Separation of powers: Panacea for good governance in Nigeria

Democracy or Representative Government has been treasured world over as the best system as against despotic or autocratic government and indeed any other form of governmental system that allows the fruits of governance to be manifest and to be felt both by the leaders and the led. Thus, good governance which flows from democracy as a system of government cannot be realizable without some principles or doctrines formulated by some political philosophers which today have been recognized and entrenched into various Constitutions as the oil which lubricates the modern democratic government. This paper examined an aspect of so many of these principles which is ‘Separation of Powers’. It views this doctrine ‘Separation of Powers’ as a panacea for Good Governance in Nigeria. The scope of this paper is limited to this concept of Separation of powers in the light of current issues in Nigerian Democracy relating to vetoing Presidential Assent to a Bill, that is overriding the assent of a President to a Bill, Election sequence Bill Vis-à-vis relevant laws on elections and the Executive Orders/Proclamation of the President. The author concludes with proffering some solutions to the apparent crisis between the Executive and Legislative Arms of Government which sometimes overflows into Judiciary.Keywords: Separation of Powers, Good Governance, Panacea, Nigeria, Constitutio

Trends of critical care management of obstetric patients in a tertiary hospital in sub-Saharan Africa

Background: The maternal mortality rate in sub-Saharan Africa is high compared to other regions of the world. Management of critically ill obstetric patients is very challenging. We therefore evaluate the trends, clinical characteristics and outcome of the obstetric patients admitted into the intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in sub Saharan Africa.Methods: This was a 9- year retrospective study carried out at the multidisciplinary Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a University Teaching Hospital which serves as a referral centre for the south east region of the country. Data were collected from the patients’ record, ICU admission and discharge register. Also collected was data concerning labor ward admission and deliveries. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 17 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).Results: The total admission into the ICU during the study period was 1243 patients of which 73 (5.87%) were obstetric patients. They were between the ages of 17 and 54 years with mean of 32.05±5.96 years. The total number of deliveries within the period was 11224 (1247 per year). The commonest obstetric cases admitted into the ICU were (pre) eclampsia 28.8% followed by obstetric hemorrhage 24.7%. The overall mortality rate in this study was 39.7%. The commonest intervention carried out in the ICU was mechanical ventilation.Conclusions: The two leading indications for ICU admission and maternal mortality are (pre)eclampsia and obstetric hemorrhage

Parameterization of Teacher-made Physics Achievement Test Using Deterministic-Input-Noisy-and-Gate (DINA) Model

Traditional methods of test parameterization have been found defective in terms of assuming one score and not providing information on skills mastery profile of the examinees, in addition to non-estimation of the fourth parameter- slipping parameter of test items. Cognitive diagnostic modeling (CDM), specifically deterministic-input-noisy-and-gate (DINA) model is a robust procedure for measuring the skills mastery profile of the examinees, when there is no attribute hierarchy. DINA model also estimates four item parameters: discriminating, difficult, guessing and slipping which hitherto are not implemented as a whole in traditional techniques including the item response theory (IRT). Physics was chosen because it is commingled with civilization. Also, secondary school Physics teachers predominantly use teacher-made tests in their internal examinations in Nigeria.  Such instrument cannot be used to precipitate the true ability levels of the students for purposes of promotion. The data collected plus the harmonized Q-matrix were analyzed using CDM package in r software version 3.4.3 via R-Studio version 1.0.153. The results showed that: (i) eighteen items in the test fit the DINA model while thirty-two items had misfit. (ii) nine attributes were mastered by the examinees while three attributes were not mastered. It was recommended that schools’ item banks should be created by the governments for uploading psychometrically robust test items for teachers’ use. Keywords: Physics, teacher-made test, DINA model and parameterization

Social Media and Health Mobilization During Emergencies: The Case of Lassa Fever Outbreak in Ebonyi, Nigeria

