Month: May 2021

May 31

An Assessment of corruption and good governance in Nigerian Fourth Republic

An Assessment of corruption and good governance in Nigerian Fourth Republic

Introduction

In every society and community, there are certain behaviours, which are very much detested in the course of interpersonal relationships, and group behaviour. The behaviours include cheating, lying, etc. These behaviours which  have  moral,  ethical,  legal and religious implications are detested because they are inimical to proper and decent standards. The pattern of that encapsulates all this  detested  attitude  is corruption (Omoluabi, 2007:3).

Corruption is a household name in every society nowadays and the negative impact it has on the socio-economic and political setting of a country can hardly be over emphasized. There has been a global cry and coordinated efforts to tackle this social evil through the creation and implementation of anti-graft laws and policies across nations. Some nations have been successful in their quest to reduce the level of corruption while others are still lagging behind. In this light, Nigeria seems to be an example of a state that failed in combating corruption. From the common man in the street to the highest political figure, corruption is recurrent in almost every transaction in the Nigerian society.

Within the last one decade, the issue of corruption and good governance has taken the centre stage in development discourse worldwide. Corruption is shaking the foundation of the nation as there is no sector that is not affected by this monster. The challenges of corruption remain a major devastating issue facing Nigeria since the colonial period, although, this phenomena has become a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of our system (Muhammed, 2013:120).

Over the years, public sector in Nigeria has been characterized largely by ineffectiveness and inefficiency. The situation is not different in other African countries. High-level corruption has been identified as being responsible for Nigeria’s underdevelopment and growing crimes rates. It is instructive to note that the Nigerian government and citizens have not totally committed themselves to introducing and implementing measures that can prevent or drastically reduce the extent and consequence of corruption in the country. That is not to say that laws, institutions and programmes for controlling corruption have not been introduced by successive governments. On the contrary, every Nigerian government since 1975 introduced elaborate laws and programmes, only for officials to turn such programmes into fertile opportunity for corrupt practices and enrichment. Consequently, there has been a geometrical growth in the rate of corruption in the country (Etannibi, 2002:2).

Etannibi (2002:9) also claimed that corruption is the source of many socio- economic and political problems that have militated against the attainment of economic development, equity, social justice, political integration and stability as well as democracy in Nigeria. The employment, promotions, postings and deployment processes in the federal service are riddled with corruption, and it was estimated that Nigeria had lost to corruption as much as $400 billion between 1966 and 1999. Yet corruption in Nigeria preceded 1966 and has continued ever since beyond 2007 with

 

 

greater ferocity and intensity (Olokor, 2013:2). Since the return of the country to civil rule on May 29, 1999, the Nigerian government has taken a number of measures to address the problems of corruption and bad governance in the country. Despite the successes attained by these measures, the situation remains unacceptable as corruption continues to permeate and pervade every facet of national life in Nigeria.

In this research article, the data for the study were basically selected from secondary materials such as textbooks, internet materials, newspapers, magazines, and journals articles, etc, through a systematic qualitative content analysis.

May 30

PROBLEMS OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

PROBLEMS OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

  • Background of Study

 

Strategic management is concerned with defining and achieving long-term goals and objectives by effective interaction and adaptation with dynamic environment in a continuous basis within limit of resources. It mainly involves strategy design, operationalization and monitoring. Pearce and Robinson (2007) define the subject as the act of making choices, which result in designing and administration of game plans tailored to realize long range plans of the firm. While strategic management is a relatively young discipline which was introduced in the early 1950’s and gained popularity through the works of strategic gurus like Ansoff (1987), Chandler (1962), and Drucker (1974) it is an umbrella concept of management and covers almost all the functional areas of management in an organizational setup.

