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Opinion: Is social science a science or some conjecture? By Jimoh Ibrahim

Published

1 year ago

October 2, 2023

Sahara Weekly

Opinion: Is social science a science or some conjecture?

By Jimoh Ibrahim

(Paper is written in Honour of Professor Idowu Amos Adeoye of the blessed memory)

Professor Idowu was indeed not comfortable with the scientific approach of methodology. And that African Babalawo predictions based on Ifa or Orunmila, Ayelala, and Obatala are pseudo. He thinks science’s complete elimination of metaphysics is a foundational failure of any empiricism or logical positivism.

Introduction:

The more I read, the less I find myself in the happy mood of the pure lies or some conjecture put together in their converging complexities and call social science. The offending word is SCIENCE at the back of social science. Is social science a science or some conjectures of lazy abnormalities? My degrees: Bachelor of Law (Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife Nigeria), Master of Public Administrations MPA, (Obafemi Awolowo University. Ile Ife Nigeria), Master of Law in Taxation (Harvard University), Master of Science in Mega Projects Management (University of Oxford), Master of Business Administration (University of Cambridge) Doctor of Business (University of Cambridge) Doctor of War (University of Buckingham) and most recently Bachelor of Science International Relations (London School of Economics LSE, University of London)

The titles of the degrees could be more helpful; for instance, why should someone who does not know where the university laboratory is be awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in international relations? When did the management of a programme or mega projects become a matter of science that the University of Oxford will award a degree of Master of Science? The faculty of law did not lay any claim to science or social science, so is the degree of master’s in business administration simply awarding MBA. The Doctorate degrees did not also lay any claim to science or social science but to Doctor of Philosophy. It is also the case that no one has taken the universities to court for awarding Bachelor of Science or Master of Science degrees when the awardee never visited the laboratory or conducted any clinical trials and when such awardee studied no science courses. It is not the case that one cannot approach the court asking for the university to withdraw all those degrees and replace them with appropriate tiles, stop impersonating science and pay damages.

Science and Logical Positivism

Science must be verifiable through experiments. Logical positivism, as claimed by the Vienna Circles scholars (Hans Hahn, Philipp Frank, Rudolf Carnap, Friedrich Albert Moritz and Otto Neurath and the mathematicians and scientists Kurt Gödel), science and logic were the best tools for understanding the world. It is the only way to – assume an orderly and objective world with natural laws that experimentation allows us to discover. A theory cannot be valid outside of a coherent system. Scientific knowledge is the only factual knowledge, and all traditional metaphysical doctrines will be rejected as meaningless. And this will mean that African Babalawo predictions based on Ifa investigation or Orunmila, Ayelala, and Obatala are pseudo.

Science aims to look for the truth, and once an investigation is rooted in scientific process and procedure, its outcome can be different from the facts. Science will only be factual as evidence of theory with making verifiable predictions through intermediate steps such as asking a question, performing research, establishing a hypothesis, conducting an experiment of the clinical trial of the hypothesis, making observations, doing analysis and concluding…. you can pronounce your theory! This can also be known everywhere, and nothing contradicts such a rigorous scientific discovery, such as the theory of an atom as the smallest indivisible element. An atom in Nigeria is an atom anywhere in the world. The scientific engagements confirmed that science methodology is excellent and reliable and enjoys legitimacy worldwide. This is so because the result can be texted and repeated everywhere and anywhere. Science methodology is celebrated for its unbiased explanations; data were carefully collected from the laboratory of science or the field with the robust engagement of probability theory! The scientific methodology has helped contemporary development; we are growing medically and have a better understanding of our world with sound education and new inventions. We look up in the celebration of science legendry hero Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton (motions of the heavenly bodies), Charles Darwin (theory of evolution by natural selection), Albert Einstein (general theory of relativity) and Marie Curie. She made an incredible contribution to atomic physics (the idea of radioactivity).

Science has expanded her methodology to include a non-experimental category. If you are looking for causality (cause and effect) of anything, you can approach predictable behaviour through a survey of mathematical probability. Perhaps it is this statistical probability test that social science tries to steal and say that they are also scientific in their approach, except that the poor knowledge of mathematics will not encourage them to explain beyond statistical tools of the histogram or pie chart! I forgot they also claim to be doing regression analysis in economics and related courses.

Science and their falsifiability.

