The Nigerian employee and the quest for confirmation: examining the quagmire of probationary status

Nigeria today, in both private and public establishments, probation is a common employment practice used to ascertain the competence and suitability of employees for confirmation of employment. Hence, this paper through desk base research methodology examines the concept of probationary employment in the light of employees’ quest for security of employment in Nigeria. It argues that probation is a period used to ascertain the suitability or otherwise of an employee but employers have used it to enslave workers. The paper discusses the philosophical basis, procedure for determination of probationary employment and implication of promotion on probationary employment. The remedies available to a dismissed probationer are also highlighted. The legal status of a probationer and the suitable length of time of probationary employment are also discussed. An analysis of case law shows that there is no procedure for termination of probationary employment. The paper recommends that the Labour Act be amended to peck the period of probation in Nigeria and define its incidences.Keywords: Probationary employment, Employee, Employer, Promotion, Dismissa

Readng Culture And Academic Achievement Among Secondary School Students

In the time past reading was a culture cultivated by school children at primary and secondary which facilitated their academic achievement at these levels and their entry into tertiary institutions. Reading culture among school children and even adults is fast being eroded and is giving way for television, home video viewing and internet exploration for phonographic pictures. This study therefore, is aimed at surveying the relationship between reading culture and academic achievement of secondary school students. To achieve this, 3 hypotheses were formulated and tested. 100 students were used for the study. Two (2) separate research instruments were used to collect data and Pearson product moment correlation analysis was employed. The findings were that reading culture in terms of time habit, and ability to concentrate was significantly related with academic achievement or performance. Students should cultivate healthy reading culture if they must do well in and outside the school. Effective reading habits, time keeping and concentration are recommended for the students for improved academic performance. Parents, teachers and counsellors have important roles to play to help inculcate good reading habits in the children to promote satisfactory academic performance

The African mining vision: perspectives on mineral resource development in Africa

This article argues that, after the recent boom, the African Mining Vision (AMV), upon making development central in the extractive industry, is a paradigm whose time has come. We hypothesize that the Vision is forwardlooking with a robust ideational foundation, able to seize emerging policy windows towards lasting paradigm shift for Africa’s extractive sector. The article presents a dynamic framework for analysing policy change in the extractive sector in Africa, based on the power of ideas and interests networks. While the crisis in the sector presents an opportunity, the article analyses the binding political economy constraints that African governments would have to overcome at the global, regional and country levels to implement the transformative ideas of the AMV. The article presents a matrix systematically analysing possible scenarios for implementing the Africa Mining Vision. The implementation of the AMV would likely be non-linear. Vested interests, including resistance to change and diversity of country contexts, could lead to varied outcomes in the implementation of AMV in the short and medium terms.Keywords: Africa Mining Vision, ideas, interest’s networks, extractives sector,commodity booms

Judicial Balacing of Parental Objection to Medical Treatment on the Basis of Religious Beleifs and Children Right to Life in Nigeria

Children being vulnerable, have special protection under the law through their parents or guardian who are responsible for them; and make decisions for them because they lack legal capacity. One of these decisions a parent/guardian makes is determining the religion of a child. Once the parent/guardian chooses the religion of the child, the child may become bound by its practices throughout childhood. While the right of parents to determine the religion of their children is recognised by domestic, regional and international laws, the way courts in Nigeria treat this recognition suggests that the right is not absolute. This paper adopts the doctrinal methodology in interrogating the extent to which Nigerian Courts permit the observation by a child of the religious practices of his/her parent in relation to submission to medical treatment in order to protect the child’s right to life. This paper argues that law and morality are media of social control but have their convergence and divergence. It further argues that sanctity of human life which for many forbids suicide, requires that even adults should not be allowed to object to medical treatment which refusal may result in death which can be seen as “disguised suicide.” These authors examined the Supreme Court decision in Medical Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Council v. Okonkwo and found that; Nigerian Courts recognise parent right to choose their children religion and practices however, any religious practice prejudicial to the child based on the “best interest” principle provided under the Child Right Act and its States equivalent will be jettisoned. It examines the practice in Britain and Canada and draw lessons for Nigeria. This paper recommends public enlightenment, prohibition of harmful religious beliefs such as objection to life-saving medical procedure by parents for minors as means of    balancing parents/guardian right to choose their children religious beliefs and preservation of the children right to life

Putting the model to the test: are APC proteins essential for neuronal polarity, axon outgrowth, and axon targeting?

