An Evaluation of Mogobe Ramose’s Concept of Ubuntu as the Basis of African Ethics and Value System

Abstract

Africa’s problem lies in corruption. The concept of Ubuntu as an African holistic humanism elicits the need for African brotherhood and the common good of the people in Nigeria. Africa as a continent and Nigeria as a country have been bedeviled by a myriad of problems such as weak institutions of government, corruption, lack of religious tolerance, electoral malpractices, lack of independence of the judiciary, police brutality, abuse of human rights, lack of respect for human dignity, poor welfare of the Nigerian people, political godfatherism and gangsterism, ethnic chauvinism, lack of cultural integration, lack of environmental sustainability, poor economic development, poor value system, get- rich- quick- syndrome, poor leadership structure, poor road networks, poor health care system, brain drain syndrome and the problem of crisis of identity. This paper proposes that the concept of Ubuntu, if well-natured and nurtured, could serve as a springboard for responsible governance in Nigeria. This paper adopts the analytical framework to discuss Ubuntu's contemporary and politico-epistemological relevance to the Nigerian democratic setting. The findings of this paper are that the concept of Ubuntu requires democratic sustainability and accountability, everyday engagement, and an effective people-oriented leadership structure. It is a reflection of African holistic humanism. This paper concludes that the concept of Ubuntu presupposes an ontological, metaphysical, and politico-epistemological imperative for African politics.