 

Strategic management practices aid to avoid weakening one’s position as a result of unfavourable economic circumstances and turbulent external and internal conditions. Implementation of strategic practices like differentiation, innovation, total quality management, six sigma, and balance score card aid to improve the performance of a firm and distinguishes it from the rest. Previous studies prove the relationship between strategic planning and performance (Machuki, 2010) Action plan is the configuration of a company’s capabilities, resources, thought process, and actions for charting its long-term direction and positive performance within the context of changing external environ. Since it is context sensitive, it prepares managers in companies of all sizes and types to cope with continually changing environment and to look at important factors in planning future strategies.

 

The subject of performance appraisal appears a major subject of controversy in management circles. According to Kurt (2004), while business leaders see the need for appraisal systems, they are frequently disappointed in them because of various challenges that derail its objectives. One of the responsibilities of management is to ensure that an organization functions effectively and efficiently. In order to achieve these goals, managers must be able to determine and assess performance levels of both an organization and its individual employees (Kurt, 2004).

 

 

Performance appraisal has been described as a management tool designed to encourage communications in the office, improve the quality of work produced, and promote individual accountability. This is the concept underpinning the legal requirement that all agencies evaluate employee performance (Derven, 1990). Winston and Creamer (1997) define performance appraisal as an organizational system comprising deliberate processes for determining staff accomplishments, through rating, to improve staff effectiveness.

 

 

Modern organisations depend upon measurement and analysis of performance. Measurements must derive from the organisation’s strategy and provide critical data and information about key processes, outputs and results. The said data and analysis support a variety of organisational purposes, such as planning, reviewing organizational performance, improving processes, and comparing organisational performance with ‘best practices’ benchmarks (Averson, 1998).

 

 

Within the context of formal performance appraisal requirements, rating has been used to mean evaluating employee performance against the elements and standards in an employee’s performance appraisal plan and assigning a rating of record. It is extremely important that workers have the proper knowledge, skills, and attitudes to perform well in their jobs. Knowledge, skills, and attitudes are the internal competencies that workers bring with them to the job or that they must learn through training.

 

 

Irrespective of what the organization’s intentions are when conducting performance appraisal, it produces a feedback that can either be positive or negative to both the management and the employees. Managing employee performance is an integral part of the work that all managers and officials perform in any institution. It is as important as managing financial resources and program outcomes because employee performance or the lack thereof, has a profound effect on both the financial and program components of any organization (Kurt, 2004).

 

 

In many organizations appraisals are used to help determine reward outcome by identifying employees who should get the majority of available merit such as pay increases, bonuses and promotions. For the same reason, appraisal results are used to identify poorer performers who any require some form of counseling or in extreme cases demotions, decrease in pay or dismissal (Chadbourne 1994).

 

Again, uses for performance appraisal have included equal employment opportunity considerations, promotions, transfer and salary increases. Primarily, performance appraisal has been considered an overall system for controlling an organization. It has also been called an audit function of an organization regarding the performance of individuals, groups and entire divisions (Awosanya and Ademola, 2008).

.

 

International research reveals that appropriate appraisal schemes have the potential to improve effective management of educational institutions, the quality of education provided for students, as well as satisfying legitimate demands for accountability (Chadbourne, 1994). Consequently, in most learning environments, there have been attempts globally to identify human resource policies necessary to inculcate and reinforce the continuous learning climate by examining various manpower variables such as training development and performance appraisal. Performance appraisal is widely accredited to contribute to the superior performance outcomes of many organizations (Averson, 1998). Such organizations or institutions are frequently lauded as high performance work systems, learning or flexible organizations with mutual or high commitment models (Applebaum and Butt, 1994).

 

 

In ORGANIZATION, performance appraisal is a periodic ‘ritual’, the level of importance and seriousness attached to it however not known to the researcher at this point. This study thus aims to establish the effectiveness or otherwise of performance appraisal systems in the university.

