Terrorism in Contemporary Nigeria Society: The Case of Boko-Haram

¹Kingsley Obumunaeme Ilo

Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State

Email: kingsley.ilo@unn.edu.ng

²Ikegbunam, Uchenna Lilian

Department of Educational Foundations and Administration,

Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe, Anambra State

Email: ucikegbunam1@gmail.com

³Chijioke A. C. Okoye

Department of History and International Studies,

Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Campus, Anambra State

Email: ca.okoye@coou.edu.ng

^4*Chukwuemeka Dominic Onyejegbu*

Social Sciences Unit, School of General Studies, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State

Email: onyejegbudominic@gmail.com

*Corresponding author*

Abstract

This paper examined the issue of terrorism in contemporary Nigeria society paying particular attention to the case of Boko-Haram. Boko-Haram is a form of well-known terrorist group that has caused havoc and displaced many citizens; particularly in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria. The paper utilized secondary data and was anchored on frustration-aggression theory. Amongst other factors, the paper argues that it is evident that the Boko-Haram sect exploits widespread youth unemployment, and a high prevalence of illiteracy in Nigeria to perpetrate their terrorist acts. The reasons ranged from the frustrations of the unemployed youths and some people who dropped out of school. The paper posits that unless something is done to control it, a better, safer and more prosperous society emerging in Nigeria will remain elusive. Thus, the study recommends that there is need to review and restructure current governmental programmes to create sustainable jobs and encourage economic empowerment since current governmental programmes have not met the employment need of the society. Also, present laws and practices guiding education system in Nigeria should be reviewed in a way that literacy level in Nigeria can be improved. In particular, there is need to explore the extant laws and ascertain the extent to which they are being enforced with a view to establishing their efficacy.

Keywords: Boko-Haram, Terrorism, Unemployment, Indiscriminate violence, Nigeria

1.1 Introduction

Terrorism is one of the most challenging problems facing Nigeria today. The issue of terrorism and how to control it has remained a recurrent debate among scholars in the Nigerian socio-politics, yet there seems to be no end in sight. According to Ikeke (2015), when terrorism happens in any society, it affects almost every segment of that society. It brings about the destruction of human life and property; and the destruction of bio-cultural diversity. The lives of people and that of society are impeded. To Boff (2006:47), terrorism is today the major threat to the current global order, and its power can strike anywhere in the world.

Eno, Eno, Ingiriis and Haji (2012) maintained, humans need not justify terrorism of any kind, regardless of whether one is Muslim, Christian or Jew, because it is the axis of evil and devastation of mankind. To Ogudiya and Amzat (2008), terrorism is a socio-political disorder that has grown to the detriment of the international security system and global economy. Acts of terrorism have increased over the years since September 11, 2001 terrorist attack directed at the United States of America. Since then, some nations, including Nigeria, have been suspected as pro-terrorist countries, possible haven for the terrorists and prone to terrorist attack (Ajah, Ajah, Ajah, Onwe, Ozumba, Iyoke & Nwankwo, 2022; Ogudiya & Amzat, 2008).

Terrorism is the use of intentional indiscriminate violence and intimidation such as mass destruction of lives and properties, kidnapping and assassination against members of the public as a means to create fear in order to achieve a political, religious and other aims. According to America’s State Department, terrorism is the premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience. Oyeniyi (2010) defines terrorism as any act which is a violation of the criminal laws of a state party and which may endanger the life, physical integrity or freedom of, or cause serious injury or death to any person, any number or group of persons or causes or may cause damage to public or private property, natural resources, environmental or cultural heritage and is calculated or intended to:

intimidate, put in fear, coerce or induce any government, body, institution, the general public or any segment thereof, to do or abstain from doing any act, or to adopt or abandon a particular standpoint or to act according to certain principles; or
disrupt any public service, the delivery of any essential service to the public or to create a public emergency; or
create general insurrection in a state.

Wilkinson (2006:328) noted that terrorism can be distinguished from other forms of violence in the following ways:

It is premeditated and designed to create a climate of extreme fear.
It is directed at a wider target than the immediate victims.
It is considered by the society in which it occurs as ‘extra-normal’, that is, it violates the norms regulating disputes, protest and dissent.
It is used primarily, though not exclusively to influence the political behavior of governments, communities or specific social groups.

Mooney, Knox and Schacht (2002) are of the view that terrorism could be used to publicize a cause, promote an ideology, achieve religious freedom, attain the release of a political prisoner, or rebel against a government. What actually defines terrorism is not the motive but the means utilized in driving the motive (Eze, Okpa, Onyejegbu & Ajah, 2022; Ogundiya & Amzat, 2008).

In Nigeria, Boko-Haram (which loosely interprets to western education is sin) is a well-known terrorist group that has caused havoc and displaced many citizens; particularly in the North-Eastern part of the Country. These acts of terrorism have seriously caused untold hardships to the Nigerian citizens. Beri (2017) asserts that Boko Haram continues to target civilians and government infrastructure despite several rounds of operation conducted by the Nigerian Army. Boko Haram, which came up in 2009, had emerged as the ‘world’s deadliest terrorist organization’ by 2014. In the last eight years, it is said that Boko Haram has taken 20,000 lives, displaced 2.6 million people, created 75,000 orphans and caused about nine billion Naira worth of damage. Links with the ISIS, with leadership tussle between Abubakar Shekau and ISIS favouring Abu Musab al-Barnawi, have turned the situation more complex (Okpa, Ajah, Eze & Enweonwu, 2022; Beri, 2017).

Despite the havoc and challenges Boko-Haram is causing in Nigeria, slow implementation of counter-terrorism framework by the members of the security agencies has created a security gap which they utilize to perpetrate their evil acts. Similarly, divisions in the country along ethnic, religious, and regional lines in addition to support they receive from some members of the public have boosted their operation.

1.2 Overview of Boko-Haram in Nigeria

Popoola (2012) reports that Boko Haram is a militant Islamic sect based in Northern Nigeria. Otherwise known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad, these mean, “people committed to the propagation of the Prophet Mohammed’s teachings and jihad”. The group was formed around 2002. Nwanze (2014) maintained that the militant group saw society, particularly the government of Mala Kachalla as irredeemably corrupt. So, in the middle of 2002, the group, under its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, embarked on a hijra to Kanama in Yobe state. The quote below vividly captures the Islamic interpretation of Mohammed Yusuf’s hijra:

In Islam, a hijra is a journey from the bad world to go and be closer to God. The Prophet undertook one, from Mecca to Medina. Usman dan Fodio also undertook his own hijra, to Gudu, when Yunfa wanted to kill him (Nwanze, 2014).

Kanama is probably where they had their first foreign contact. While there, more members joined, some of these new members were the kids of influential Northern leaders, such as the son of Yobe’s governor at the time “Bukar Abba Ibrahim” (Nwanze, 2014). Guided by the meaning of the name “Boko Haram” (western education is sinful), some people view their mission as reformist in nature. In 2004 after the group moved to Kanamma, Yobe state, they set up a base called ‘Afghanistan’ from where it attacked nearby police stations, killing police officers (Eze, Ajah, Okpa & Ngwu, 2022; Poopola, 2012).

For strategic operational reasons, Yusuf extended the operations of the group to Maiduguri, Borno state, in 2009 where he attacked and killed several political and religious leaders or their families, especially, those who had openly condemned or criticized Boko Haram’s activities. From that moment, the group stepped up their operations and by 2011 several government officials as well as security operatives were killed (Popoola, 2012).

