Institutional Collaboration as Essential Ingredient for Good Governance, Efficient and Effective Service Delivery in a Democracy: A Critical Discourse

Democracy governance process and the accompanying politics in real sense largely consist of the examination and maintenance of the ways in which constitutional political and administrative institutions social forces and movementss in a particular society interact with each other of limits upon the extent to which stable constitutional modes of behavior can be developed and of the effects they can have on molding behavior for a productive and mutually beneficial holistic existence of the state This has been largely so and still expected of the state This has been Largely so and still expected to be so in that under the federal governmental system each citizen is represented by at least three federal state and local governments as well as a myriad of other interest

Democratic Governance and Participatory Budgeting: A Theoretical Discourse of the Nigerian Experience

This paper examines the issue of Democratic governance and participatory budgeting in the context of their relevance challenges and implications for the public sector finances and or public spending and the masses in Nigeria It specifically focuses on the Nigerian experience situation The necessary interconnectedness among these concepts was identified and examined vis- -vis the implications of such affinities for the people s ability to understand where the ultimate powers over public policies in these respects aboun

The Nexus of Collaboration among the Horizontal Organs of Government in Nigeria: A Critical Analysis within the Context of Effective Service Delivery and Politics of Hope for Nigeria and Nigerians

This paper focuses on the nexus of collaboration among the horizontal organs of government in Nigeria in the context of effective service delivery and politics of hope for the nation and its citizens While specifically examining the three organs of government and their institutional mechanisms of separation of powers and checks and balances in the process it elucidates the concepts of politics budgets servant leadership and governance It dichotomizes the latter into two good and bad governance with detailed analysis of the imperatives of both and their implications for the pursuit of effective service delivery for the citizenry in any nation like Nigeri

Effects of Saccharum officinarum Molasses on Hematology and Hepatic Functions of Male Wistar Rats

Background: Sweeteners are a utile source of nourishment for cuisine preparation but are linked with the risk of occurrence of several diseases. Hence, the quest for healthier sweetening agents with lesser harmful effects cannot be ignored. Saccharum officinarum molasses, a natural nutritive sweetener, has become a popular substitute despite a dearth of knowledge on its healthiness. Aim: To assess the effects of Saccharum officinarum molasses on hematology, serum electrolyte, lipid profile, liver histology, and redox status of male Wistar rats. Methods: Blackstrap® Saccharum officinarum molasses (SOM) was fractionated to obtain Saccharum officinarum molasses methanol fraction (SOMMF) and Saccharum officinarum molasses aqueous fraction (SOMAqF). Seven groups (n = 5) of adult male Wistar rats received distilled water (Control); 1.0, 3.2, 10.0 g/kg SOMMF and 0.6, 2.0, 6.4 g/kg SOMAqF, respectively. Administrations were done daily via oral gavage for eight weeks. Full blood indices were determined with an automated hematology analyzer, serum electrolyte by monoliquid colorimetric test, and serum lipid profile using the enzymatic colorimetric test. Liver malondialdehyde and antioxidant levels were assayed by spectrophotometry. Liver histology was assessed using microscopy. Data were analyzed using ANOVA at p < 0.05 significance. Results: SOM increased liver catalase activity and serum levels of iron and potassium. It reduced serum levels of lipid profile, zinc and sodium ions, hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count, packed cell volume, superoxide dismutase activity of the liver, and concurrently disrupted liver cytoarchitecture. Conclusion: Saccharum officinarum molasses adversely disrupted the hematological and hepatic functions of male Wistar rats

Effects of Saccharum officinarum Molasses on Hematology and Hepatic Functions of Male Wistar Rats