May 30

THE ROLE OF POLITICAL LEADERSHIP ON DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

THE ROLE OF POLITICAL LEADERSHIP ON DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA A STUDY OF EBONYI STATE

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

According to Eicher and Liedholm (1970), the pressing problems of everyday survival remain the highest immediate priority. Since the oil boom of the 1970s, the nation’s economy has been in crisis despite continued expansion in oil production. Inefficiency in governance has further deteriorated the Nigerian economy. Political instability and lack of proper accountability in the country have severely impeded the ability of successive governments to implement economic policies for the common good of the people, thus creating a lack of basic amenities for the people in the country.
For Kirk-Greene and Rimmer (1981), the solution for addressing Nigeria’s problems and consolidating democratic governance in the federal republic lies in having a government or leadership that works on the principles of good governance and is, most importantly, accountable to the Nigerian people. Good governance in Nigeria is essential to its stability and growth and that of the economies of West African countries in the Subregion. While corruption and abuse of power long have been features of Nigeria’s economic and political landscapes, they do not have to remain in the country’s future. Studies designed to examine the positive challenges of good leadership as an ongoing leadership process (Northouse, 2004) may have application to Nigeria’s future. In addition, more scientific studies as well as understanding from the experience of past and present Eastern Nigerian leaders will help highlight more specifically the problems of Nigeria’s leadership.

 

May 29

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN ARMED CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN AFRICA. A STUDY OF NIGERIA

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN ARMED CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN AFRICA. A STUDY OF NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Since 2009, the Boko Haram insurgency and the government’s military response has killed thousands and displaced more than three million people. Boko Haram has kidnapped thousands of adults and children. Both Christians and Muslims have been victims of Boko Haram’s brutality. The most well known kidnapping case in international media in recent years is from 2014, where 276 mostly Christian female students were kidnapped from the Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State. Borno State is the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency, which has affected northern Nigeria, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon.

The North East of Nigeria is a heavily patriarchal society, both in the predominantly Muslim community and in the Christian community. The region’s religious and cultural norms have defined women’s status through reproduction and largely confined them to a domestic role (despite their actual participation in agricultural tasks). Women’s access to education and formal labor market is restricted in a context where men as seen as breadwinners and women as caregivers. Women in the North East do not usually own land or homes which makes them vulnerable in case of divorce or widowhood. Northern women are furthermore politically marginalised. The representation of women in legislative state assemblies in the North East is extremely low. Cultural, religious and legal inequalities combined with poverty, has contributed to further marginalization with high female illiteracy, low school attendance and high rates of child marriage.

This context places restrictions on women’s mobility and plays on conservative gender ideologies, which are further acted on by the insurgency. This complicates peacebuilding and specifically the inclusion of women as full actors in prevention, protection, mediation and peace building including reconstruction.

Insurgency and counter-insurgency have dramatically changed the lives of thousands of women and girls, casting them voluntarily, by force or for lack of other options into new, evolving roles outside the domestic sphere. Some women fight against Boko Haram within local vigilante units, like the kungiyar marhaba (hunters’association) and notably the Borno state-based Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF). Others play critical roles in relief and reconciliation, while many displaced by fighting find themselves with new responsibilities as heads of households.

Despite the changing role of women, they are still largely marginalized from political decision-making processes.

Although northern Nigerian women (Christian as well as Muslim) are often are stereotyped as marginalized and portrayed as victims, the new roles women are taking in the context of violent terrorism is creating counter-narratives were women demonstrate agency through informal peacebuilding activities. Some women courageously buy time for men and boys to escape when Boko Haram attacks their community. They also hide men and boys, including dressing them as women/girls to facilitate their escapes, and smuggle them to safety. Although women have largely been excluded from peacebuilding discussions, women have negotiated with Boko Haram at the local level to have abductees returned and even offered themselves in exchange for their children. Others try to bring Boko Haram and government officials to the negotiating table such as Aisha Wakil and Hamsatu Al Amin have done.