In the same year 2011, the group struck other targets in the north including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, where they bombed the police headquarters and the United Nation’s office. When the group struck at Damaturu and Potiskum, Yobe state, on November 4th, the police confirmed the death of 65 people (Popoola, 2012). The devastating effect of the group’s attack has thus forced several government ministries, parastatals, and corporate establishments to step up security measures in an attempt to protect lives and property (Popoola, 2012). Ekwueme (2011:42) argues that Boko Haram is fast becoming Nigeria’s version of Muslim extremists operating with impunity elsewhere, maiming and killing those they consider as infidels. Ekwueme (2011:42) also asserts that the group’s teachings resemble that of the Afghanistan Taliban. They believe that any teaching or education that does not conform to the tenets of Islam is sinful and should not be taught at all. They also believed that it was the influence of western education that is watering down Islamic teaching and weakening Islam itself.

Ekwueme (2011:43) went further to argue that the group exploited the country’s dysfunctional school system that is plagued with numerous strikes by teachers, widespread youth unemployment, and a high prevalence of illiteracy. The group also exploits the absence of an effective security system in the country. Taking advantage of these economic frustrations and corrupt leadership of the country, they were able to win many converts. Even highly educated and well-connected members of the society joined the sect, and because their teaching addressed the frustrations of the unemployed youths, some of them dropped out of school, left their homes and joined the group fully (Ekwueme, 2011:43). Guardian newspaper (2011:43) expressed a similar view when she argued that Boko Haram is largely populated by young and often educated unemployed believers who are in circumstance restless and disenchanted with a life of idleness and hopelessness. They are therefore, a ready and willing audience for a preacher who, pooh-poohing western education as valueless in this life and in the life to come, calls on his followers to reject it” (p. 43).

1.3 Causes of Boko-Haram Terrorism in Nigeria

Olawale (2016) identified the following as the causes of violence in Nigeria and each of these causes has implication in this study:

Poor economy and unemployment: Olwawale (2016) identified that the escalating state of violence in Nigeria has been incessantly linked to poor economy and high level of youth unemployment. Nigeria’s economy has been marred by corruption and thorough mismanagement of public funds. This has led to widespread unemployment, frustration and restiveness among the youths which makes them susceptible to violence. Nigeria’s unemployment rate is above the sub region’s average that increased to 23.9% in 2011 compared to 21.1% in 2010 and 19.7% in 2009 (National Bureau of Statistics, 2012). The youth constitute 60% of the country’s population, and majority of them are unemployed and underemployed. Since they are idle and frustrated, they become susceptible to violence, societies with strong economies and low unemployment rates record low percentage of violence (Olawale, 2016). The appeal of using terror to get one’s way is becoming an acceptable option among Nigerians because of frustration of not being employed. One of the Nigerian newspaper reported that:

The Boko Haram is largely populated by young and often educated unemployed believers who are in circumstance restless and disenchanted with a life of idleness and hopelessness. They are therefore, a ready and willing audience for a preacher who, pooh-poohing western education as valueless in this life and in the life to come, calls on his followers to reject it” Guardian newspaper (2011:43).

Lack of equality and justice: Nigeria is a rich country with alarming number of poor people. The country is vast in natural resources and oil wealth which is controlled by the political class. While a lawmaker earns bogus salaries and allowances, a classroom teacher is paid meager amount which is usually delayed, sometimes for a few months. Civil servants earn far less and delayed salaries. Also, government tax citizens yet the infrastructural deficit in the country is depressing; intra and interstate roads are extremely poor, power supply is a mirage, public healthcare is lagging behind, fuel/gas scarcity is incessant among others. Inequality and injustice in Nigeria has instigated provocations and led to violence many times. Violence has become an instrument to seek equality and justice (Olawale, 2016). In support of the above mentioned, Bomani (2016), argued that many of the people who take the route of radicalism are raised in marginalized and deprived regions. It must be pointed out that in most cases the terrorist groups face discrimination in the countries they live, leading to feelings of isolation. Growing sentiments of discrimination can lead groups to look to more conservative, and eventually, extremist ideologies.

Religious/ethic sentiments: Nigerians are overwhelmingly obsessed about religious and ethnic identities; sadly, religious and ethnic identities play more important roles in election, appointments, employment and admission into public institutions in Nigeria. The religious and ethnic sentiments have led to violence; this has brought global attention and scrutiny to Nigerians. Religious and ethnic sentiments have triggered major violence in Nigeria. Dempsey (2006) opined that the religious and ethnic differences between the Moslem and Christians cum government loopholes as part of the factors that causes terrorism in Nigeria. Similarly, a study has identified that different factors have rendered Nigeria ineffective to combat the rising wave of terrorism. The factors include religious liberalization which resulted into the proliferation of different religious groups; emergence of sects with diverse beliefs and practices; and the inability of Nigeria government to censor these religious activities (Ali 2002).

Most religious teachings in Nigeria are all about hatred, in most places of worship today ‘Satan who used to be the traditional enemy of mankind is no longer the enemy, but the hatred inbuilt by the religious leaders and preachers, preaching against the basic tenets of religion to encourage violence among the major religious groups, against one another is the common feature in such places of worship whether you are a Christian or a Muslim’ (Ali, 2002). Also, radical Islamic ideologist believes that anything of western values is declared unhealthy and capable of destroying indigenous value systems and this is one of the main reasons of terrorist acts which threaten the country’s peace (Isyaku, 2013).

Political instability: Nigeria’s political terrain is characterized by clashes of interests, mismanagement, and corruption. Equally, Adeyemi (2012) argued that the contemporary terrorism in Nigeria is a latent function of prolonged failure of the government to deliver purposeful good governance. When the Federal, state and Local Governments steal all the money allocated for building schools, hospitals, industries, etc, the greater percentage of the citizenry especially the youths are denied good education, employment and good health. Consequently, these youths are affected socially, psychologically and economically. Also, frustrations, dejection and hopelessness remain a day to day occurrence in their lives. They can easily be brainwashed and indoctrinated with false doctrines and co-opted into illegal societies (Zumve, Ingyoroko & Akuya, 2013). Leadership failure is a big factor that put this country under the siege of terrorism.

Corruption: According to Ikejiaku (2009), corruption creates absolute poverty. Corruption also undermines democracy, rule of law, good governance and insecurity. It destroys the capacity of institutions to perform well. Corruption creates unemployment and other social vices, that is, corruption as perpetuated by public servants and political office holders. relatedly, Zumve, Ingyoroko and Akuva (2013) argued that terrorism and corruption are destructive, horrific and heinous. Both terrorism and corruption are qualified to be described as “monsters”. Most times, persons who are custodians of the government anti-corruption and anti-terrorist apparatus in Nigeria are variously accused of perpetuating corruption or assisting and sponsoring terrorism (Obuah, 2010).

1.4 Consequences of Terrorism in Nigeria

A lot of resources have been channeled towards countering the acts of terrorism by Boko-Haram. The resources that should be used in building the infrastructures, promoting the general welfare of Nigerians and providing a good platform for Nigerians to work is now being used for national security, rehabilitation and health care expenses. This has affected the socio-economic, political and security development of Nigeria. The worst undoing is that these acts of terror by Boko-Haram have made investors skeptical to invest in Nigeria and citizens are scared to go to work (Olawale, 2016). Obi (2015) argued that the activities of the Islamic sect (Boko Haram) had led to loss of lives and properties in the country especially in the Northern part of Nigeria. Some of these activities include bombing, suicide bomb attacks, sporadic shooting of unarmed and innocent citizens, burning of public places such as police stations, churches and kidnapping of school girls and women, etc.

