Information Re-Packaging: The New Technologies as Enhancement Tool for Teaching and Learning of General Studies Programme in Tertiary Institutions

The emergence of new technologies has brought about a paradigm shift in all spheres of life.  Education is not left behind in this new era of information technology, hence information repackaging is a strategy in enhancing teaching and learning in tertiary institutions. The conventional approach of classroom interactions in teaching and learning is declining with the development of new technological tools.  The relevance of General Studies in University curriculum is to develop students’ horizon  in diverse perspectives for holistic knowledge. This article looks into the overview of teaching and learning of General Studies Programme in Nigeria Universities with a view to elucidating various ways of using information communication technology in the enhancement of teaching and learning of the programme. The article identifies some of the challenges facing the enhancement of using information technology tools in teaching and learning of General Studies, and strategies adopted to overcome these impediments. The study predicates its analysis on communication theory as the theoretical framework necessary to exploit the broad spectrum of technology, and it concludes with recommendations on the way forward. Keywords:   Information Re-Packaging, New Technology Tools, Teaching and Learnin

Tailoring a Hybrid Program for Reducing Health and Education Disparities in Georgia Communities: Outcomes of Listening Sessions

Background: Minorities in Georgia experience increased rates of chronic disease and poor health and education outcomes. In the general population in 2013, about 35% of adolescents were either overweight or obese and approximately 13% of children 2-4 years old were obese, with minorities accounting for higher rates. In 2010, 23% of students from low-income families, comprising a higher proportion of minorities, scored at or above proficient level for reading at the end of third grade. Targeting children 0-5 years, Georgia Department of Public Health developed an integrated curriculum to train Early Childcare Educators (ECEs) to increase their knowledge and skills to model food, activity and language nutrition in their classrooms and to coach families. We conducted listening sessions to understand attitudes and knowledge around nutrition in 3 communities with significant racial and ethnic populations. Methods: Listening sessions with ECEs and families were conducted separately in each community. Participants engaged in guided one-hour discussions around food, activity and language nutrition and completed a post-listening session survey to assess their nutrition practices with the children in their care or homes. Results: 70 ECEs and families participated in the sessions and post session surveys. With an over 80% satisfaction rate with sessions, results showed that although baseline understanding of and challenges to modelling nutrition differed in different communities, many strategies used to support nutrition were common across communities. Participants also demonstrated a need for support in increasing access to resources to improve nutrition. Conclusions: This study suggested that multiple issues hinder optimal engagement of children 0-5 years in improved nutrition. Addressing the factors specific to targeted communities is essential to reducing disparities. Thus, integrating these findings in the development of the curriculum and training strategy has the potential to produce more knowledgeable and skilled ECEs as coaches for improving nutrition. Key words: food nutrition, physical activity, language nutrition, listening sessions, early childcare educators, formative evaluation, health disparitie

Legislative Oversight in Nigeria: a Watchdog or a Hunting Dog?

This article investigates the activities of the legislature on its legislative oversight functions and the effectiveness of this organ in ensuring and sustaining good governance in Nigeria polity. Legislative oversight, a robust mechanism institutionalized to checkmate the excesses of the  executive arm of government and government agencies to curb waste in governance, corruption and absolutism in the exercise of political power, has been under criticism as to its relevance in democracy. The study revealed that the legislative oversight, a critical aspect of the functions of the legislature other than law making, have been severally compromised and often misused as a hunting dog. The article harps on the fact that inasmuch as the essence of legislative oversight in a democratic dispensation needs not be overemphasized, the legislature has reduced this all important function to mere alarm mechanism being used to blackmail or witch-hunt political opponents, extortion of money from the parastatals and ministries under its supervision for selfish or personal aggrandizement. It is being recommended that constitutional and/or legal teeth be structured for effective and efficient legislative oversight, as a watchdog on the executive arm and its agencies, to bite culprits as deterrent. Keywords:Legislative Oversight, Checks and Balances, Good Governance, Accountability