Women in Borno have organised and participated in numerous marches, ralllies, campaigns and protests to draw attention to abuses, demand participation and action for peace. One of the most widespread actions they took involved the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG)campaign. Meant to be a one-day march in 2014 to bring back the Chibok school girls, the movement includes a call to bring all girls and women home. In addition to the work in the North East itself, for the last five years BBOG has held weekly sit in in Abuja, numerous events in Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna and other cities of Nigeria, as well as mobilising an global virtual campaign. Women’s organisations are also mediating and building community support for returned abductees who are pregnant/having children whose fathers are/were in Boko Haram. There is a stigma, especially for women who have children born to Boko Haram fathers, even if the pregnancy was against their will. This is a major obstacle to reintegration into community life, which women actively work to change.

Advocacy against stigma and reintegration of abductees is a major topic on the agenda inside and outside of the camps, but also other issues are dealt with. These include: economic support for families whose fathers/husbands were killed, injured or missing, as well as humanitarian relief for those displaced in general; organising capacity-building for making a livelihood for women – sometimes being able to include also (very) small capital grants so that the trainees can actually use the capacity building; caring for ‘separated children’ including orphans, and working with ‘gang youth.’ This work is conducted by local women’s organizations such as Women in New Nigeria (WINN), the Borno Women’s Development Initiative, the University of Maiduguri Muslim Women’s Group, the Borno State Christian Association women’s wing, Hope in Legislative for the vulnerable and marginalised, Al Ansar, Hope for All Foundation. Some projects are also carried out by international NGOs active in the area, like the Norwegian Refugee Council and Search for Common Ground.

However, Nigerian women’s organisations, both national and especially state and local community associations, are badly under-resourced. In the current context in Borno state and local women’s organisations were doing the work described above with very small funds, often through donations through connections and contexts. When the INGOs came in, with their donor aid, they were given privileged access to IDP camps and set up their own projects and programmes – often ignoring the work that had been done previously and hiring (at much higher salaries) women to work on the INGO programmes.

The violence and brutality of Boko Haram is a major cause of insecurity, but there is also a growing concern among IDP women in the region regarding sexual exploitation and domestic violence. Household gender relations have changed as women’s economic contributions to household maintenance, to a large extent through informal work, became more clearly needed and more visible. This change in status has led to what a reported increase in violence against women within the household, because men feel their masculinity threatened.

But the violence also extends to the insecurity within the IDP camps. Supposedly a safe haven, corruption in the distribution of limited humanitarian supplies and abuse of power by members of security forces and camp staff inside the government controlled IDP camps renders women vulnerable. Stories emerging from our interviews confirm that security force members too often require sexual ‘favours’ before granting exit passes from camps to women or reduce their misappropriation of food and supplies intended for camp residents. IDP women inside the camps have started to voice their concerns about both coerced sex and ‘sex for money.’

Organisations like Baobab for Women’s Human Rights Borno state branch have taken this up and demanded accountability.

Poverty and inability to procure food for their families also made girls more vulnerable to child marriage and women increasingly vulnerable to solicitation and sexual exploitation in exchange for food or other assistance. Organizations such as the Centre for Women and Adolescents and Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative have been active against domestic violence and child marriage. For example, they try to sensitise the parent in the community on the harmful effects of child marriage, such as negative health consequences. Sensitizing sessions target parents as well as the girls at risk.

Added to that, the legal framework is lacking. None of the six states in the North East geo-political zone have enacted the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, passed at Federal level in 2015, after fourteen years of campaigning nationally by women’s rights and gender activists, including women from North East Nigeria. Legal reform is seen as an important step in protecting women from gender based violence.

Boko Haram has attacked both Christians and Muslims, convincing women’s organizations to combine forces to find ways to create more tolerant communities and build peace. A Network of Civil Society Organizations in Borno State (NECSOB), directed by a woman Fatima Shehu Imam, mobilized along inter-faith lines to provide humanitarian aid and assistance to victims of the insurgency. Women’s organizations throughout the northern states affected by Boko Haram attacks have built alliances across religious differences, including to protest abduction of girls and women.

