Knowledge of Financial Management Guidelines as a Correlate to Store Custody, Store Control, and Financial Accountability in Local Government Administration in Anambra State, Nigeria

The Local government system in Nigeria is facing a lot of problems. The most disturbing of these problems is that the local governments cannot engage in any development project due to several factors. One of such factors that is of interest to this paper is the question of financial management and the knowledge of the guidelines for financial management. This is why this study assessed the extent to which the knowledge of financial management guidelines can be considered as a correlate to financial accountability in Anambra state local government. Three hypotheses were proposed and tested. A quantitative research design was used for the study. The population for the study was made up of 9,881 staff working in the 21 local governments in the study area. The proportional stratified sampling technique was used to select six out of these 21 local governments. From a total of 2,803 staff working in the sampled local governments, 280 were sampled using purposive random sampling. Two instruments were developed for the study, namely, a questionnaire containing structured and unstructured items, and an interview guide. From the 280 staff sampled, four senior staff from each of the six local governments were interviewed. A total of 24 senior staff were interviewed while the remaining 256 staff responded to questionnaire items to generate data for this study. Data collected from the responses to the structured questionnaire were coded into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 16). The remaining data from the questionnaire, and the whole of the interview responses, were subjected to content analysis to identify emerging themes. The three hypotheses were tested at the significance level of 0.05 using Pearson Product Moments Correlation Coefficient (r). The study revealed the following: (a) the stores officers’ adherence to the guidelines in the Financial Memoranda is not dependent on their knowledge of these guidelines (r = -0.488); (b) the loss of funds observed in stores custody in Anambra state local governments is significantly related to non-adherence to the instructions and guidelines in the financial memoranda (r = 0.354); and (c) the level of adherence to the guidelines in the financial memoranda is positively related to the level of accountability of officers charged with stores in Anambra state local governments (r = 0.350). Keywords: Financial Management, Store Custody, Store Control, Financial Accountability, Local Government Administration, Nigeri

Electricity sector reality, economic security and national development in Nigeria: an elite theory dimension

The electricity sector is an immensely critical component of the equations in a 21st century economy. Economic security on the other hand is the essence of national development. The crucial question in this study therefore borders on the extent to which the electricity sector in Nigeria positively relates to economic security and how these variables ultimately link with national developmental dreams in this nation-state. We have made use of secondary sources of data and the elite theoretical framework in the conduct of the study. The methodology of the study is the critical mode of research. Our findings indicate that there are immense weak-linkages between Nigeria's electricity sector reality, economic security and national developmental aspirations in the country. And this is principally (un) driven by elite insensitivity. The paper emphasizes that a critical leadership challenge in Nigeria hinges on the appreciation of the import of these linkages by current and subsequent generations of national development planners in the Nigerian state

Entrepreneurial curriculum in African universities: A panacea to graduates’ unemployment if?

Background: University education is a prerequisite for the production of highly competent experts which, in turn, contributes to economic growth and national development at large. For these to be achieved, the right entrepreneurial (content) curriculum and qualified teachers must be in place to perform this varied function. Aim: Within the framework of human capital and cognitive theories - an eclectic approach - this article examines the nexus between entrepreneurial curriculum in Africa and graduates employability with specific reference to Nigerian universities. To interrogate the issues raised, this article employed descriptive survey design and content analysis. Setting: This study was carried out using qualitative desktop method in deriving data for answering the question. Over 50 literature were consulted and analysed in order to establish the nexus between entrepreneurial curriculum and graduate employability in Africa. Methods: This research employed the descriptive survey method and content analysis with the researchers setting out to illustrate the association that exists between the dependent and independent variables. Results: This article argues that the extent to which entrepreneurship education curriculum inculcates entrepreneurial skills among Nigerian undergraduates, is very poor. Also, the quality of resource persons employed to teach entrepreneurship education in the Nigerian universities appears not to possess the requisite knowledge to impart entrepreneurial spirit in students. Conclusion: It concludes that the university authorities should ensure a ‘fit’ in the recruitment of entrepreneurial education lecturers as well as an adequate provision of teaching and learning aids

Causal attribution of mental illness in south-eastern Nigeria

Background: Understanding of mental illness in sub-Saharan Africa has remained under-researched in spite of the high and increasing neuropsychiatric burden of disease in the region. Aims: This study investigated the causal beliefs that the Igbo people of south-eastern Nigeria hold about schizophrenia, with a view to establishing the extent to which the population makes psychosocial, biological and supernatural attributions. Method: Multi-stage sampling was used to select participants (N = 200) to which questionnaires were administered. Results: Mean comparison of the three causal models revealed a significant endorsement of supernatural causation. Logistic regressions revealed significant contributions of old age and female gender to supernatural attribution; old age, high education and Catholic religious denomination to psychosocial attributions; and high education to biological attributions. Conclusions: It is hoped that the findings would enlighten, augment literature and enhance mental health care service delivery