Lassa fever is an existential threat to Ebonyi, one of Nigeria's 36 states, located in the southeastern region. Communication is a critical component of the integrated approach the government has adopted to combat the disease. This study examines the influence of social media in the management of the 2018 outbreak. Results from 426 respondents show that 74.47 percent received their first story on the outbreak via social media, while 72.30 percent visited social media platforms daily. Facebook was the dominant social media subscription - 87.56 percent. A significant 97.88 percent visited at least once a day. Findings also show that, after the visits, 74.08 percent took preventive actions from food infection. This figure accounts for a little more than half of the total preventive actions taken. Some 84.04 percent gave social media a pass mark for its impact, while 98.70 engaged in one form of health awareness creation or another through their social media contacts. Overall, 89.67 percent claimed that the information consumed on social media had some impact on them. One of the recommendations is that this impressive performance should be sustained

Effects of honey supplementation on hydrocarbon-induced kidney and liver damage in wistar albino rats

This study investigated the chemoprotective and ameliorative effects of natural honey on nephro-and hepatoxocity induced by gasoline and kerosene in wistar albino rats. Ingestion of gasoline and kerosene contaminated diets significantly (P<0.05) increased serum levels of urea, creatinine, potassium ion (K+), total bihrubin, and the activities of serum hepatic marker enzymes, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino-transferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Conversely, serum levels of sodium ion (Na+), chloride ion (Cl-) and bicarbonate ion (HCO3) were significantly decreased. However, the concentration of these serum metabolites and the activities of the hepatic marker enzymes, AST, ALT and ALP, in rats exposed to gasoline and kerosene and fed simultaneously with natural honey supplemented diet were close to those obtained in control rats. Rats that were exposed to gasoline and kerosene and later given natural honey supplemented diets after four (4) weeks of gasoline and kerosene exposure did not also differ significantly (P<0.05) in serum metabolite concentration and hepatic enzymes activities as compared to the control rats. These observations suggest that the consumption of natural honey supplemented diet has chemoprotective and ameliorative effects against gasoline and kerosene induced kidney and liver tissue damage.Keywords: Honey, contaminated diets, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicit

Towards sustainable development of environmental resources in Nigeria: examining the limitations

Many unsustainable activities such as, wood logging, bush burning, unregulated hunting of wildlife, over–grazing, deforestation, oil spills, gas flaring, Artizinal mining, urbanization which usually result to some adverse environmental impact like climate change, loss of carbon sink, desertification, pollution, depletion of biological resources, coastal erosion and flooding are the major limitations to sustainable development of environmental resources in Nigeria. However, in order to prevent the total annihilation of environmental resources and to conserve same for the benefits of both present and future generations’ legislations and policies have evolved which aim at achieving sustainable development of Nigeria environmental resources. This paper examines the concept of sustainable development of environmental resources in Nigeria and its limitation. The study makes some recommendations to navigate the identified limitations.Keywords: Sustainable development, Environmental resources, Limitations, Nigeri

Cultural practices and human rights implications on HIV/AIDS discrimination and other related issues in Nigeria

In today’s fact changing world law is generally acknowledged as a veritable instrument for the extension of liberties in all societies including Nigeria. In all these societies, the most overwhelming concern in the 21st century is the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Before now, the critical concern by governments and organization around the world have been the social, economic and psychological effects of HIV/AIDS as ‘a global emergency and one of the most formidable challenges to human life and dignity, and the active enjoyment of human rights, which undermines social and economic developments throughout the world and effects all levels of society. In the world over considerable efforts are being made to tackle this endemic disease headlong, because of its economic, social and cultural adverse impact in the life of nations. One of such meaning of tackling the disease is through the enactment of legislations on the subject. For instance Nigerian government recently enacted HIV/AIDS Anti – Discrimination Act, 2014 among other laws and policies to address the challenges of HIV/AIDS in the country. The focus of this paper is to use the HIV/AIDS Anti-Discrimination Act, 2014, to justify the enactment of national legislation on AIDS in Nigeria with particular reference to gender discrimination law and human rights. Consequently, this paper will highlight the challenges facing the efforts of the government on HIV/AIDS issues and lastly some recommendations will be profferedKeywords: HIV/AIDS, Cultural Practices, Human Rights, Discrimination, Nigeri