Background: Sweeteners are a utile source of nourishment for cuisine preparation but are linked with the risk of occurrence of several diseases. Hence, the quest for healthier sweetening agents with lesser harmful effects cannot be ignored. Saccharum officinarum molasses, a natural nutritive sweetener, has become a popular substitute despite a dearth of knowledge on its healthiness. Aim: To assess the effects of Saccharum officinarum molasses on hematology, serum electrolyte, lipid profile, liver histology, and redox status of male Wistar rats. Methods: Blackstrap® Saccharum officinarum molasses (SOM) was fractionated to obtain Saccharum officinarum molasses methanol fraction (SOMMF) and Saccharum officinarum molasses aqueous fraction (SOMAqF). Seven groups (n = 5) of adult male Wistar rats received distilled water (Control); 1.0, 3.2, 10.0 g/kg SOMMF and 0.6, 2.0, 6.4 g/kg SOMAqF, respectively. Administrations were done daily via oral gavage for eight weeks. Full blood indices were determined with an automated hematology analyzer, serum electrolyte by monoliquid colorimetric test, and serum lipid profile using the enzymatic colorimetric test. Liver malondialdehyde and antioxidant levels were assayed by spectrophotometry. Liver histology was assessed using microscopy. Data were analyzed using ANOVA at p < 0.05 significance. Results: SOM increased liver catalase activity and serum levels of iron and potassium. It reduced serum levels of lipid profile, zinc and sodium ions, hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count, packed cell volume, superoxide dismutase activity of the liver, and concurrently disrupted liver cytoarchitecture. Conclusion: Saccharum officinarum molasses adversely disrupted the hematological and hepatic functions of male Wistar rats

Risk mitigation strategies and policy implications for carbon dioxide (CO 2) emission in organically-amended soils in Nigeria

Global food security has been a challenge, especially in Africa. This has attracted the adoption of strategies to improve soil productivity and crop yield. One of such strategies is the use of solid wastes as soil organic matter amendments. An investigation of the effects of soil amendment using poultry manure, sawdust and their mixtures on carbon dioxide (CO 2) emission, maize (Zea mays L.) growth and dry matter yield were assessed under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Top soil obtained from unfertilized plots at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching and Research farm, Ile-Ife, Nigeria was used for the experiments. The organic amendments were added at the rate of 10 g/kg, treatments were in triplicates and treatment means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at 95% level of significance. Results obtained revealed that CO 2 emission decreased while maize heights and dry matter yields significantly (P> 0.05) increased with increasing ratios of poultry manure in the poultry manure-sawdust mixtures. The CO 2 emission from poultry manure amended soil was about 61% that from sawdust amended soil while the mean height and dry matter yield in sawdust-amended soils were 84% and 52% respectively those obtained in poultry manure amended soil. This paper concludes that it is essential to design and implement policies that will guide and encourage the use of organic amendments at ratios that can enhance crop yield and mitigate CO 2 emission to the environment

Comparative antioxidant activity, total phenol and total flavonoid contents of two Nigerian ocimum species

Antioxidants are compounds which act as a major defense against oxidative stress caused by free radicals. In this study, a comparative evaluation of the antioxidant properties, phenolic and flavonoid contents of the methanolic extracts of Ocimum gratissimum Linn and Ocimum canum Sims was carried out. Crude extracts of both plants were obtained by maceration of powdered plant materials in methanol (80%) for 24hrs. The phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined using standard methods while the antioxidant capacities were evaluated using six different in vitro radical scavenging assays: total antioxidant potential, reductive potential, I, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, lipid peroxidation inhibition, hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide scavenging activity. The total phenolic content in O. gratissimum and O. canum were found to be 32.66 ± 6.21 and 17.19 ± 2.54 mg GAE/g dw while total flavonoid content gave 1.94 ± 0.23 and 0.67 ± 0.01 mg QUE/g dw, respectively. Both extracts had effective reductive potential as well as exhibited strong total antioxidant capacity with increasing concentration of extract. Comparatively, O. gratissimum exhibited a significantly (p < 0.05) higher capacity to quench the DPPH free radical with IC50 value of 26.01 ± 3.2 µg/ml than O. canum, which has an IC50 value of 60.45 ± 5.22 µg/m. O. gratissimum also significantly inhibited membrane lipid peroxidation and hydroxyl radical formation with IC50 of 99.37 ± 8.56 µg/ml and 465.33 ± 21.62 µg/ml, respectively while O. canum correspondingly gave IC50 values of 447.5 ± 35.61 µg/ml and 868.16 ± 43.05 µg/ml. In the nitric oxide scavenging activity, however, O. canum showed a stronger inhibitory effect than O. gratissimum as indicated by their IC50 values of 277.22 ± 15.09 µg/ml and 731 ± 56.99 µg/ml, respectively. These activities are however several folds lower than those of butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT), ascorbic acid and quercetin used as antioxidant standards. The results demonstrate that O. gratissimum has greater antioxidant capacity than O. canum because of its relatively higher radical scavenging activity in all antiradical tests carried out except the nitric acid scavenging test and higher contents of flavonoid and phenolic compounds. O. gratissimum is therefore more beneficial therapeutically than O. canum since it provides better defense against free radical induced oxidative stress, and this attribute probably explains its relative preference in ethnomedicine for both culinary and medicinal purposes amongst the Ocimum species widely cultivated in South Western Nigeria