Indeed, working across sectarian divides had long been a strategy of the women’s movement – both at national level as with their participation in the Legislative Advocacy Coalition Against Violence Against Women, for the passage of the 2015 Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP), and at state level in continuing to push for local state adoption of the federal VAPP Act, and, in peace work, for example, Borno state was the first to develop a State Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 on ensuring women’s participation in peace-making. In all of these women in the North East (as elsewhere in Nigeria) have come together across religious and other identity lines to defend and promote women’s rights.

 

May 28

EFFECT OF HUMAN AND REPUTATIONAL CAPITAL ON SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN NIGERIA

INTRODUCTION

Company which has been developed into market leader is surely getting pressure from market such as: new comers, competition of new product, raw material that authorized by competitor etc. (Leonidou et al. 2011). The case is surely disturbing one of the company’s goal in gaining competitive advantage. It marks the importance of gaining competitive advantage in facing business competition. In gaining competitive advantage, another case that also becomes company’s attention recently is the changing of government regulation towards the specific industry that sometimes stresses and slows down the growth of company performance (Sheng et al. 2011). It seems that competitive advantage also has connection to company business performance. However, all obstacles must be faced by company in order to gain competitive advantage. The ability of a company to control the environmental factor also determines its success in creating competitive advantage. So companies are striving to make environment factor such as government regulation as supporter in gaining competitive advantage (Alkali and Isa 2012). The outside environment of company is a factor that also controls company’s reputation (Ljubojevic and Ljubojevic 2008). The connection between environmental factor, company’s reputation, competitive advantage and company’s performance becomes interesting to be examined, but what is more important is the connection between company’s reputation with competitive advantage (Vargas et al. 2015).

 

Company which grows and develops well historically will pass through the determined target. It indicates that the company is trusted by market because of having a good reputation (Kiousis 2007). The good reputation gives an opportunity to improve performance target, because of market trust on the company (Keh and Xie 2009). The growth of company performance surely cannot be separated from its human resource. Human resource factor is very important in gaining company’s reputation and it is the critical factor to gain competitive advantage. Leadership in human resource is a part of company’s reputation that has a role in gaining company’s reputation (Geller 2014). Beside human resource factor, a company also needs good management (Shamma 2012) and competency (Schwaiger 2004) in building its reputation. Low company reputation will be a constrain for a company in gaining competitive advantage. This case also applies to automatic

 

 

May 28

Financial intermediation and Economic development in Nigeria 1994-2021

Financial intermediation and Economic development in Nigeria 1994-2021

ABSTRACT

One of the activities of financial institutions (banks) involves intermediating between the surplus and deficit units of the economy.  Banks as financial intermediaries emerge to lower the cost of reaching potential investments, exerting corporate controls, managing risks, mobilizing savings and conducting exchanges.  In Nigeria, banks dominate the financial sector and there is detailed information about Nigerian banking history but little information is available on the activities of the financial industry and how they affect the economy where they operate.  Therefore, this study explored in the light of past trends, the extent to which financial intermediation impacted on the Economic development of Nigeria between the period 1994 – 2021.  The study adopted the ex-post facto research design.  Time series data for the twenty years period 1994 – 2021 were collated from secondary sources and the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression technique was used to estimate the hypotheses formulated in line with the objectives of the study.  Real Gross Domestic Product per capita, proxy for Economic development was adopted as the dependent variable while the independent variables included bank deposits, bank credits and bank liquid reserves.  The empirical results of this study show that bank deposits, bank credits and bank liquid reserves exert a positive and significant impact on the Economic development of Nigeria for the period 1994 – 2021.  This paper recommended amongst others that banks should adopt and engage in aggressive marketing of their services in order to help increase their deposit base and as well ensure that a major part of their credit is channeled to the productive sectors of the economy such as agriculture, industry and power to encourage growth of the economy.  It further recommended that banks should shore up their liquid reserves to further enhance stability of their operations.