Social science has come to challenge science as the master of manipulation. For anything, an allegation based on scientific findings must first be based on lies. One such thing is that no object heavier than a balloon can fly without falling if not supported! This is not true. It is a lie. Science can only argue from facts to theory through refutation or falsification. Again, for an approach to be scientific. At least one potential falsifiability observation statement must exist that conflicts with it! Besides, there needs to be more clarity between verification and falsification; for example, Popper refutes the classical positivist account of the scientific method by replacing induction with the falsification principle. He says, ‘Our knowledge can only be finite, while our ignorance must necessarily be infinite’ and warns that Science must begin with myths and with the criticism of myths.

Social science has come to explain that science can only investigate any subject of ontology by asking questions using the social science approach of epistemology; otherwise, the findings could be unreliable. Science manipulation is more on the clinical group experiment of applying treatment to one group at the expense of another group by drawing inconsistent conclusions. After five years of observation of the colour of the swan, science concluded that all swans are black! Surprisingly, I saw a brow and white swans in Igbotako the other time! In the social sciences, there is only interpretation. Nothing speaks for itself. … “We are confronted with shared data and evidence problems. (error) provide a powerful motivation to employ analytic techniques that use probability theory, especially those that address drawing inferences from insufficient evidence.” It is not the case that social science investigation and the narrative approach are some conjectures, but the challenge is that those telling the stories might have changed the story over and over again. A case of reflections on personal feelings or deleting not too comfortable part of a story or making it pleasant to read, which makes findings unreliable, my father told me, and I told my children and my children to you all now wearing the cloth of many colours that my father did not make for me!

Professor Idowu Amos Adeoye (of blessed memory)

He was indeed not comfortable with the scientific approach of methodology. He thinks science’s complete elimination of metaphysics is a foundational failure of any empiricism or logical positivism. Idowu does not see any root in the statistical probability method. If that surprises you, the wife he left behind, Professor Mrs Idowu, is a scientist. It was a happy marriage, except that many of the children took to their father’s ideas in research methodology. Professor Idowu’s PhD in law at the Faculty of Law Obafemi Awolowo was delayed for 10 years before completion. Besides, he completed his first and second degrees with excellent results from the same university. Idowu was significant in the school of thought that believes There is only one interpretation in the social sciences. Nothing speaks for itself. … especially those methodologies that address or draw inferences from insufficient evidence.

Professor Idowu was the initial victim of the supervisor’s lack of understanding that narrative is a classical and contemporary methodology that perfectly explains the phenomenon (Apology to late professor Ijalaye, Idowu’s supervisor). Idowu insisted he would not use unwanted methodology to analyse constitutional limitations to national development. He was the best Dean of the Faculty of Law we never had due to scientific manipulation of some bias to knowledge or the incredible politics of the Faculty of Law.

We will all miss him and be true to our understanding. Professor Emanuel Esiemokai (of blessed memory, and he was Idowu’s teacher) once said, ‘I wake up in the morning and am so heavy this is because I do not know the satisfaction that people derive from the destruction of men that they cannot make’. Idowu is a case of a self-made man, a professor of repute best in his time, and limited by his environment. He left a legacy of a professor’s wife and incredibly successful children, some of whom are now judges. Served humanity and paid others in kindness despite their evil. Professor Idowu, an advocate of qualitative methodology, believes that we can better understand tomorrow from yesterday’s narratives. Rest in perfect peace Adieu!

Jimoh ibrahim PhD (Cantab) PhD in War (Buckingham) CFR.

Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was a student of Professor Idowu.

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Celebrating Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje At 60 By Jimmy Enyeh

Published

8 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Celebrating Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje At 60 By Jimmy Enyeh

Majority of Deltans are unanimous in their submissions that the name of
Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje, a celebrated top civil servant and retired permanent secretary in Delta State Government House has been recorded in the good side of history.

As he clocked 60 today, family members, friends, associates and well wishers have been falling over themselves to pay tribute to a kind hearted and jolly good fellow.

Edwin, a scion of the famous Gbegbaje family in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, a family noted for producing top bureaucrats and influential public servants.

For 35 years until he retired in January 2024, he added values to Delta State civil service, deepening its positive nuances and was one of the people that nurtured the civil service of the young state upon creation in 1991 to its now enviable heights, setting it along with others on a trajectory that has made it one of the best in the country.

