AQUINO Journal of Philosophy

During the pre-colonial era, communalism was the functional system of government that was embraced, cherished and considered mostly to be the best system since it afforded man the opportunity to accommodate others. This situation created happiness, satisfaction and mutual co-existence among people between regional and ethnic lines, groups and cultures. People lived in harmony and in an atmosphere devoid of acrimony, bitterness, division and religious sentiment. In recent times, the system of government has undergone series of overhauling which eventually displaced the system of communalism, replacing it with capitalism as the functional and ideal system of government. Capitalism therefore introduced the idea and concept of individualism where the perception and notion of collectivism changed from “We to I”, “all of us to all of me” and from the attainment of a general goal and purpose to the pursuit of a personal goal and sectional purpose. The aforementioned as an established fact has been a barrier and hindrance to the issue of resource control and restructuring of the nation. Against this backdrop, it will be worthwhile to posit that the twelve tribes of Israel were offspring of the same biological father with different mothers. Despite their divergent interest, goals and biological makeup, they accommodated each other in the land of Canaan. The bond of brotherhood and collegiality caused them to pursue a collective goal for the purpose of unification amidst personal interest. This study adopts the phenomenological method of research and will be framed with social constructivism theory. It therefore observes that there has been division and disunity, which is the rationale for the clamour for resource control and restructuring. Secondly, it observes that there has been division along ethnic lines which has been persistent hence nullifying every avenue for peaceful co-existence. Finally, the paper observes that if the lessons gained from the settlement of the twelve tribes of Israel are adopted and applied, the clamour for resource control and restructuring will be settled. The study recommends that personal interest and ambition should be set aside for the collective interest of all which will further create an environment for peace, unity and progress thereby giving room for restructuring and resource control.

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