Pengaruh Penerapan Corporate Governance Terhadap Kinerja Keuangan Perusahaan Hasil Survei the Indonesian Institute Perception Governance (Iicg) Periode 2008-2011

Good Corporate Governance (GCG) adalah sistem yang mengarahkan dan mengendalikan Perusahaan dengan tujuan, agar mencapai keseimbangan antara kewenangan Perusahaan dan pertanggungjawaban kepada stakeholders. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui penerapan Good Corporate Governance (GCG) terhadap kinerja keuangan Perusahaan pada periode 2008-2011. Objek penelitian pada Perusahaan yang telah menerapkan GCG dan masuk dalam Corporate Governance Perception Index (CGPI) hasil survei The Indonesian Institute of Corporate Governance (IICG). Penelitian ini menggunakan metode analisis statistik regresi berganda secara parsial maupun secara simultan untuk menghubungkan GCG dengan kinerja keuangan Perusahaan. Analisis regresi menunjukkan tidak adanya pengaruh signifikan antara variabel independen GCG terhadap kinerja keuangan yang diukur dengan ROA dan Tobin's-Q, sedangkan jika diukur dengan ROE memiliki pengaruh signifikan. Hasil ini pengukuran ROE sesuai dengan temuan Darmawati et. al (2005), Trinanda dan Mukodim (2010), dan Sami et. al (2012). Namun tidak sesuai dengan temuan Klapper dan Love (2002) untuk pengukuran ROA dan Tobin's-Q

Predictors of Examination Integrity among Secondary School Students: Framework for Proactive Actions Against Examination Malpractices

This study focused on determination of predictors of academic integrity during examinations among secondary school students. The population consisted of 300,000 final year secondary school students in South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria out of which a sample of 3000 students (1720 females and 1280 males) were selected through multistage proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Analysis of data collected with the aid of Examination Integrity Questionnaire (EIQ) that was adopted and validated by the researchers showed significant influence of students’ gender on academic integrity during examinations with female students having higher mean score on examination integrity. Moreover, Study Habits, Examination Ethics, Examination Anxiety, Moral Background, Examination Attitude and Past Experience were significant predictors of examination integrity of students. Past experience was the strongest predictor of students’ examination integrity. However, there was no significant impact of Age on students’ examination integrity. These findings have implications for preventive actions against examination malpractices. For instance, proactive actions should be targeted at improving students’ study habits, examination anxiety, moral reasoning, attitude towards cheating or examination ethics and subjective norms before they sit for school examinations. This proactive action framework based on the Modified Theory of Planned Behaviour may be more effective in curbing examination malpractices than the extant practice of administering punitive measures after examination ethics violations

Removal of pollutants from abattoir wastewater using a pilot-scale bamboo constructed wetland system

Wastewater from abattoir sources in urban areas can adversely affect the environment and cause health problems. This research investigated the ability of a bamboo constructed wetland system (BCWS) using Bambusa vulgaris, to treat wastewater from abattoir by removing nutrients and organics. This study adopted pilot scale reactors with bed dimension of 1 m length x 1 m width x 1 m depth to simulate a horizontal sub-surface flow constructed wetland and planted with six strands of bamboo plants. Parameters analyzed include the nutrients (in the form of phosphate and nitrate) and the organics (in the form of Chemical oxygen demand, COD and Biochemical oxygen demand, BOD). The effluent analysis that were carried out within a 28-day retention period showed that there was a very good decrease in the nutrient pollutant parameters; phosphate (99.6 %), nitrate (98.5 %). The organics showed a lesser performance with a 39.3 % removal efficiency for COD and 49.9 % removal efficiency for BOD. Bamboo can be used in a BCWS for low cost green technology in urban areas and can be improved upon by increasing the number of bamboo shoot in order to have a larger root syste