Gbegbaje’s story is far from the proverbial rags-to-riches . He was born into comfort and high society, but suddenly lost his affluent parents in his first and third years at the University of Jos, but with good counsel and guidance of relatives who were bureaucrats, Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje made a career choice that saw him becoming a permanent secretary at 46, a very rare feat in those days.

In an interview conducted three years ago to celebrate his 57 years, he offered a glimpse into his life, challenges and triumph. “I come from the larger Gbegbaje family in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. We have quite several branches of the genealogical tree. We have the Abesan. The patriarch of the family is Chief Gbegbaje Dasone.

“We have Oloyo Gbegbaje and Ogidi Gbegbaje. My parents were civil servants like myself. My mum was a social welfare officer who rose through the ranks.During the late Ambrose Ali administration in Bendel State, she was appointed permanent secretary. My father was a medical doctor.

“He was the first radiologist in the defunct Bendel State and second in the country. My father was the chief consultant radiologist in Bendel State. I also have an uncle, Mr. K Gbegbaje who was a permanent secretary. When he retired, he became the Chairman of Bendel State Civil Service Commission. I have an uncle who was the first Accountant-General of Kwara State. He was in the northern civil service in the 60s.He later became Chairman of National Oil. I am from a family of bureaucrats. I attended Emotan Primary School in Benin.

“I proceeded to Edo College. When I left Edo College, I had the desire to leave Benin. Even when I was admitted into UNIBEN to study Economics and Statistics, I wasn’t enthusiastic. So, I got admission to study Political Science in Jos in 1981. Prof Emovon from UNIBEN was the Vice-Chancellor in Jos at the time. As I was entering, Jos ceased being a campus of the University of Ibadan. I was there from 1981 -1985. I graduated before my 21st birthday.

“Unfortunately, I lost my dad as I was entering the university in 1981. When I was just getting into my third year, I lost my mum.

It wasn’t easy being the eldest among my siblings. In fact, I was encouraged to come for Christmas holiday in Benin without knowing that the evening of my arrival in Benin was the period of my mum’s service of songs.

“I didn’t have an inkling that such a thing had happened. I didn’t even hear that she was ill. I was shocked when I saw canopies in my compound at Ovie Whiskey Avenue close to Ekhewan Campus. A prominent Jos-based businessman from Ughelli encouraged me to visit home for Christmas.

“I graduated in 1985 and taught at a secondary school in Iko-Eket, Cross River State. Just as I was finishing, there were some advertisements for jobs. I didn’t see the one for NNPC early enough.Towards the end of 1988, my uncle who was the Chairman of Bendel State Civil Service Commission, said since I couldn’t get a private sector job, I should participate in extended interviews, especially since I had sat for ASCON examination.

“He advised me to start a career in the civil service. By the end of 1988, letters of appointment were out. I wasn’t conscious of the fact that the person who resumes first becomes the senior in service. I didn’t resume early. My uncle said I was supposed to have resumed instead of waiting to resume in the New Year. A few of my friends who were conscious of it had resumed and they became my seniors in service. I resumed on January 3, 1989.

“That was how my career started. We were supposed to come in as administrative officers Grade 7, but at that time there was a decree. So, by the time we came in, we were designated as personnel officers. We were regarded as the special class.

“Upon the creation of Delta State on August 27, 1991, we all had to move to Asaba. In fact, the movement was swift.
We were all not fully prepared for the swift movement. There was a surge of human beings into Asaba with the state creation. A lot of us couldn’t get accommodation in Asaba when we came. In fact, I stayed in Ibusa for nine years. It was when I met my wife that we moved to Asaba. A lot of my colleagues were sleeping in the offices then.

On his retirement, the Delta State governor praised Gbegbaje’s contribution to the growth of the state.

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, at the retirement thanks-giving service of Gbegbaje, urged civil servants in the state to emulate his virtues.

Speaking at a grand reception in honour of the celebrant at the Events Centre, Asaba, Governor Oborevwori described Ogidi-Gbegbaje as an intelligent, humble, diligent, transparent, process driven, selfless, accountable and compassionate bureaucrat.

While congratulating the retired Permanent Secretary for his diligent and patriotic service to the state, Oborevwori said Ogidi-Gbegbaje was very helpful in the last seven months of his administration.

According to him, “a lot has been said about Sir Eddy Ogidi-Gbegbaje and I also have a personal experience about him while I was Speaker and in the last seven months as Governor of Delta State, we have worked very closely and he helped me to settle down quickly.

