CSO, UBC Stakeholders Advocate Revival Of ‘Ubuntu’ Values For African Unity

To curb the growing Xenophobia and hate spirit impinging negatively on the essential values of peace, unity and nation building, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Akwa Ibom Human Rights Community (AIHRC) and stakeholders of the Uyo Book Club (UBC), have expressed concern over the dwindling African Renaissance and called for the revival of the ‘Ubuntu’ spirit of cooperation and communalism for peace and development of the continent.

Therefore, readers at the July edition of the UBC reading series dedicated the session to reminiscing on the socio-economic and security challenges facing the country and urged Nigerians to return African communal lifestyle of peaceful coexistence as a panacea to tackle insecurity

Addressing the forum held at the Shakespeare Hall of the Watbridge Hotel and Suites, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the Covener of the AIHRC, Comrade Clifford Thomas, drawing inferences from the book, entitled: “Everyday Ubuntu: Better Together, the African Way” by a South African author, Mungi Ngomane, Barr. Thomas, who was the guest reader, observed that “if Nigerians could inculcate communal lifestyle that existed in African society, insecurity, corruption and other social vices could be tamed to their barest minimum.”

Thomas, who doubles as the Executive Director of Forum for Civic Education , Human Rights and Development Advancement ( FOGHRADA) and the book’s reviewer, explained that “Ubuntu” is a clarion call for communalism in Africa.

“What concerns one person, concerns all in the society. “Ubuntu” examines brotherly and communal lives. The philosophy of “Ubuntu” cuts across political, social and cultural lives of Africans . If we can bring back those African lifestyles such as love , unity, selflessness, and being our brothers keeper, then there would be nothing like bandits and insecurity in Nigeria,” he noted.

He recalled that capitalism was alien to Africa, and contrary to the philosophy of “Ubuntu” which emphasized “collective community ownership , social lives and community parenting to raise children that will help to build up the society as would handed over to them by their patents.”

He pointed out that Nigeria currency has been devalued because of excessive borrowing from World Bank, adding that leaders who borrowed have used our God given resources as collateral since it is not their own oil, thereby killing the”Ubuntu” spirit of communal living.

“Capitalism has turned Nigeria to something else while our naira has been made useless because the world power wants Nigeria to be perpetually slaves as the borrower is a slave to the lender

“If the oil was their own they would have exercised restrain in their borrowing -spree and concentrate on how to use it to develop the society for the well being of the people,” he lamented, adding that, ‘there is no spirit of “Ubuntu” in any heterogenous society which paved way for selfishness, ethnicity and the crave for possession of excessive wealth by certain individuals.”

“See yourself in other person’s shoes . Let there be spirit of unity for community and national development If we have a true spirit of ” Ubuntu” , we must have true federalism, resource control and welfare of citizens as cardinal points in our nation building We must return to the old values of love , unity and togetherness to advance the cause of a better society,” he stressed.

A goodwill message to the forum, A South African, Clarence Kwinana, who is a close ally to the UBC founder, Dr Udeme Nana, recalled that the book’s author is a grand daughter to the late human right activist, priest and social crusader, Desmond Tutu who lived all his life for the people of South Africa .

“Coincidentally, I am of the Xhosa ethnic group whose ancestral land is the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. “I can relate to the concept of Ubuntu as it is part of my culture. I can only wish the attendees well in their deliberations, with the view to fostering humanism, humanity and African solidarity. Bishop Tutu was a proponent thereof

“I am working hard to finish my memoir. One of its chapters chronicles my four years at UNN. I am hoping that one day, the book will feature in the reviews of the Uyo Book Club

“I am greatly thrilled to learn that the Shakespeare Hall of the WatBridge Hotels and Suites, will play host to the Uyo Book Club July 2026 Reading Session, featuring a South African.

“I have learnt that she is no less a person than Ms Mungi Ngomane, the granddaughter of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a proponent of humanity and humanism”.

However, Dr. Nana, in his remarks encouraged Nigerians to imbibe the reading culture to contribute to the society and appreciated the book reviewer of the month of July for painstakingly analyzing the book’s content and relate same to Nigeria situation and African continent.