Olawale (2016) and Udama (2013) identified the following as the consequences of Boko-Haram attacks in Nigeria:

Loss of Lives and Properties: Over 2 million Nigerians in the North East have been displaced by Boko Haram attacks. This includes over 800,000 children while thousands of lives have been lost, government, corporate and private properties lost in billions of Naira. This has come with the task of rebuilding the affected communities in a post Boko Haram era. Relatedly, Udama (2013) asserts that the human costs in terms of lives and properties can hardly be valued and quantified since the upsurge of the violence began.
Socio-Economic Stagnation: For states affected by Boko Haram attacks in North Eastern Nigeria, social and economic activities were paralyzed for several months; schools were shut down and pupils withdrawn, businesses were shut down and economic movement in the region became extremely difficult. The violence has stagnated socio-economic activities, since peace is paramount to economic growth. Also, Boko-Haram attacks breed tension in Nigeria, state of emergency/curfew is often declared in the affected areas of the nation (Olawale, 2016). Relatedly, Udama (2013) asserts that Boko-Haram has disrupted and offset the normal social life and number of lives have been lost. Terrorists’ activities have displaced people from their usual bases to different unintended locations. The mass movement of people creates refugee problems with substantial costs to the individual, host communities and the government. Also, extreme violence repels rather than attract business investors. Boko-Haram attacks have paralyzed the economic activities especially in the northern parts of the country where these incidents are prevalent, thereby worsening the already bad situation.
Political Effect: Since the rise of Boko Haram, the Islamic sect is spreading terror for years, spreading clouds of fear across the country, and especially in many parts of the north where law and order has collapsed. Different murderous gangs roam the cities, streets and villages day and night exploding bombs, shooting and killing innocent people. They set homes and business premises on fire, destroying places of worship, and attacking security agents and institutions. The process has promoted anarchy by causing confusion and widespread panic among people in Nigeria. The civil rights of individuals and even their more basic civil liberties as guaranteed by the constitution has been jeopardized. While the Islamic sects unleash terror on the people, the activities of the security agents have become deplorable as well hence the abuses of people’s liberty have become rampant. They have deployed an unconventional and extra-judicial method of shoot at sight which is usually adopted by the government to tackle widespread public disturbances and terrible crimes. The security agents stop people at will, restrict people’s movement by the day and especially at night and kill anyone at the least suspicion. The sects’ activities have spread fear across the length and breadth of not only northern Nigeria but the entire country especially among the political elites. Given the ethnic sensitivity of the country, it has pushed further its political polarization and raised the existing suspicion and distrust especially between the north and south.

1.5 Theoretical Framework

Frustration- aggression theory of Leonard Berkowitz (1969) was used to explain the phenomenon under discourse. The theory is a socio-psychological. This theory states that aggression is the result of blocking or frustrating a person’s efforts to attain a goal. This theory has implications in this study because an observation of the Nigerian society, particularly the 20^th century and the dawn of the 21^st century shows that the Nigeria is pervaded with frustrating events and frustrating circumstances, one in which it could be said that frustration is endemic. Since 1980s, oppression and injustice have been rife, poverty has spread like wild fire, and frustration of the basic needs and aspirations of the vast majority of citizens, including the children and the youth, has been a cardinal feature of decadent society. One result of widespread and severe frustration of the legitimate needs and aspirations of the masses of Nigerians has been the development in the personalities of ordinary Nigerians of varying degrees of hostile and destructive traits, which manifest, in certain cases, in terrorist acts and crises orchestrated by frustrated youths in our societies. Thus, it may defensibly be asserted that a common denominator shared by the phenomena of terrorism, crime and crises in our societies is the existence of hostile and destructive urges in our youths due to frustration. As we have seen, this personality trait, characterized by hostility, and destructiveness, can be traced back to early experiences of frustration, and such experiences come from the environment. It is also interesting to note that, the specific events that trigger violent crises in societies are usually the particular environment of a given society, and can often be seen to involve the frustration or denial of some basic needs. Frustration and denial of basic needs trigger off terrorism. Egbue, Nwankwo and Alichie (2015) confirmed that Mohammed Yusuf and his Boko Haram ideology found an echo and appeal within the rank of frustrated members of the peasant class in Northern Nigeria. He capitalized on their dwindling economic situation and the ‘Almajiri’ system to attract large followership especially amongst the commoners (peasant class).

1.6 Conclusion

Boko-Haram has become an intrinsic challenge in Nigeria. This challenge has led to serious infrastructural damage in the areas of education, health and social welfare facilities, poor economy particularly in affected areas, while millions are left homeless. Egbue, Nwankwo and Alichie (2015) claimed that Boko Haram group has done much harm in the past six years in Nigeria. The loss of lives, loss of government owned and private property, failure of sustainable development initiatives by Nigerians and government, loss of prospective foreign investments are a few of the fallouts of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.

1.7 Recommendation

Boko-Haram in Nigeria did not develop from a vacuum; there are some social and political factors that gave birth to it that is why all hands must be on deck in the fight against Boko Haram irrespective of diverse social, political, ethnic, religious or cultural inclination of Nigerians.
There is need to review the current techniques of fighting terrorism by the security agencies and improve its counter-terrorism approaches.
Since current governmental programmes have not met the employment need of the society, there is need to review the current programmes in a way that they can create sustainable jobs and encourage economic empowerment. Since economic deprivation and frustration leads to radicalism.
Our present political structure needs to be reviewed because instability in our political system and bad governance encourages radicalism and terrorism.
There is need for the government to effectively censor the activities of religious activities. Since the inability of the government to censor religious activities in the country has rendered the authority ineffective to combat the rising wave of terrorism.
There is need to engage all the stakeholders and the youth to negotiate ethnic and cultural differences, this will help restructure the country in a way rancour and acrimony can reduce among the people. It is important to note that growing sentiments of discrimination among the people can lead groups to look to more conservative, and eventually, extremist ideologies.
Since there is still a slow pace of literacy level in the present laws and practices guiding the education system, the present laws and practices should be reviewed in a way that literacy level in Nigeria can be improved. In particular, there is the need to explore the extant laws and the extent to which they are being enforced with a view to establishing their efficacy.
There is a need to start the fight against corruption from the institutional level, since corruption encourages terrorism. Fighting corruption from the institutional level allows the understanding of the root causes of corruption and the machineries that breed corruption. By doing so, we will be able to know the best ways to manage and block the loopholes that breed about corruption.

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Exploratory study of the internet and business operations in Nigeria

¹Ikegbunam, Uchenna Lilian

Department of Educational Foundations and Administration,

Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe, Anambra State

Email: ucikegbunam1@gmail.com

²Chijioke A. C. Okoye

Department of History and International Studies,

Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Campus, Anambra State

Email: ca.okoye@coou.edu.ng

^3*Chukwuemeka Dominic Onyejegbu*

Social Sciences Unit, School of General Studies, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State

Email: onyejegbudominic@gmail.com

Corresponding author*

⁴Kingsley Obumunaeme Ilo

Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State

Email: kingsley.ilo@unn.edu.ng

Abstract

Recent cybersecurity reports suggest that cyber-attacks are on the increase, especially as they are mostly deployed innovatively by cyber-criminals to steal personal data, conduct espionage, harm business operations, or deny user access to information and services. In Nigeria, cyber-attacks remain the most notable strategies employed by highly sophisticated cybercrime syndicates in attacking and stealing information from large corporations and Internet users. This study explores how cyber-attacks impinge business operations in Nigeria. Data for the study were gathered from newspapers, e-books, magazines, journals, textbooks and online articles. At the end, the study calls for businesses to strengthen their network of security, engage in aggressive cyber-security awareness training for staff, leverage advanced detection and response technologies, and use mobile protection solutions or corporate internet traffic protection to avoid the damaging effects of malware on their finances and reputation. It is equally recommended by the study for corporate organisations to spread their data across smaller sub-networks to help contain attacks to only a few endpoints instead of the entire ICT infrastructure.

Keyword: Cybercrime, Cyber-attack, Internet, Business operations, Corporate organizations.