“Sir Ogidi-Gbegbaje played his role very well, he is diligent in his duties and was always giving good and useful advise wherever he worked.

“Your service to humanity is something worth emulating and I must say that I enjoyed working with you. I congratulate you for 35 years of unblemished and meritorious service to the government and people of Delta State.

“We are going to miss you, the civil service will miss you, the machinery of government will miss you, you are retired but you are not tired, and your service is still needed.

“I want other civil servants to emulate your commitment to duty. So my message to other civil servants is that they should emulate Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje.

“If you look at his journey in the civil service from Bendel to Delta, you see his commitment to duty. Today, he has finished strong and we rejoice with him and his family”.

Chairman of the occasion and former Minister of Information, Professor Sam Oyovbaire, congratulated the celebrant for a successful retirement from service and urged other civil servants to emulate his kind virtues and commitment to duty.

From all indications, Edwin Ogidi-Gbagbaje is worth celebrating, he has touched numerous lives in the last six decades.

At the cusp of his 60th anniversary, the social and the civil service landscapes pulse with milestones he has achieved thus reasserting his worth as a rare force of nature. As family and friends join him in celebrating his 60th birthday, the image that pops into head is that of his genius and the passionate intensity he possesses, literally squizing water from stone as far as the public service is concerned. His brilliant performance as a permanent secretary, Delta State Government House, has earned him another appointment. He is currently the Chairman, Delta State Bureau for Pension and has been giving a splendid account of himself.

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“In All Life’s Hardships, Keep Your Smile” By Prudent Ludidi

Published

11 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Sahara Weekly

“In All Life’s Hardships, Keep Your Smile” By Prudent Ludidi

Let’s talk about a powerful tool that can help you navigate life’s challenges with confidence, resilience, and hope. That tool is your smile.

Life can be tough. It can throw us curveballs, test our resolve, and push us to our limits. But in the midst of hardship, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. We forget to smile, forget to laugh, and forget to live.

Your smile is more than just a facial expression. It’s a symbol of strength, courage, and determination. It’s a beacon of hope that shines brightly, even in the darkest moments.

When life gets tough, it’s tempting to frown, to cry, or to give up. But I urge you to do the opposite. Smile. Smile through the tears, smile through the pain, and smile through the struggles.

Smiling doesn’t mean you’re ignoring your problems or pretending everything is okay. It means you’re choosing to rise above, to find the silver lining, and to focus on the good.

Your smile has the power to transform your mindset, inspire others, diffuse tension, and heal emotional wounds. It’s a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and fear.

Think about it. When was the last time you smiled? Really smiled? Not just a polite smile or a forced grin, but a genuine, heartwarming smile?

Smiling can:

Reduce stress and anxiety
Boost your mood and energy
Improve your relationships
Increase your resilience

So, how can you keep your smile shining bright, even in the face of adversity?

Find the humor in difficult situations. Laughter is a powerful way to shift your perspective and lighten the load.

Practice gratitude daily. Focus on the good things in your life, no matter how small they may seem.

Surround yourself with positivity. Spend time with people who uplift and support you.

Take care of your physical and mental well-being. Get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and prioritize self-care.

Remember, your smile is contagious. It can light up a room, brighten someone’s day, and change the atmosphere.

In all life’s hardships, keep your smile. It’s a reminder that better days are ahead, that you’re stronger than you think, and that you’re not alone.

Your smile is your superpower. Use it to overcome obstacles, to uplift others, and to create a ripple effect of joy and positivity.

Don’t let life’s challenges steal your smile. Keep shining, keep smiling, and keep pushing forward.

You are stronger than you think.

You are braver than you feel.

And you are capable of overcoming anything that comes your way.

So, smile. Smile with confidence. Smile with courage. Smile with hope!

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Lagos State’s Stability is a Barometer for Nigeria’s Stability – Amb. Tukur Buratai

Published

2 days ago

November 20, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Lagos State’s Stability is a Barometer for Nigeria’s Stability – Amb. Tukur Buratai

The Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS, Nigerian Army) and Former Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Ambassador (Lt General rtd) Tukur Yusufu Buratai, CFR has said that Lagos State has all the qualifications of a modern city and is one of the most populated cities in Sub – Saharan Africa. He went further to affirm that Lagos is also indicative of the degree to which Nigeria’s economic, political, social, and cultural landscape is deeply embedded within the global system.