 

May 28

LEGISLATIVE-EXECUTIVE CONFLICT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA’S FOURTH REPUBLIC (2011-2021)

LEGISLATIVE-EXECUTIVE CONFLICT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA’S FOURTH REPUBLIC (2011-2021)

Abstract

The relationship between the legislature and the executive is pivotal to any constitution and is one of the central characteristics of a model of government. This research examines the implications of executive-legislative conflicts in the Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. Nigeria political development has been hampered by the conflictual political relationship existing between the key actors of policy making and policy execution. Thus the study, adopted a qualitative approach relies on secondary data, using the combination of analytical and descriptive method to assess the effect of legislative – executive conflicts on democratic governance in Nigeria. The study observes that the relationship have been twofold dimensional namely, collaborative executive-legislative relations and conflictive executive-legislative relations. However, the study focuses on the conflictual aspect of the relationship. It argues that one of the major factors threatening Nigeria’s nascent democracy today is conflict between the executive and legislative arms of government. This nature of relationship is not only injurious to democratic consolidation, but also treacherous to political stability and development.  The inability of the legislature to meaningfully impact on policy process and perform its oversight role on the executive portends a reversal from democratic to quasi-dictatorial governance. It argues that the relationship that exists between the executive and legislature is very crucial for facilitating good governance in any democratic government. This makes cooperation preferable to conflict in executive-legislative relations. The research recommends that the quest for peace, security and good governance in Nigeria requires that the executive and legislature must as a matter of urgency synergize together to engineer the policy making and implementation process that will engender good governance. Also, the executive and legislature should deem it necessary to always adopt dialogue in resolving their differences instead of resulting to outright confrontation that usually deadlocks the policy making and implementation process. It concludes that the search for a harmonious relationship between the executive and the legislature is a continuous one and in every human relationship, there must always be reasons for disagreements.

May 26

MICROBIAL ANALYSIS OF SMOKED CATFISH SOLD IN NIGERIAN MARKET

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE:

The unhygienic nature of our local markets, including fish handlers, may contribute to the presence of microorganisms in smoked fish leading to food poisoning. Furthermore, heavy metals can find their way into the food chain through fish raising public health concerns. This study assessed the microbial load and some heavy metals in smoked fishes (bongafish and catfish) sold in urban and rural markets in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Standard microbiological techniques and analytical procedures were used for microbial and heavy metals analyses, respectively.

RESULTS:

The results revealed that all the smoked fish obtained from the two markets were contaminated with heavy metals and microorganisms. Zinc was the most frequently detected heavy metal in both fish types (catfish: 15.50 ± 9.99 mg/kg; and bongafish: 16.40 ± 12.28 mg/kg) obtained from urban market, while in the rural market, it was cadmium (catfish: 15.95 ± 10.15 mg/kg; and bongafish: 18.25 ± 7.15 mg/kg). The overall elemental concentrations of the heavy metals in the fishes were in decreasing order of Cadmium>Zinc>Nickel>Cobalt>Lead. The most predominant bacterial species in fishes from the urban market was Bacillus subtilis (7.5 × 104 ± 0.871 colony- forming unit/g) while Candida tropicalis (9.2 × 104 ± 0.105) was the most predominant fungal species. More bacteria and fungi were encountered in fishes from the rural market than from the urban market. The differences in the microbial loads from the two markets were not statistically significant (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

There is a potential health risk of eating smoked fishes that are poorly stored or handled in the market as a result of heavy metal contamination and the presence of the pathogenic organism. Therefore, maintenance and enforcement of adequate sanitation practices in these markets should be encouraged to avert unpleasant health consequences.