Introduction

In 2017, African economies lost US$3.5 billion to cyber-attacks with Nigeria holding the biggest loss of US$649 million (Eze, Okpa, Onyejegbu & Ajah, 2022; Africa’s Pulse, 2019; Abdi, 2018). This is seconded by Kenya with a loss of US$210 million. For Nigeria, the US$649 million was about 3.3% of its total national budget for that year 2017 which is bigger than 3.1% of the budget that was allocated to Defense and 1.9% of the budget that was allocated to Health (Punch, 2016). Despite popular metrics, Nigeria is not particularly a wealthy country as it houses a good percentage of the poorest population in the world (Okpa, Ajah, Eze & Enweonwu, 2022; Kazeem, 2018; Saharareporters, 2018). With 3.2% of the national economic activities lost to cybercrime in 2017, a great number of people and businesses were affected and pushed below poverty line (Ukwayi & Okpa, 2018). Prince (2019) and Jumoke (2019) affirmed that 60% of Nigerian firms experienced cyber-attacks in 2018 and 43% of these attacks went to small and medium scale enterprises. These financial losses meant that some businesses were shut down while others outrightly downsized their workforce to maintain viability, hence causing more unemployment, poverty and hunger across the country (Eze, Ajah, Okpa & Ngwu, 2022). Approximately one in every eleven Nigerians is unemployed and about 50% of the 180million population live in extreme poverty (Yomi, 2018; Timothy, 2018). These metrics raise more concern with the fact that cybercrime steals about 3.3% of national economic activities per year and is responsible for many businesses shutting down and downsizing, resulting to the tremendous unemployment and poverty that troubles the nation.

These threats are perpetrated by employing the most intelligent methods by either stealing from people without their knowing or deliberately ensnaring people into parting with their resources . In using deliberate methods, cybercriminals tell cascades of stories to their prospective victims either to win their sympathies or interests. Once this step is achieved, they proceed to lure their victims into parting with their savings (Frank, 2019). This use of deliberate method is the popularly known ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ in Nigeria. Their deliberate methods can come in the forms of love and romance like the case of Jan Marshall who was defrauded $350,000 by a fake Nigerian lover or in the forms of business opportunities like the case of Emmanuel Nwude who sold a nonexistent airport to Brazilian bankers for $242 million (Ajah, Ajah, Ajah, Onwe, Ozumba, Iyoke & Nwankwo, 2022; Frank, 2019; Farida, 2018). In using deliberate methods, they cajole, ensnare and deceive victims into willingly parting with their resources. This does not only happen from Nigerian fraudsters to foreign victims but also from Nigerian fraudsters to Nigerian victims – but Nigerian victims have continuously failed to tell their stories, likely because of shame, stigma or fear of being condemned as weak or stupid.

Cybercrime in Nigeria

In earlier Nigeria as well as earlier Africa, crimes existed but they were highly unsophisticated. Stealing was almost horizontal and people simply walked into crimes. There were no fixed definitions of what comprised crime and what did not; people were merely guided by indigenous laws and definitions of crime. Ani (2019) and Solanke (2011) described indigenous legal system as local elders and chiefs sitting under an Iroko tree to discuss a peculiar behavior and determine whether it is right or wrong. The legal system at the time was both not structurally formed and unsophisticated. Sophistication came with the foreigners when people saw different ways to live – and different ways to also commit diverse crimes. By the time of independence, a few Nigerians had acquired education and sharpened their skills in thinking and sophistication. Fraud and embezzlement among educated public officials kicked-in. Officials were silently stealing from the people without public’s knowledge. People gradually gained consciousness on the crimes of officials; others also discovered criminal patterns of their own. Cybercrime came with the internet. As the world developed technologically for businesses and social interactions, criminal minded individuals also saw opportunities to expand their methods and reach more people.

Cybercrime connotes crimes committed on the internet. This may exist in different forms like cyber-fraud, cyber espionage, cyber stalking, hacking, etc. The most common among Nigerian cybercriminals is cyber fraud. Cyber fraud, unlike hacking, requires less technological skills but much social skills. It is the act of relating with other people on the internet with the sole purpose of defrauding them. It usually involves other sub-criminal activities like impersonation and forgery and is more emotionally exhausting than hacking (Bentina & Ajah, 2017). In cyber-fraud, the perpetrators usually approach their victims with business opportunities, romance gestures or unfortunate stories to win their victims’ pity. Once a prospective victim listens and accepts the gestures of the cybercriminal, the victim is made to part with his/her monies to the cybercriminal (Bentina & Ajah, 2017). These monies are usually victims’ life-savings or borrowed funds. In some cases, the romance method is used and victims also get emotionally affected as well.

Whether it is cyber-stalking, espionage, cybersquatting, cyber-bullying, identity theft, cyber child pornography or cyber fraud, Nigerian constitution abhors them and finds perpetrators guilty with jail terms and/or fines (Das & Nayak, 2013). An example of identity theft is the imposter of Bola Tinubu on Facebook who was later discovered and arrested (Lawpadi, 2019). Such Identity theft crime on the internet is punishable with no less than 3years imprisonment or ₦7 million fine or both (Cybercrime Act, 2015).

Cybercrime and Businesses

The cyberspace is driving business innovations and growths globally, and at the same time, exposing corporate organisations to new and emerging internet-assisted crimes (Makeri, 2017; Longe, Ngwa, Wada, Mbarika, & Kvasny, 2009; Quarshie and Martin-Odoom, 2012). Today, the negative frontiers of the cyberspace that corporate organisations are contending with include: hacking, malware attacks, cyber-terrorism, spoofing, phishing, spam, virus attacks, child pornography, cyber vandalism, cyberstalking, data modification, email bombing and cybersquatting (Fanawopo, 2004). The alarming increase in “incidents of cyber-attacks and the resultant economic implications have made the management and security of the cyberspace a paramount concern to multi-stakeholders, driving the process, from the public to the private corporate institutions” (Agugoesi, 2014:8).

Hacking is a complicated technical activity aimed at exploiting systems’ vulnerabilities to subvert security checks, geared towards compromising digital devices such as computers, smartphones, tablets, and networks of organisations for financial gains, corporate espionage and for fun. Hackers are broadly classified into the Black Hat, White Hat and Gray Hat hackers. The Black-hatters are the malicious hackers who hack for economic reasons. The White hatters are the ‘good guys’ in the cyberspace who hack for ethical reasons, while, the Gray hatters hack for ideological reasons (Manne, 2020). The Black-hat hackers sometimes known as crackers are criminals, who use their skills to modify computer hardware or software for malicious intents. These group of individuals use their programming skills, to exploit target systems’ weaknesses and invade the networks of organisations, steal personal and corporate data for personal aggrandisement. Black-hat hacking is committed by a diverse spectrum of actors (lone actors and organized crime syndicate), with different motivations and affiliations (Peters & Jordan, 2019).

Their motivation ranges from economic gains to stealing and damaging sensitive data, disabling networks, establishing a command and control server, or using the system as a base to wreak future havoc. “Attacks can be active such as a brute-force attack that determines a user’s password, or passive, such as a web-based attack that waits for a user to visit a malicious webpage in an attempt to infect the user’s computer with malicious codes through which they gain access into the target organisations’ networks” (Peters & Jordan, 2019:6). These group of digital opportunists usually cause mayhem in organisations by engaging in DDoS, identity theft, vandalizing networks and creating worms to damage institutional and personal files. Studies have shown that fraudulent emails remain the most widely used strategy by black hatters to attack corporate organisations. Most of such attacks begin with phishing emails, which exploit staff vulnerabilities in order to infect computers with malware. Once the malware is downloaded into the network, black-hat hackers through this medium gain access to the user’s database to forge personal data with which they exploit an organisation. The malware ignorantly downloaded into the network by staff could maliciously delete or transfer information, download destructive programs, providing hackers with unauthorized access to the computer, and more. Black-hat hackers also use psychology to trick staff into clicking on a malicious attachment or providing personal data. Despite differences in hackers’ profile and drive, majority of the attacks by these group of cybercriminals have been found to be trans-national in nature (Peters & Jordan, 2019). This suggests that a single hacking attack can hit countless victims in different countries independent of the location of the attack.