He made this assertion on Wednesday 20th November, 2024 as the keynote Speaker at the Second Edition of the Lagos State University of Education Security Summit, with the theme: Insecurity, Cost of Living and Good Governance in the 21st Century.

Ambassador Tukur Buratai, while delivering the lecture in a paper titled: Lagos in Nigeria’s National Security and Defence Architecture: An Analysis.

Ambassador Tukur Buratai postulated in his paper that, “The presence of strategic military installations, the verse Atlantic Ocean and extensive coastline has placed Lagos State on the strategic defense map of the Armed Forces of Nigeria”, He said further that, ” While the sea provides a strategic economic status it could also be vulnerable to external attacks across the ocean”.

In his paper, Ambassador Tukur Buratai reiterated that the Lagos State government should begin to look at the options and implications of having its own security.

Ambassador Tukur Buratai also emphasized the urgent necessity to bolster our nation’s troop level to 800,000. He said a larger and more robust force will enhance operational readiness, improve our country’s capacity to respond to various contingencies, and strengthen our alliance on the international stage.

He also called for the establishment of a Marine Corps for the Nigerian Navy to be strategically stationed in key regions such as Lagos, Borno, Cross River, and Port Harcourt.

He also raised the pressing issue of the persistent lack of stable power supply in Lagos. He asserted that the Lagos State Government must urgently prioritize the development of independent power generation.

Ambassador Tukur Buratai also lauded the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s strategy regarding security in Lagos, which provides an example for governor’s throughout Nigeria. He said the governor recognizes that genuine security transcends mere physical presence or reactive measures. He commended the governor’s innovative approach, which has redefined the urban governance, and has also set a benchmark for other states to follow.

Ambassador Tukur Buratai also recalled that during his tenure as the Chief of Army Staff, he had the distinct privilege of witnessing the fruitful collaboration between the Nigerian Army and Lagos State under the leadership of Former Governor Ambode and now Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Ambassador Buratai, during the lecture, also appluaded the Lagos State Government on its infrastructural development in Lagos State, especially the Red and Blue Railway lines.

Ambassador Tukur Buratai also commended the Federal Government interventions in the development of Lagos State, while applauding the construction of the Lagos to Calabar Highway, he adviced the Lagos State and Federal Government on the security implications of opening up the high way, he suggested to the government to be proactive by early planning for its security when opened and becomes operational.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University of Education, Prof B. B Lafiaji-Okuneye welcomed Ambassador Tukur Buratai to the institution. In her words, she said, ” The great warlord and global peace ambassador is visiting our great institution for the first time. Sir, we appreciate you and what you stand for. Your desire for a Nigeria that is peaceful and safe, where the citizens and residents are free and are given every opportunity to prove their worth and contribute to the growth and development of the nation is evident “.

While making his contribution during the summit, the Commissioner of Tertiary Education, Lagos State, appreciated and commended Ambassador Buratai for adding value to the security summit and more importantly adding value to the Lagos State University of Education. The Commissioner also drew the attention of the participants of the summit to parts of Ambassador Buratai’s paper, where he elaborated on the strategy of social inclusiveness rather than the use of force to curb insecurity.

The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Barr Tolani Sule on behalf of the Lagos State University of Education, presented a Plague of Honour to Ambassador Buratai for his role in nation building.

Other discussant at the Summit included, HRM, Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun, (Arolugbade 11, the Oloja of Epe Land and the Vice Chairman, Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs), HRM, Oba Momodu Afolabi Ashafa ( The Aladi of Ijanikin Kingdom), HRM, Oba (Dr) Aina Josiah Olanrewaju ( IKUYAMIKU 1, the Oloto of Oto Awori Kingdom) and HRH, Oba Babatunde Ogunlaja JP ( ALADESHOYIN, the Paramount Ruler of Odo – Noforija Kingdom), all of whom spoke on the theme :Insecurity, Cost of Living and Good Governance in the 21st Century.

The event which was attended by various Traditional Rulers, Members of the Governing Council and Senate of the Institution, the Commissioner of Tertiary Education in Lagos State, Barr Tolani Sule, Captain of Industries, Security and Para Military Chiefs in Lagos State, various invited guests and the students.

Ambassador Tukur Buratai’s delegation to the summit included, Lt General Lamidi Adeosun (rtd), Former Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigerian Army, Colonel Emmanuel Adegbola (rtd), Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi, Alhaja Toyyibat Adeosun, Alhaji Isa Dogo amongst others.