The highly polarized architecture of neurons is important for their function. Experimental data based on dominant-negative approaches suggest that the tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), a regulator of Wnt signaling and the cytoskeleton, regulates polarity of neuroectodermal precursors and neurons, helping specify one neurite as the axon, promoting its outgrowth, and guiding axon pathfinding. However, such dominant-negative approaches might affect processes in which APC is not essential. We completely removed both APCs from Drosophila melanogaster larval neural precursors and neurons, testing whether APCs play universal roles in neuronal polarity. Surprisingly, APCs are not essential for asymmetric cell division or the stereotyped division axis of central brain (CB) neuroblasts, although they do affect cell cycle progression and spindle architecture. Likewise, CB, lobular plug, and mushroom body neurons do not require APCs for polarization, axon outgrowth, or, in the latter two cases, axon targeting. These data suggest that proposed cytoskeletal roles for APCs in mammals should be reassessed using loss of function tools

Termination of Employment Based on Employee’s HIV Status: The Response of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria

This article adopts desk-based methodology in interrogating the issue of HIV related employment termination in Nigeria, focusing on the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) decision in Akinola v. Ocean Marine Solutions Ltd. It examined international and domestic legal frameworks on the subject, the human rights affected by such termination, the impact of the decision taken on the protection of the human cum employment rights of employees living with HIV/AIDS and the response of the NICN to the quagmire. It observed that the quantum of damages awarded by the NICN cannot achieve deterrence. It recommends how to eradicate HIV related employment termination in Nigeria

Activated Armadillo/β-Catenin Does Not Play a General Role in Cell Migration and Process Extension in Drosophila

Human beta-catenin and its fly homolog Armadillo are best known for their roles in cadherin-based cell-cell adhesion and in transduction of Wingless/Wnt signals. It has been hypothesized that beta-catenin may also regulate cell migration and cell shape changes, possibly by regulating the microtubule cytoskeleton via interactions with APC. This hypothesis was based on experiments in which a hyperstable mutant form of beta-catenin was expressed in MDCK cells, where it altered their migratory properties and their ability to send out long cellular processes. We tested the generality of this hypothesis in vivo in Drosophila. We utilized three model systems in which cell migration and/or process extension are known to play key roles during development: the migration of the border cells during oogenesis, the extension of axons in the nervous system, and the migration and cell process extension of tracheal cells. In all cases, cells expressing activated Armadillo were able to migrate and extend cell processes essentially normally. The one alteration from normal involved an apparent cell fate change in certain tracheal cells. These results suggest that only certain cells are affected by activation of Armadillo/beta-catenin, and that Armadillo/beta-catenin does not play a general role in inhibiting cell migration or process extension

UPAYA PEMBERIAN PEMBELAJARAN LOMPAT TALI UNTUK MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR LOMPAT JAUH SISWA KELAS V SD 35 SEBETUNG KEC. TEBAS KAB. SAMBAS TAHUN 2013AJARAN 2012/2013.

Abstrak: Permasalahan dalam penelitian ini adalah apakah upaya pemberian latihan lompat tali terhadap hasil belajar lompat jauh. Adapun tujuan penelitian adalah untuk mengetahui upaya pemberian latihan lompat tali terhadap hasil belajar lompat jauh. Bentuk dari penelitian yang dilaksanakan merupakan penelitian tindakan kelas (Classroom Action Research). Penelitian tindakan kelas (PTK) secara umum bertujuan untuk memperbaiki mutu praktik pembelajaran dikelas. Hasil penelitian pembelajaran penjas materi lompat jauh dengan upaya pemberian pembelajaran lompat tali untuk meningkatkan hasil belajar lompat jauh yang prosesnya meliputi I siklus. Siklus I berlangsung melalui empat tahapan yaitu perencanaan, pelaksanaan, observasi, dan refleksi memperoleh nilai rata-rata 78,18.Kata kunci : Lompat Tali, Hasil Belajar Lompat Jauh.Abstract : Guestion decp accurate now efforts to study jump stering output to study jump far. As for direction for efforts to study jump stering in output to study jump far. Form from accurate classroom action research accurate the public to study in class. Out put accurate to study penjas material jump stering legal action 1. For output jump stering pupil class V school base 35 Sebetung kecamatan Tebas kabupaten Sambas. Output accurate to study material jump stering legal action 1 straight except for standart to planning, to execute, observation, and reflex. As for direction for efforts to study jump stering in output to study jump far. Form from accurate classroom action research accurate the public to study in class.Keywords : Jump stering, Output to study jump far

Attraction of business and restriction in legal practice in Nigeria and United States: need for globalization via legal education

The legal practice is perceived by many to be a noble profession where high professional standards and ethics are maintained. In addition, it is a profession for the diligent; those who know their worth and have what it take to discharge their professional responsibility. However, the practice in many jurisdictions where advertisement of legal practice or law firm is permitted does not encourage the display of skills and can kill brilliant performance and nobility accorded the profession. It puts law for sale and capable of deceiving prospective clients to engage law firms who have money to advertise or attracts even when they do not possess the ideal or desired qualities. Thus, this paper explores some of the provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct in Nigeria, which restrict the attraction of business in the practice of law with some exceptions. It will also compare the implications of the practice with other jurisdiction(s) in order to discover the value of it. The paper further advocates the globalization of the concept through legal education in law faculties in the Universities and law schools.Keywords: Attraction, Legal Practice, Globalization, Legal Education, Entreprela