Estimating the global economic impact of black-hat hacking is difficult since most organisations do not report or publish their financial losses. However, The Council of Economic Advisers (2018:8) estimated that “malicious cyber activities cost the U.S. economy between $57 billion and $109 billion in 2016”. “In Kenya, several government websites came under hackers’ attacks, putting huge amounts of citizens’ data and even government revenue collection systems at risk. In 2012, over one hundred (100) Kenyan government websites were defaced by an Indonesian hacker with an estimated loss of $22.4 million. In South Africa, ATMs were massively compromised and huge sums of funds lost to the activities of the hackers in South Africa” (Tobiko, 2014:7).

Similarly, every successful attack, no matter how insignificant, attracts disastrous consequences for corporate organisations. The abuses of the cyberspace by black hatters portend danger and have stalled the developmental contributions accruable from a well-harnessed ICT adoption, diffusion and utilisation by corporate organisations in Nigeria. This development has widened the digital divide, crumbled the information infrastructure and affected consumer’s confidence in online transactions in Nigeria.

Reporting on the dynamic nature of malware attacks, Jennings, Johnson and Sood (2019) state that malicious actors leverage on automated software and other ICT tools to target small businesses and large corporations. This shows that no organisation whether big or small, production companies or service providers are immune to malware attacks. More recently, scholars such as Lévesque, Chiasson, Somayaji and Fernandez (2018) have employed quantitative approach to explore the interactions between users, antivirus (AV) software, and malware as they occur on deployed systems. Another form of malware known as ransomware in a bid to avoid being traced, it demands that its ransom be paid through bitcoin, this makes their in-put low and their profit very high in addition to their operational anonymity (Jennings, Johnson & Sood, 2019).

Literature from both developed and developing nations have highlighted operational methods deplored by malware writers to include “code obfuscation and modification as well as inclusion of new behaviour in the malware to improve strength and viability” (Gounder & Farik, 2017). For example, Gounder and Farik’s (2017) research on new ways to fight malware suggests “code obfuscation makes malware code obscure and unintelligible by malware detectors, reduces the size of codes making malware download time and deployment shorter and easier”. This technique can be grouped into “polymorphic or metamorphic”. “Polymorphic virus hides its decryption loops using code insertion and transposition to bypass detection while metamorphic virus evades detection by hiding itself from detectors” (Shah, 2014).

The corporate organisations ICT components are often the major victims of malware attacks due to failure to secure their operating system designs and other related software vulnerabilities (OECD, 2008). Software vulnerabilities according to OECD (2008) is a function of faulty coding, software not properly configured, or used in a manner not compatible with the suggested uses or improperly configured with other software. These factors allow for loopholes that exposes corporate entities to malware attacks. In the event that internet fraudsters find these flaws, malicious software is created to take advantage of them (Oyelere & Oyelere, 2015). Non-technological factors, such as bad user behaviours and ineffective security policies and processes, may put a company at risk of malware infection. Malwares such as viruses or trojans must be triggered by some kind of user activity, such as clicking on a seemingly trustworthy file or link, opening a phishing e-mail or visiting a compromised website as well as through physical media such as external drives. According to Danchev (2006) “once the system security has been compromised by the initial infection, some forms of malware automatically install additional functionality such as spyware (e.g. keylogger), backdoor, rootkit or any other type of malware, known as the payload”.

Conclusion and recommendations

In Nigeria today, different forms of cybercrimes are committed on a daily basis ranging from phishing, Business Email Compromise, hacking, cyber vandalism, cyber espionage and malware attacks. These cybercrimes are increasing in frequency, dimension and sophistication, thus posing serious threats to the socio-economic development of businesses, internet users, and national security. The destructive intention of these cybercrimes are to overwhelm, manipulate and damage computers whether personal or corporate without the knowledge of the users. For this reason, countries like “Kenya, Angola, Nigeria, Rwanda, Botswana, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa” lost billions of dollars annually to cyber related offences. However, to stem the tide of cyber-attacks, the study calls for businesses to strengthen their network of security, engage in aggressive cyber-security awareness training for staff, leverage advanced detection and response technologies, and use mobile protection solutions or corporate internet traffic protection to avoid the damaging effects of malware on their finances and reputation. It is equally recommended by the study for corporate organisations tospread their data across smaller sub-networks to help contain attacks to only a few endpoints instead of the entire ICT infrastructure.

Reference

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A Review on the Impact of Online Job Portals on Employee Performance

Ahjaz Ahmed*

Ph. D Research scholar, Department of Management,

Maulana Azad National Urdu University Hyderabad.

Abstract:

The development of technology in the digital age has had a huge impact on many aspects of our life, including how we find and keep jobs. The introduction of internet job portals has completely changed the way people hunt for jobs by giving them a platform to communicate with businesses. This article examines and assesses the effect of online job portals on worker performance, highlighting the benefits and potential pitfalls of this cutting-edge job search strategy. Now that technology is prevalent everywhere, everything is made simple. Every aspect of human life has been impacted by technology. Thanks to online job portals, where applications are only a click away and hundreds of positions are always open, finding a job has gotten easier nowadays. Job portals offer all varieties of jobs, and the majority of them are free, which increases their popularity in the labour market. Employees hired using online job portals perform as well as those hired through more conventional means. Online job portals are more practical, affordable, time-saving, and accessible. Job portal features like filter, sort by, and generate your resume now are improving the effectiveness of employment portals, something that was previously impossible because it took more time, was less effective, required more personnel, and was less transparent. This study is based on a review of comparable studies to determine the effect of online job portals on employee performance. According to a review of several research studies, online job portals have a favorable effect on employee performance, demonstrating the importance of technology in modern life and how it makes life more efficient and time-saving.

Keywords: Online Job Portal, Technology, Recruitment, Employee, Performance

Introduction

The recruitment process now fully depends upon technology because as the job seekers are increasing and at the sametime getting a job is becoming more complex. The recruitment process is to place a candidate at the right position according to his skills and experience. In this time, all the recruitment process is being carried out using technology and internet. Technology has changed the way we live our life, we think, we spend our time, we use gadgets and devices etc.basically our life has changed drastically due to technology. In the same way, the recruitment process has changed, and it has become easier, effective, and cost efficient which has changed the scenario of recruitment totally. Today, a variety of networking websites, such as Nakuri.com, Monster.com, Shine.com, Fresher’s World, Times Jobs, LinkedIn, Free Jobs Alerts, etc., are used to find qualified candidates for employment. These websites have emerged as significant sources of good personnel for both employees and organizations. Online job portals have a significant impact on employee performance in several ways, making workers more productive because they provide the right guidance regarding market demand for skills, popular job categories, and compensation packages that have an effect on workers’ performance. This study is based on the impact of online job portals on employee performance in which related studies have been reviewed to know the impact. From the review of various research papers, it is found that the positive impact of online job portals on employee performance which shows the technology is playing a vital in human life and more technology is making life easy and effective and saving the precious time. E-recruitment is a method that handles the full hiring process, from beginning to end, including posting job ads, receiving resumes, and choosing the best candidate for the job based on their qualifications. It functions effectively and efficiently. The ability to attract quality candidates (in terms of abilities, attitude, knowledge, and aptitudes) for the company is aided by the use of the internet.

Literature review

Recruitment

Edwin B. Flippo (1984) It studied that Recruitment is the main duty of the human resource department. Finding, enticing, screening, reducing the field, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and onboarding employees are all steps in the process. “Recruitment is the process of seeking out potential employees and encouraging them to submit applications for positions within the firm.”

Parry & Wilson (2009) Determine that “recruitment encompasses those processes and actions conducted by the organization with the primary goal of identifying and recruiting potential personnel.” The size of the recruitment team of a company might vary depending on the size of the organization. In smaller businesses, a recruiting manager, however, is frequently in charge of recruiting. Many organizations outsource their hiring needs, but some merely use advertisements, job Portals to identify candidates for open positions. To improve and streamline the hiring process, many businesses employ hiring software nowadays.

