Militancy and youth restiveness in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

This paper examined militancy and youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and the challenges it posed to Nigeria’s development. Youths are principal actors in the transition from contentious politics to violence because they are most affected by situation of powerlessness, which state oppression aggravates. Despite the enormous contributions of the region to the wealth of Nigeria, the people of the Niger Delta have remained impoverished and underdeveloped. Paradoxically, the oil producing states have benefited least from the oil wealth. Devastated by the ecological costs of oil spillage and the highest gas flaring rates in the world, Niger Delta is a political tinderbox. Poverty, unemployment, decay infrastructure, corruption at high level, misery, and lack of basic human needs, seem to be lot of the people. For the youths, violence becomes a bargaining weapon for negotiating, legitimizing or violating (oppressive) public order. The poor and unemployed youths therefore formed militia groups to seek redress against the government and the multinational corporations operating in the area. This paper explained the Nige Delta militancy within the Frustration-Aggression Theory and argues that frustration is the bane of the recurrent violence in the region. The paper also argued that most of the circumstances that generate the frustration and anger that degenerate into murderous militancy and youth restiveness in the region is founded on the sense of injustice, unemployment and such other factors as environmental security and infrastructural developmental issues that sparked the conflict in the region. This paper recommended that economic empowerment of the citizenry, both young and old, should be the corner stone of government’s policy, as an idle hand is the devil’s workshop.Keywords: Militancy, Corruption, Frustration-Aggression Theory, Terrorism, Niger-Delta, Security threat, Youth Restivenes

E-SERVICESCAPE AND CUSTOMER PATRONAGE OF INTERNET BANKING IN DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS

This study was geared towards assessing the influence of e-servicescape on customer patronage of internet banking in deposit money banks. Its aim was to examine the influences of website aesthetic appeal, website usability, website security and website interactivity on customer patronage of internet banking services. Cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. The sampling technique adopted was purposive sampling, which facilitated data collection from 228 bank customers with internet banking experience through a structured questionnaire. The study adopted multiple linear regression method to statistically test the hypotheses of the study. Consequently, the study found that website usability, website security and website interactivity had significant positive influences on customer patronage of internet banking in deposit money banks, while the effect of website aesthetic appeal was found to be non-significant and negative. Therefore, the study made relevant practical implications and suggestions for further research. Keywords: E-Servicescape, Customer Patronage, Internet Banking, Deposit Money Banks, Website Aesthetic Appeal, Website Interactivit

AFTER-SALE SERVICES AND SUBSCRIBERS' SATISFACTION WITH TERRESTRIAL TELEVISION SERVICE PROVIDERS

This study centered on the effect of after-sale services on subscribers’ satisfaction with terrestrial television service providers. It was conducted to determine the effects of product delivery, installation service, warranty service and customer support on subscribers’ satisfaction with terrestrial television service providers. The study adopted cross-sectional survey research design. Primary data were obtained from 246 subscribers of terrestrial television service providers using a structured questionnaire. The data obtained for the study were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics while the hypotheses of the study were tested using multiple linear regression. The findings of the study revealed that installation service (? = .444; p-value = .000 < 0.05) had the highest significant positive effect on subscribers’ satisfaction with terrestrial television service providers, followed by warranty service (? = .384; p-value = .003 < 0.05), product delivery (? = .352; p-value = .000 < 0.05) and customer support (? = .301; p-value = .000 < 0.05). Consequently, the study concluded that subscribers’ satisfaction with terrestrial television service providers could be effectively improved by applying after-sale service practices. To that end, the study provided practical implications for managers of terrestrial television service providers.  Keywords: After-sale Services, Subscribers’ Satisfaction, Terrestrial Television Services

Evaluating the Place of the Ekpe Traditional Institution as a Tool for Nation-Building in Pre-Colonial Cross River Region

The Cross River region is a vast socio-cultural mosaic which accommodates peoples of distinct ethnic, religious, social, economic and political inclinations. Its northern half is infact, the birth place of the Bantu group who are known to speak over 200 related languages. Amidst this plurality in culture, a traditional institution played a crucial role in the amalgamation of political structures which, if not for colonial intervention, could have engineered a nation out of these different socio-cultural groups; that traditional institution was the Ekpe institution. Literature on the proliferation and indeed imperium of Ekpe abounds. Yet, none explicitly explain the confederation which the Ekpe was at the process of engineering in the Cross River region before colonialism interrupted such progress. This work examines the unsung attempt by the Ekpe traditional institution to forge a confederation across the segmented peoples of the Cross River region. Utilizing primary and secondary evidences, it has been shown in the work that such efforts at nation-building were yielding results and would have maturated into a formidable central political unit but for colonial truncation. Keywords: Ekpe, Old Calabar, Nation-building, Ekpe confederacy, Cross River Region DOI: 10.7176/HRL/49-02 Publication date: August 31st 201

Assessment of Survivors’ Perceptions of Crises and Retrenchments in the Nigeria Banking Sector

Using the Neo Liberal and Organizational Justice theories as the theoretical framework, this study assesses the perceptions of bank employees who survived of the crises and retrenchment that swept across the Nigerian banking sector. Four banks were purposively selected for the study. Two out of these four banks, namely: First Bank Nigeria Plc. (FBN) and United Bank for Africa Plc. (UBA), are among the old generation banks (OGB), while the other two: Access Bank and Eco Bank are new generation banks (NGB). A total of 256 employees of these banks selected through the simple random sampling technique constituted the samples for the study, while questionnaires and in-depth interviews (IDIs) were used as data collection instruments. Frequency percentage distribution formed the main tool of statistical analysis. Findings revealed that the popular perception among the survivors both in in NGB and OGB is that the crises were aggravated by poor corporate governance, and corrupt practices by the Executive Management of some banks. Also, though survivors perceived the reforms introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria in response to the crises as having functioned to quell the crises, a large proportion of them, 83% in OGB, and 82% in NGB still blamed the crises for the large-scale job losses in the sector. Findings further revealed that these surviving employees, mainly those of NGB indicated not having control over the retrenchment procedures and outcomes. Consequently, they perceived the retrenchment process as unfairly executed, leaving them with a sense of uncertainty and job insecurity. The study concluded that there is clear need for bank management to display integrity in retrenchment decisions while also maintaining fairness in dealing with survivors.  Keywords: Crises, Retrenchment, Survivors, Perception, Banking Sector.

Influence of Packaging Material and Rates of Potassium Permanganate on Post Harvest Ripening of African Eggplant (Solanum Macrocarpon)

Climacteric fruits (banana, apple, pear, avocado, garden egg and mango) are actually eaten when ripen; but garden egg is not palatable when ripens and decreases demand. Influence of packaging material and rates of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) on postharvest ripening of garden egg was evaluated to access the interactive effect of KMnO4 and packaging material in delaying ripening. Two packaging materials; polythene and jute bags, KMnO4 at 0g, 3g, 6g and 9g were used. The experiment was a 2 x 4 factorial laid in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Eight treatment combinations were randomly distributed. Fruits were stored for seven days and were observed every 2 days. Result revealed that packaging material influenced postharvest ripening of garden egg with polythene bag reducing the intensity of ripening and significantly reduced shrinkage. Similarly, KMnO4 at (3g and 9g) significantly delayed ripening intensity at 4 and 6 days of storage