May 26

THE CREDIBILITY OF FOREIGN ELECTORAL OBSERVERS IN ELECTION A STUDY OF 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS

THE CREDIBILITY OF FOREIGN ELECTORAL OBSERVERS IN ELECTION A STUDY OF 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Nigeria, like most post independent African states is mired in the crisis of under development. The crisis manifested itself in economic, social and political terms. The nation’s politics has become characterized by a winner takes all attitude resulting in violence, corruption, and the entertainment of what is known or called antidevelopment politics. Agreed that military and successive civilian administrations have contributed to this parlous state of affairs, yet the behaviour of Nigerian politicians leaves much to be desired. (Babatunde, 2007:53). Indeed, it can be emphatically asserted that between 1999-2015, there has been an absence of the politics of relevance in Nigeria. That is, politics geared towards the development of the nation and improvement in the material well-being of the generality  of the people. This led to clarion call for change instead of continuity of the Peoples’ Democracy Party that ruled the country for sixteen years. The change can only come about through free and fair election under the watchful eyes of local and international observers. The 2015 general is very important because of the global ramification which will be discussed in the cause of this essay. It is interesting to know that elections which normally is a scheduled routine event in which citizens select those who take decisions on their behalf, have become almost the defining events in the Nigeria national life. That is, elections in Nigeria today are defined in terms such as do –or die, the capture of offices by all means.  Yet, this is not unique to Nigeria. Globally, elections have acquired an iconic character and elections have become one of the most visible occupations across the global village. (Attahru.J.  2011:4)  International  election  observers  criss-cross  the  world  today  and  increasingly intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are actively engaging in election activities.

The need to study the 2015 general election in Nigeria is important because of the position the country occupies in Africa and the interest and respect which the international community have for the state. Also, the need to ascertain whether the independent national electoral commission has improved on the lapses that occurred during the last 2011 general elections. The 2011 election provoked massive anger, condemnations and allegation of electoral fraud of the polls. The study of 2015 general election is very vital in the sense that, it is proper to know whether the measures like card readers machines, permanent voters card, and computerized voters registered list (updated) actually reduced the incidence  of  electoral fraud in Nigeria. And to what extend the election was free and fair and conforms to the international standard as adjudge by the international observers. Above all, the role, action and assistances which the international observers rendered toward the success or failure of  the election.

May 26

Assessment of teachers attitudes towards the use of audio visual aids in teaching government in senior secondary school

Abstract

This study assessed the use of audio – visual aids in the teaching of social studies by teachers in junior secondary schools of Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State. To this end, three (3) research objectives and hypotheses each were formulated and tested in this study. These include to: assess the extent of the availability of audio – visual (aids) materials in junior secondary schools which could enhance the teaching of social studies by its teachers, identify the constraints faced by teachers in the use of audio – visual aids in the teaching of social studies in junior secondary schools. Also, to examine how effective social studies teachers’ have been in the use of audio – visual aids in the teaching of the subject at the junior secondary schools. The research design used in this study was descriptive survey, using researcher designed questionnaire. Respondents in this study were junior secondary school teachers from selected public schools in the study area. There are six (6) secondary schools in the study area with target population of sixty – eight (68) social studies teachers. Although, estimated population of eight thousand, three hundred and eighty – eight teachers are presently in the employment of the Kaduna State Government in the study Local Government Area.. In view of the sizeable target population of the study, a sample size of sixty – eight (68) respondents was adopted for the study. The reason had been that the study adopted purposive sampling technique. Data analyses were undertaken through the use of inferential statistics such as pearson moment correlation statistics at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The findings of this study revealed that significant relationship exists in the opinion of respondents between available audio – visual materials and its ability to enhance the teaching of social studies in junior secondary schools. In addition, the study revealed that constraints faced in the use of audio – visual aids by teachers would adversely affects the teaching of social studies in junior secondary schools if not address. Among others, it was recommended that efforts should be made by appropriate authorities (governments and parents’ teachers association – PTA) to set up committees to look into the issue of facilities in schools from time – to – time with a view to making such available in schools and as well, raise funds for its use and maintenance. The need to establish school/ staff – community complaints unit was also recommended to be looked into to as a matter of urgency to help address issues which affects the smooth operation of the school – teaching and learning processes.