The basis of a successful recruitment process is an organization-specific sourcing model that aims to find the best applicant for the ideal role at the ideal moment. It is a methodical process for enlisting outstanding individuals who can super business expansion. The five main stages of an all-encompassing hiring process might differ from company to firm depending on the business vertical, organizational structure, size, operational style, and selection procedure

E-Recruitment Process

E-Recruitment is the rage right now and represents the newest trends in hiring. The use of technology or web-based solutions to facilitate the hiring process is also referred to as “online recruitment.” The resource may be an employment website like naukri.com, the company’s official website, or its own intranet. The internet is being used by both large and small businesses as a source of hiring.

“E-recruiting is using the internet to recruit through Job portals, corporate websites, specialized websites or onlineadvertisement”, Galanaki (2002).

The organization’s e-recruitment initiatives and e-recruitment process have an impact on the structure, effectiveness, and efficiency of the organization’s recruiting process. The HR division oversees the diversity of the workforce with regard to culture, time zones, specializations, benefits, and salary. Secondary data was collected for this study. According to this study, employers seem to more concerned about hiring a qualified, quality-oriented candidate over one who is more concerned with price. Third parties, such as headhunters and recruiting agencies, actively participate in the online hiring process. E-recruitment improves efficiency and efficacy of the hiring process. Particular internet recruitment techniques contribute to organizational advancements and improve organizational recruiting performance. Fred and Kinange (2016).Most of the organizations in Pakistan were using both e-recruitment and traditional recruitment sources. It also revealed that the IT based organizations are not completely relying on e-recruitment. The study also indicated that majority of respondent organizations use e-recruitment for filling the top positions Nasreem et al. (2016)

Online Job Portals

Job portals are a straightforward but useful tool. They make room for both companies and employees and make it simpler to access a wide range of employment in various industries and skill levels. They also lower fees for middlemen and headhunters as well as the costs of job matching. Job websites have improved employment access for all people. Before they existed, informal networks and social contacts dominated the job-seeking landscape. Social network job searches typically favor well-connected individuals, further entrenching already-existing inequities. This implicit prejudice in access to both official and informal jobs can be lessened by ensuring equal access to online job platforms. The Covid-19 pandemic, which harmed every industry area, had an effect on every firm in the world. In April to May 2021, there were around 22.7 million job losses, according to research by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. As the life is being normal, so the hiring process in India has surged apparently, especially last August has witnessed 89 percent increase and hiring for specific roles has grown as well specially in IT sector. According to estimates, the largest employment portals fill more than 80% of job advertisements. In that time job portals play a vital role in recruitment process.

Employee Performance

A worker’s performance is defined as how well they carry out their duties and finish vital tasks. It emphasizes the value, quality, and effectiveness of their output. How valuable each individual is to the business depends on their performance. For a business, each person represents a significant investment, therefore the return that Employee contributions must be substantial. Employee performance is influenced by a variety of variables that have an effect on their lives, such as pay, benefits, the workplace culture, bonuses, and admiration.

Impact on Employee Performance

Employee satisfaction is influenced by a variety of factors, including management expectations, coworkers, personal issues, and company culture. Companies must take the initiative to ensure that their staff members are pleased by learning what they need and giving them the resources, they need to improve their talents.

In comparison to individuals who do not use the Internet, the data shows that job searchers who have registered with job portals are about 6% more likely to be employed and that their reservation earnings are 1300 rupees higher (a 10% increase above the mean). Additionally, we discover that employed individuals who are registered with portals have actual incomes that are 13% greater than those who are not. On the other hand, employees who rely more on social networks for support have slightly lower employment possibilities and lower associated salaries. The impact and role of job portals is vital in the life employee which enables them to perform well and make future bright.

Advantages for Employee Performance

1. Increased Access to Opportunities: Online job boards have democratized the labour market by removing distance restrictions. Job searchers have more options for obtaining work that match their talents and career goals because they can look at opportunities outside of their immediate area. Improved job matching and more job satisfaction may result from this expanded access.2. Efficiency and Speed: Sending paper applications and waiting for responses was the usual way of looking for work. This procedure has been streamlined by online job portals, which let applicants submit applications in a matter of minutes for several vacancies. This effectiveness shortens the time between searching for a job and getting hired, resulting in smoother transitions and perhaps fewer spells of unemployment.

3. Customized Job Search: Job portals frequently provide search filters that let job seekers focus their search based on particular factors like industry, region, amount of experience, and job type. This personalization enables job seekers to identify positions that closely match their tastes and skill sets, improving the fit between the employee and the employment role.

4. Access to Information: Job portals frequently provide search filters that let job seekers focus their search based on particular factors like industry, region, amount of experience, and job type. This personalization enables job seekers to identify positions that closely match their tastes and skill sets, improving the fit between the employee and the employment role.

5. Skill Development: Candidates frequently need to improve their digital literacy abilities in order to succeed in the digital application process. The ability to use online platforms, build compelling profiles, and submit digital applications might help a job candidate develop skills beyond the current job search, potentially enhancing their overall digital competency.

Potential Drawbacks

1. Competition and Oversaturation: Because it’s so simple to apply for jobs online, more people are doing so, which has boosted competitiveness and the number of applications that businesses receive. This may lead to oversaturation, which will make it difficult for individual applications to stand out and may aggravate job seekers.

2. Lack of Personalization: Online apps might not have the same level of personalization that can be found in more conventional techniques, including networking events or in-person encounters. The candidate’s capacity to demonstrate their soft talents and leave a lasting impression on employers may be hampered by this impersonal character.

3. Limited Visibility for Non-Digital Roles: While online job portals are useful for office- and digital-based roles, they might not be as useful for jobs that call for specialized or hands-on abilities. There may not be as much representation for certain occupations on internet platforms, such as manual labour or the creative arts

4. Quality of Listings: It’s possible for some job portals to host listings that are unreliable, deceptive, or even fraudulent. To make sure that the positions they apply for are genuine and in line with their expectations, job searchers should use prudence and practice due diligence.

Conclusion

E-recruitment is another term for online recruiting. In our country, reputable employment portals like monster.com, nakuri.com, shine.com, and numerous networking sites are accessible to help employers and employees with the hiring and selection procedures. The procedure is quite easy to understand for both the person and the business. E-recruitment has several advantages, including the capacity to move more rapidly, convenience of use, reduced administrative costs and manpower, and increased competency on the part of the company and personnel. For those who are directly or indirectly involved in the e-recruitment process and who are employed as HR personnel within the company, this study is highly helpful. A flawless answer is required for everything in the fast-paced, accuracy-focused world of today. In a similar vein, the recruitment process has become more efficient and time-saving thanks to the employment of highly sophisticated technologies. According to the study, job portals have a beneficial effect on employee performance since they make it simple to grow in your career and find decent jobs with competitive pay. The job platform also offers expert coaching and knowledge of potential future career paths. Undoubtedly, the concept of job portals has gained popularity as a preferred means of recruitment for both job seekers and employers, but its efficiency and ability to meet job seekers’ expectations is what will make it the ideal platform for recruiting.

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Healing Arts: Exploring Artistic Resonance in John Green’s The Fault in our Stars

Mrs. L. P. Priyanka M.A., M.Phil., NET

Assitant Professor

Department of English

Jayaraj Annapackiam College for Women (Autonomous), Periyakulam

Abstract:

Art has long been recognized as a powerful tool for emotional expression, empathy, and personal growth. The concept of healing arts encompasses a diverse range of expressive mediums, each playing a distinct role in the emotional and psychological well-being of individuals. This research article delves into the multifaceted dimensions of arts as a therapeutic medium through an analysis of John Green’s acclaimed novel The Fault in Our Stars,with a particular focus on literature, music, games, and poetry. By analyzing how these forms of artistic engagement contribute to the characters’ emotional healing. This study aims to shed light on the inherent therapeutic qualities of literature and other arrs and its potential to provide solace and guidance.

