articulation of institutions in a society – and seeks to explain these structures in terms of their functions – contributions to the stability and persistence of societies”. In addition this concept believes that all parts of the society must work together or it will break down apart. When some part of an integrated social system changes, a tension between this and other parts of the system is created, which will be resolved by the adaptive change of the other parts. Scholars like Augustus Comte, Emile Durkheim, Robert Merton, Herbert Spencer, Roscoe Pound, John Rawls etc are generally agreed on how societal and class structure and the inequality of access to opportunities feed the tendency to commit crime. This pressure derived from social factors, such as marginalization, lack of income or lack of quality education, drive individuals to commit crime or creates the state of “social normlessness” as coined by Emile Durkheim.

In Nigeria with the unemployment rate at about 30percent, it is reported that over 20million Nigerians in the working population who are willing and capable to work are not employed. The Multidimensional Poverty Index survey in 2022 shows that about 62percent(133m) of persons living within Nigeria is poor and where about 55percent earn below the paltry minimum wage of N30,000(Thirty thousand naira) monthly, it is a gun powder for social disaster and political crisis.

In the first quarter of 2023, inflation is said to have risen to about 19.64 percent while food items and basic house hold needs have also increased by over 150percent in prices in the last 4 years. The World Bank has said that the number of poor Nigerians is projected to hit 95.1 million in 2022 and access to primary health care and public health care facilities are unaffordable to of Nigerians. The World Bank made this known in its poverty assessment report titled ‘A Better Future for All Nigerians: 2022 Nigeria Poverty Assessment’.

There is need for Governments at all levels to tackle the issues discussed above strategically and structurally as they continue to fuel insecurity and economic challenges in Nigeria. We can learn from Europe and particularly the United States of America (USA) in building a legal and structural framework that promote social security and structural justice. President Franklin Roosevelt after the Great Depression in 1935 embarked on social security reforms and same was consolidated on by President John Kennedy (1961-1963), President Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969), President Richard Nixon (1969-1974) and President Gerald Ford (1974-1977) aggressively in the 70s and 80s in United States of America. Its successes laid down the foundation of American social justice and welfare systems promoted by economic growth and creation of more access to opportunities to bridge the inequalities that existed in the American society. Interestingly and as expected it led to massive reduction in poverty and significant economic growth and rise in employment and median house hold income among the whites and non whites population especially the black community in the south. Its important that through their efforts, laws and programs were promoted and established including the Social Security Act of 1935(amended in 1972, 1983 etc).

The Act became the bedrock of the Federal grant in Aids for States means-tested programs Old Age Assistance, Aid to Families (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families in 1996), Federal Assistance Supplementary Programs etc. Other social welfare programs include Medicare and Medicaid Program in 1965(which provides medical assistance to low income families), School Breakfast Programs in 1966, Supplementary Security Income Program in 1972, National School Lunch Program in 1945, Low Income Home Energy Assistance program in 1981. Other assistance programs not included in the Social Security Act were also broadened or new ones added such as The Food Stamp program enacted in 1964 to improve the nutrition of low-income families. Other nutrition programs include the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and school breakfasts and lunches. In addition, Federal-State programs provided home energy assistance, and public and subsidized housing and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193).

In the areas of public education, there were plethora of reforms to ensure poor citizens had access to public education at the elementary and secondary school levels. These reforms in many ways improved and enhanced employability skills, job opportunities and higher income for many individuals and families therefore taking millions of Americans outside poverty. There were consistent and long reaching policies by President Eisenhower(1953-1961), President John Kennedy(1961-1963), President Lyndon Johnson(1963-1969), President Richard Nixon(1969-1974), President Gerald Ford(1974-1977), President George Bush(1989-1993), President Bill Clinton(1993-2001), President George W. Bush(2001-2009), President Barack Obama(2009-2017) in enacting the the following programs and laws:
1. Under President Eisenhower, the National Defense Education Act of 1958
2. In 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It funded special education centers and also gave grants for materials to schools with low-income students
3. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which extended civil rights to people with disabilities.
4. In 1975 the Education of All Handicapped Children Act.
5. The individual and Disabilities Act (IDEA)of 1990
6. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
7. In 1994, President Clinton signed the Goals 2000: Educate America Act into law.
8. No Child Left Behind Act 2001(Now known as: Every Student Succeeds Act 2015).
9. During President Joe Biden administration, the Chips and Science Act (with $52bn of subsidies to semiconductor firms, plus another $24bn in manufacturing tax credits); and the Inflation Reduction Act 2022(providing for over $30bn in subsidies for manufacturers of solar panels and wind turbines) were enacted.

The panacea for development in the long run should include programs and policies that enhance justice, fairness and equity. It is my submission that rigorous reforms to achieve structural and social justice will go along way in resolving most of the underlying themes that characterize violent conflicts, marginalization and violent crimes in Nigeria. Further more, employing the ARIAL MODEL in conflict resolution should be promoted and encouraged at all levels of social interactions and organization. The lessons from the protracted social conflict in Lebanon, ethno-religious hostilities in Sri-Lanka and the ethno- political insurrection in Cyprus are examples of how structural imbalances and identity crisis can escalate prolonged violent conflicts and irredentism against the state. We therefore hope that the structural and social reforms in the USA and in Europe will guide the elites and policy makers on the path of structural and social justice reform, equitable redistribution of wealth, Socio-Political integration towards an all-inclusive society built on justice, fairness and equity.

Damian Ajayi Esq. writes @ [email protected]