Effect of subclinical, clinical and supraclinical doses of calcium channel blockers on models of drug-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Drug-related hepatotoxicity is the leading cause of acute liver failure, and hepatic problems are responsible for a significant number of liver transplantations and deaths worldwide. Calcium has been associated with various metabolic processes that lead to cell death and apoptosis, and increased cytosolic Ca2+ has been implicated in hepatotoxicity. This study was designed to investigate the effects of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) on isoniazid-rifampicin, zidovudine and erythromycin-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Treatment groups comprised control, hepatotoxicant, hepatotoxicant along with each of silymarin, nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem at subclinical, clinical and supraclinical doses. A day to the end of treatment for each model, rats were subjected to the hexobarbitone-induced hypnosis test. On the last days of treatment, blood samples were collected and serum was analyzed for relevant biochemical parameters. Animals were sacrificed after blood collection and livers were harvested, and samples obtained for in vivo antioxidant indices assay and histopathology. The hepatotoxicants significantly increased serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), as well as duration of sleep in the hypnosis test. These drugs significantly reduced the hepatic levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and increased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA). The CCBs at the various doses significantly reversed the effects of isoniazid-rifampicin, zidovudine and erythromycin. The results obtained in this study suggest that the CCBs possess hepatoprotective activity in drug-induced hepatotoxicity and may be beneficial at the subclinical and clinical doses

Determination of Work Index of Enyigba Lead Ore, Ebonyi State, South-East Nigeria

The determination of work index of Enyigba Lead Ore, Ebony State using the modified bond energy (Berry & Bruce) method was investigated. The test sample was obtained from Enyigba village in Ebonyi State. A reference material (granite) was sourced from Anguwan-Boro granite deposit, Sabo, Kaduna metropolis. A known weight of reference and test material were crushed, pulverized and ground using the laboratory ball mill machine. The cell used in grinding the two samples has twelve steel balls of diameter 3.5cm and 222g weight. The size analysis of the feed for both reference and test material was found to be 218.2 and 218.6µm, and a ball mill discharge was 189.9 and 188.9µm respectively. The granite as a reference material with work index of 15.13kwh/ short ton was used to calculate the work index of the test material which was found to be 14.37kwh/short ton, being the energy required to comminute one tone of the ore and confirmed to be within the range indicated by previous research work on lead ore

Strategic issues in jatropha biofuel enterprise development in Nigeria

In Nigeria today, fossil fuels constitute the major source of energy for the economy with consumption costs in excess of N 654 billion for petrol, N 303.2 billion for diesel and N 194 billion for Kerosene. The global debate on Climate Change/CO 2 emissions and domestic concerns on economic, environmental and energy security implications have necessitated alterative energy options and created opportunities for sustainable biofuel enterprise in Nigeria. Jatropha curcas (known as Lapalapa in Yoruba-speaking parts of Nigeria) is an uncultivated non-food wild-species plant with great potential for bioenergy development in the country. The seeds are resistant to a high degree of aridity and contain 27-40% oil that can be processed to produce a high-quality biodiesel fuel, usable in a standard diesel engine. With estimated diesel demands in Nigeria being 3600-4200 thousand metric tonnes by 2020, there is an expansive opportunity for jatropha biofuel enterprise in the country. This study examines the strategic issues (technological, economic, environmental, and socio-cultural) governing its development and proposes policy recommendations for its successful exploitation