Keywords: Healing arts, literature, games, poetry, therapeutic medium, emotional healing, John Green, The Fault in Our Stars.

Healing Arts: Exploring Artistic Resonance in John Green’s The Fault in our Stars

Art has its beginning in the caves of stone-age man. From then on it has become a vital ingredient of life. It is mostly defined as a process of deliberately arranging items with symbolic significance. As a result, it influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions and intellect. In art, one can find a diverse range of human activities, creation and modes of expression. Art in its various forms includes music, literature, film, photography, sculpture and paintings. Healing is often an intricate process, and the utilization of various artistic mediums can significantly impact the emotional trajectories of individuals. John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars has garnered widespread acclaim for its profound portrayal of young love amidst the challenges of terminal illness. Green intertwines literature, music, games, and poetry to underscore the importance of the healing in navigating the complexities of life, love, and loss. This paper explores how the novel exemplifies the healing arts, demonstrating how literature and varied art can play a therapeutic role in the lives of both fictional characters and real-world readers.

Expressing oneself through various media such as art and literature has been a desire of mankind since the beginning of time. Literature has the unique ability to transport readers into alternate worlds, allowing them to experience a range of emotions and perspectives. Nobody can imagine a life without art. Artists express their emotional world through art and spectators or readers let this world pass through the realm of their sensuality. It is the sphere of feelings and sentiments of a person arising from his direct experience. Emotions in art are special. There are many pros and cons in the feelings of everyday life. In real life feelings and emotions come in a variety of shades, from negative to positive.

Emotions in art have social impact, they are very similar to the feelings of every humans.Through feelings art reaches the inner world of a human being, inspiring him and making him humane, and moulding his personality. Art can go to the extent of solving pedagogical and psychological problems. In addition, art acts as a psychotherapeutic therapeutic tool for the soul, which is capable of relieving psychological and spiritual distress.

As an art form, literature has been used to express mankind’s deepest emotions and observations, most profound thinking and firm beliefs. Literature encompasses many genres such as drama, poetry, and novels. While both physical arts and literature are a form of self-expression, each also represents a profession. When the world of arts and literature is explored, mankind’s fascination for self-expression can be discovered.

Literature is a work of art in words. It is a writing that carries strong and lasting value through beauty or emotional power. Literature expresses the writers’ thoughts, hopes and fears. Writings become literature only when well written and are of lasting interest to people of many societies and different generations. Literature is a powerful weapon to change the world with its human ideas and emotions expressed through words.

Art has tremendous healing power. Mankind is very much accustomed to spiritual and physical healing through prayer. Concrete experiences of such healing were innumerable through the healing touch of Jesus Christ. Music too is known to bring emotional balance relieving one in distress. Music is the most accessible and most researched medium of art of healing, relieving one of anxiety. Creative writing and reading of literature too are healers in a broad sense.

The healing power of literature has been recognized throughout history, from ancient myths to modern novels. By immersing themselves in the lives of fictional characters, readers can gain insight into their own emotions and struggles. Most people resort to reading as a means of escape from reality. Further, the world seen through books creates awareness and realization of one’s faults when one is caught up in the mean world. In Green’s novel, protagonists Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters navigate the challenges of cancer, mortality, and young love. Their emotional journeys serve as a lens through which readers can explore their own feelings of grief, fear, and hope. Both Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters are fond of reading books. Hazel reads her favourite novel ‘An Imperial Affliction’ by Peter Van Houten. Augustus reads ‘The Price of Dawn’, a brilliant novelization of his favourite video game.

Hazel describes the book as her personal Bible, because it accurately matches her own experience. She finds relief through ‘An Imperial Affliction’. She says that she loves this book for its honesty. Anna, the main character of ‘An Imperial Affliction’, is a young girl with cancer who does not want to let this fact define her entire life. This parallels Hazel’s situation and causes Hazel to find empathy and connection in the book. Hazel finds this book as a touchstone to her life. She tries to deal with pain honestly and directly and also finds comfort in it. She recommends ‘An Imperial Affliction’ to Augustus. She tells him that the book accurately reflects the reality of death. One dies in the midst of their life, in the midst of a conversation. But I want to know what happens to everyone else. Both of them are very curious to know about what happens to the characters at the end of the novel. This curiosity made them travel to Amsterdam to meet the author Peter Van Houten. Hazel reads books not to escape from reality but to escape from the eyes of the society that views herself as a cancer patient and not as a human being. Hazel believes and lives in reality. She has no illusions about her health. She comes to a better understanding of life through the novel ‘An Imperial Affliction’. Even though it is a fictional work it has a genuine value in her life. Hazel finds this novel a pain-reliever.

Augustus tends to deal with his pain through humour and sacrifices himself in a video game. He lends Hazel a copy of ‘The Price of Dawn’, a book based on his favourite video game. Hazel reads the book and then purchases the first two sequels of ‘The Price of Dawn’. In human company Hazel feels the sense of otherness. While shopping with her friend Kaitlyn in a mall she realizes how Kaitlyn sees her as a cancer patient. Hazel says that social interactions were depressing because it was so obvious that everyone she talked to for the rest of her life would feel awkward and uncomfortable around her. So just to escape from Kaitlyn’s eyes Hazel begins to read the sequel to ‘The Price of Dawn’.

Coming to Augustus and his friend Isaac, video game serves as an escape mechanism. Their interest in the game originates from their need to escape from pain. When Isaac’s girlfriend Monica deserts him, he cries in distress. Just to escape from that hard reality he resorts to playing video game. It is also a kind of healing for him.

Augustus takes his game-playing seriously. When Hazel questions him as to why he has saved some hostages in the game instead of himself, he says, “All salvation is temporary, I bought them a minute. Maybe that’s the minute that buys them an hour, which is the hour that buys them a year. No one’s gonna buy them forever, Hazel Grace, but my life bought them a minute. And that’s not nothing” (59). The whole life-or-death situation inherent in video games is close to that of Augustus. Like the hostages in the game, he recognizes that he and his fellow cancer kids are working with a limited amount of time, and anytime gained is very valuable and precious. When Augusts is worried about his fear of oblivion, he indulges in playing a video game and feels comforted.

Peter Van Houten, the author of ‘An Imperial Affliction’, is an alcoholic. When Hazel and Augustus meet him at his house in Amsterdam, he is abrasive and drunk. He never reads his fans’ mails. All these are because he has lost his daughter Anna to cancer. After the death of Anna, he became bad tempered and alcoholic and was unable to cope with her loss. He became a writer because of his daughter. Meeting Hazel, he is reminded of Anna and that’s why he behaves in a cruel manner. He refuses to answer most of Hazel’s questions and he is very mean to them. To prove himself an intellectual genius, he replies cryptically, citing the paradox of Zeno’s tortoise. Zeno, a pre-Socratic philosopher was the first person in history to show that the concept of infinity is problematical. Van Houten says: Zeno’s tortoise paradox is renowned for its paradoxical nature. Suppose that you are racing against a tortoise and the tortoise is ahead of you by ten yards. As you run, the tortoise may have moved one yard, and as you make up the distance, the tortoise will move a further distance, and this cycle continues indefinitely. You may be faster than the tortoise, but you will never catch it, you will only reduce its lead. You may simply run past the tortoise without considering the mechanics involved. The question of how to do this becomes extremely complicated. Nobody really figured it out until Cantor showed that some infinity is bigger than others.

Therefore, it shows that fast runners are not always winners. To escape from the present situation, Van Houten takes out his grief on others. Van Houten uses his intellect to escape from the reality. The idea of Zeno’s paradox comes later in the novel, providing Hazel and Augustus a way to understand the time they spent together. Although Van Houten does not provide the answers to the end of the novel, he does provide Hazel a way to imagine her relationship with Augustus. Hazel is happy for her small infinity with Augustus Waters.