Pathways to mental healthcare in south-eastern Nigeria

In sub-Saharan Africa, traditional and faith healers provide competing services alongside biomedical professionals. This may be associated with delays in reaching specialised mental health services, and hence with longer duration of untreated illness. As first line care constitutes a crucial stage in accessing of psychiatric care, investigating pathways to mental healthcare can highlight help-seeking choices. This study explored the pathways to care for mental illness preferred by a non-clinical sample of the population in south-eastern Nigeria. Multistage sampling was used to select participants (N = 706) who completed questionnaires on help-seeking. Results showed a significant preference for biomedical (90.8%) compared to spiritual (57.8%) and traditional (33.2%) pathways. Higher education predicted preference for the biomedical model, while low education was associated with traditional and spiritual pathways. Protestants preferred the spiritual pathway more than did Catholics. The use of biomedical care is potentially undermined by poor mental health infrastructure, a lack of fit between the culture of biomedical care and the deep-seated cultural/religious worldviews of the people, stigma surrounding mental illness, and the likelihood of a social desirability bias in responses. A complementary model of care is proposed

THE CIVIL SERVICE AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: ISSUES, PROSPECTS AND NEW HOPES

Abstract The civil service is the engine room of modern government. It comprises an assemblage of career officials, recruited in a civil capacity to serve the citizenry. By their training, they are equipped to champion the course of development by faithfully implementation and evaluation of government polices and programmes. They are expected to do this in a transparent and accountable manner. However, the British bequeathed civil service model in Nigeria has failed to meet the expectations of the people judging by the catalogue of dysfunctionalities in the polity. With the use of the elite model, the study submitted that the failure of the ruling elite to adhere to constitutive rules is at the heart of the present crisis plaguing the public sector. To come out of this contraption, the administrative and political elites should embrace the principles of good governance that includes: respect for institutionalism, public accountability, popular participation, equity, among others. Unless these steps are followed, the Nigerian civil service may remain a mere geographical expression with little or no growth and development

Culture and Its Role in Promoting Democracy and Good Governance in Africa: Finding the Missing Link

The paper examines the role of culture in promoting democracy and good governance in Africa. It also explores the concepts surrounding an optimal governance arrangement for cultural and democratic institutions and the challenges current arrangements have on organizational governance and structures to deliver optimal and effective outcomes. The paper argues that for culture to promote democracy and good governance, actions should be taken towards cultural re-orientation with the aim of making it useful to our democracy and governance. The emphasis on humanity and personhood finds expression in several African maxims. Regrettably, the culture of individualism and primitive accumulation of wealth have dislocated humanity and personhood in Africa. We therefore, recommend among others, that communalism, high moral order in governance, community and state relations based on duties and obligations of the people to the state, deep sense of hard work and self-reliant, even as they embrace best practices from outside the continent of Africa. With these and other steps if implemented will launch the continent on the path of democratization and good governance by retrieving and showcasing its uniqueness as a people with deep sense of history and pride

Antibiotic Resistant and Plasmid Borne Bacteria Associated with Locally Produced Honey in Enugu State, Nigeria

Aim: The aim of this study is to isolate and identify bacteria contaminants present in the honey samples sold in Ogbete market and detect the presence of imipenem resistance genes in the isolates. Place and Duration of Study: A total of four samples were collected from Ogbete market at Zenith bank, Peace mass, Wheelbarrow and Peace park stations between the early hours of the morning (8-9am) within the month of April, 2023. Methodology: Microbiological analysis was carried out on the samples, including antimicrobial susceptibility test using disc diffusion method., after which Molecular analysis involving DNA extraction, PCR and Plasmid Profiling, were carried out. Results: The total mean heterotrophic bacterial count ranged from 0.03±2.5×103cfu/ml to 22.1±25.5×103cfu/ml. The highest total mean heterotrophic bacterial count was recorded in Zenith bank while the lowest was in Peace mass. The bacteria isolated and characterized through morphological and biochemical tests include Escherichia coli (45%) Klebsiella spp. (41%), Staphylococcus spp. (9%) and Streptococcus spp. (5%). Escherichia coli had the highest frequency of occurrence at 45% while Streptococcus spp. had the lowest at 5%. The sensitivity test showed that the isolates with the highest frequency of occurrence, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. posed a high resistance to Imipenem and Nalidixic at 80% while the least resistance was in Levofloxacin at 10% from these two isolates. The gene of interest, BlaIMP was found after PCR assay. Plasmid DNA was further carried out using the alkaline lysis method using the Zymo research kit. All isolates possessed a single plasmid with molecular weight of 23.1kbp. Conclusion: These isolates may undergo horizontal gene transfer and confer resistance to other microorganisms. Thus, there is need for the development of proper measures to counter bacterial contamination of locally produced honey as this poses a threat to public health