Abstract

This paper examined the security challenges in southeastern Nigeria and explored how the Igwebuike republican system of governance, grounded in synergy and humanism, can mitigate the persistent crisis of insecurity. Drawing on the cultural and philosophical heritage of the Igbo people, it argued that the application of Igwebuike principles of collective responsibility, solidarity, and humanism can provide a sustainable framework for addressing crime through economic inclusion and community based policing. The paper employed Marxist dialectical materialism as its analytic framework to demonstrate how economic deprivation can drive criminality. This dialectical approach, structured around thesis, antithesis, and synthesis, was used to examine the origin, escalation, and possible resolution of insecurity in the Southeast. The analysis identified prolonged economic neglect, recurring attacks by armed herders, and the perceived inability of the state to respond effectively as key historical drivers of the crisis. It concluded that insecurity can only be meaningfully addressed by tackling the material conditions that sustain deprivation and violence, particularly through inclusive economic policies and community-based security structures consistent with Igwebuike leadership principles.

Keywords: Igwebuike philosophy, Dialectical materialism, Security, Violence, Leadership

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21137512

Bernadette Chidiebere Uzozie
Department of Philosophy/Religious
Studies, Tansian University, Umunya
+2348037790735
(https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6527-631X)

Chukwunonso Vitalis Ogbo
National Missionary Seminary of St.
Paul, Gwagwalada, Abuja
vitalog1@yahoo.com;
+2348033626794
(https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9092-753X)