Hazel’s attending poetry classes and reading poetry are a proof that art is really healing. Poetry, through heavy use of imagery and word association, quickly conveys emotions. Poetry is something everyone can love, and it is a great art that can be part of our life. Poems with powerful images can help us retain them in memory and relish them as intellectual treat. Poems speak to us in many ways. A poem helps one express what cannot be said in other forms of writing, to suggest an experience, idea, or feeling.

A concrete example is seen in John Keats, the Romantic poet, when threatened by consumption which ran in the family and which had already carried off his brother Tom expressed his fear of death through “When I have fears that I may cease to be” (Lall 3), a prophesying of his early death in Shakespearean form. His ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ is a song of death and despair. It contains the premonition of his premature death: “My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains / my sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk” (Lall 153). Through his expression of feelings, fear and pain he achieves psychological healing.

In the novel, Hazel attends a poetry class at MCC, their community college. When Augustus asks her about her interest, she says that she is interested in reading, “from, like, hideous romance to pretentious fiction to poetry” (33). At once Augustus yells saying, “Hazel Grace, you are the only teenager in America who prefers reading poetry to writing it” (33). Most people love to write poetry in order to express their feelings, but Hazel is fond of reading poetry. She feels very peaceful while reading poetry.

During the flight Hazel reads the long poem Howl by Allen Ginsberg, which she is reading for her poetry class. The title Howl indicates protest, cry for all exploitation, repression and subjugation. In Howl, Ginsberg describes the desperation, the suffering and persecution of a group of outcastes who are seeking transcendent reality. They love narcotic things because they want to forget their pain. They have repulsion towards life and attraction towards death. Hazel tells Augustus, “The guys in this poem take even more drugs than I do” (152).

How much poetry means to Hazel is seen in her having poems in memory. Augustus asks Hazel to recite a poem from her memory, and Hazel recites a part of T.S. Eliot’s poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. At Oranjee Augusts requests Hazel to recite the final lines of the Prufrock poem. She tells how it ends, “We have lingered in the chambers of the sea / By sea-girls wreathe with seaweed red and brown / Till human voices wake us, and we drown” (164). The poem reminds her of her own situation. This poem speaks about awareness, water and drowning. Drowning is a clear reference to death by water which Hazel fears.

After returning from Anne Frank’s house, Hazel recites the poem Thirteen ways of looking at a Blackbird by Wallace Stevens. She recites the fifth stanza of the poem: “I do not know which to prefer, / The beauty of inflections / Or the beauty of innuendos, / The blackbird whistling /Or just after” (204). While Hazel and Gus are waiting for the ambulance to arrive, Gus asks her to read something, so she recites William Carlos William’s The Red Wheelbarrow until the ambulance arrives. She also makes some modification to the poem to describe Gus:

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens. (246-247)

This poem is an example of a true imagist poem. Red wheelbarrow is important to the farmer and she compares Gus to the wheelbarrow, meaning metaphorically that Gus is equally important to her. Here, she is the white chicken. The form of the poem itself is very symbolic. The wheelbarrow is red to show its power at the farm, and the chickens are white to show their purity. The wheelbarrow is covered with rain water.

The lines which Hazel adds to the poem are “And so much depends, upon a blue sky cut open by the branches of the trees above. So much depends upon the transparent G-tube erupting from the gut of blue-lipped boy. So much depends upon this observer of the universe” (247). Here, she tries to tell about the pitiable situation of Gus. His survival depends upon the observer of the universe that is God. It is in God’s hand to save him.

Towards the end of the novel, after Gus’s funeral, Hazel recalls the lines, “So dawn goes down to day, / Nothing gold can stay” (278) from the poem Nothing Gold can Stay by Robert Frost. This line symbolizes the idea that all the good and beautiful things in life eventually fade away. Nothing good can last. It shows the cycle of life and death. Hazel also thinks that even if death doesn’t get in the way, the kind of love that she and Augustus share could never last. Hazel’s love for books and poetry in general represents a certain escapism, not wanting to harm or affect other people and so retreating into the world of authors, fiction and poetry for comfort and kinship. Thus she finds healing through literature.

Music as a mechanism for relief is seen in the novel. Music has much significance in human life and people listen to music for different reasons and at different times. Intimate relation to music is one pretty way to make one feel happy or excited. There are many types of music like pop, rock, jazz, classical etc . . In addition to providing entertainment it can purify the mind and give positive energy. Music makes one relaxed and influences one’s mental health significantly. Music, through stimulation can abolish pain, and calm the neural activity in the brain.

Van Houten is seen relieved from frustration by listening to Swedish rap music. In the early days most wrappers in Sweden rapped in English. Afasi and Filthy was a Swedish hip hop dou from Uppsala, Sweden. Peter Van Houten is a fan of the group and plays ‘Bomfallera’ when Hazel and Augustus meet him. When Hazel asks him to answer her questions, he suddenly brings up Zeno’s paradox of tortoise and quickly connects the theory to Swedish hip hop. When Augustus says that they don’t speak Swedish, at once Van Houten tells:

Well, of course you don’t. Neither do I. Who the hell speaks Swedish? The important thing is not whatever nonsense the voices are saying, but the voices are feeling. Surely you know that there are only two emotions, love and fear, and that Afasi och Filthy navigate between them with the kind of facility that one simply does not find in hip-hop music outside Sweden. Shall I play it for u again? (188)

Augustus asks if Van Houten is playing some kind of performance on them, to which Van Houten replies that if they cannot hear Afasi and Filthy’s bravadic response to fear, then his work is not for them. He purposely plays the sound track, because he is frustrated by the presence of Hazel and Augustus Waters. To relieve himself from the frustration he plays the Swedish hip-hop rap music.

To Hazel, like all entertainment the reality television show offers an escape from real life problems. She regularly watches “America’s Next Top Model marathon” (6), a reality show. This show grabs the attention of Hazel even though she is a brilliant young reader too.

Augustus’s house is decked out with inspirational quotes. On every single surface of the house, there are encouraging and inspirational phrases. When Hazel goes to Augustus’s house for the first time, she notices:

“A wooden plaque in the entryway was engraved in a cursive with the words Home Is Where the Heart Is, and the entire house turned out to be festooned in such observations. Good Friends Are Hard to Find and Impossible to Forget read an illustration above the coatrack. True Love Is Born from Hard Times promised a needlepointed pillow in their antique-furnished living room.” (26)

Augustus, on seeing Hazel reading them tells that his parents call them encouragements. Encouragements are a tangible form of comfort. Even though Hazel and Augustus may not agree with them, they know that to some extent it provides comfort and hope to Augustus’s parents. When Augustus dies, Hazel mentions a great quote in his eulogy which she found very comforting: “Without pain, we couldn’t know joy” (272), because she knows that it will mean a lot to his parents.

John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars beautifully illustrates how the healing arts, encompassing literature, music, games, and poetry, enrich the human experience by providing avenues for emotional expression, connection, and personal growth. As individuals navigate life’s challenges, these artistic mediums offer pathways toward healing, resilience, and a deeper understanding of oneself and others. As literature continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the human experience, it is essential to recognize and appreciate its potential to facilitate healing and transformation. Each character heals himself or herself by relying on an art such as reading a novel, reciting a poem, playing video game, listening to music, writing and encouragements. The concept of healing is thus intrinsically connected with some form of an art.

Works Cited

Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars. India: Penguin Books, 2012. Print.

Lall, Ramji. John Keats: An Evaluation of His Poetry. New Delhi: Rama Brothers, 1995. Print.

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Introduction

E-Recruitment Process

Online Job Portals

Employee Performance

Impact on Employee Performance

Conclusion

References

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