A Comparative Study of Plasma Trace Elements (Copper, Iron and Zinc) Status in Anaemic and Non-anaemic Pregnant Women in Abakaliki, Nigeria

For a comparative study of plasma copper, iron and zinc between anaemic and non-anaemic pregnant women, data for anaemic (n = 223) and non-anaemic (n = 126) pregnant women drawn from a cohort of 351 pregnant Nigerians recruited at gestational age of ≤ 25 weeks for the study of impacts of trace element status on pregnancy outcomes were analysed. With the exception of plasma copper which was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in anaemic women in comparison to the non-anaemic women (10.11 ± 10.15 vs. 8.68 ± 7.92 µmol/l), plasma iron and zinc were lower (p > 0.05) in the former. While plasma copper, iron and zinc concentration were not correlated with maternal haemoglobin concentration, plasma zinc significantly correlated negatively (r = -0.141, p < 0.05) with plasma copper. It is thus concluded that anaemia in pregnant women in this population may partly be due to a combination of trace element deficiencies and their interactions with each other. While interventions should go beyond improving intakes, more research is desired to clearly define these interactions

Transparency and Accountability as Security Mechanism in the Management of the New Contributory Pension Scheme in Nigeria

The Pension Reform Act 2004 introduced contributory pension scheme with inbuilt security measures to guard against the vices associated with the old pension scheme. The guidelines and regulatory policy instruments issued to licensed independent pension operators by the supervisory agency is to ensure that the interests of the contributors are protected. This will guarantee payment of pension rights to retirees as and when due. This article highlights insecurity of funds, lack of  regulatory and supervisory agency, weak administration, corruption, mismanagement of pension fund, insufficient budgetary  allocations and untimely release of inadequate fund for payment of pension obligations, which culminated in huge unsettled pension bills as main characteristics of the old unfunded defined pension scheme in Nigeria.  The study revealed that retirees under the old pension scheme suffered humiliation, denial of pension rights and starvation due to insincerity of purpose on the part of government agencies. The  objective of this article, therefore, is to investigate whether transparency and accountability are being maintained in the management of the consolidated pension fund in the new scheme. The study revealed that there is an agreement among respondents that the pension fund administrators and custodians exhibit transparency and accountability in the management of the pension fund. It however recommended that the licensed operators should ensure that all pension funds are insured in case of economic crash. The transparency and accountability should be extended to declaration of investment returns and the sharing formula, through a forum like annual general meeting, to carry all the  clients and other stakeholders along in managing their assets. Key Words: Pension Scheme, Management, Transparency, Accountability, Financial Security

Is Nigeria\u27s Conflict Ethnic or Religious?: Resolving the Escalating Conflict in Nigeria

The history and politics in Nigeria have often been characterized and marred with conflict, ranging from political to religious, ethnic and electoral violence. In this study, Edward Azar\u27s Protracted Social Conflict theory which advocates for a multidimensional analysis of conflict was adopted in an attempt to properly understanding the nature and manifestation of the current Boko Haram insurgence in Nigeria. Methodologically, both the qualitative and quantitative methods were deployed. Survey\u27s (questionnaires and evidence from social media) was conducted in the three regions with the aim of comparing and contrasting various perspectives on the root cause of the conflict. While lack of an effective leadership was the dominant perspective held by respondents and findings from Boko haram tweets on twitter, the study compared the findings from the survey as well as contending perspectives both of scholars and prominent political gladiators such as past leaders, and notable and distinguished scholars, human right advocates, and civil organization leaders from the various regions. The use of a chronological overview or a date by date analogy of the Boko haram attacks was also deployed to draw inferences on the possible causes of the current conflict. In the final analysis the Boko ha ram crisis was found to be motivated at first by religious factors such as extremism and the quest to revive Islamic tenets. However, from the turnout of events it appears that the current conflict is motivated by a whole array of factors (re-emphasizing Azar\u27s protracted conflict theory) such as inadequate government action at both military and non-military responses, lack of political will and legitimacy to act in a decisive manner (failure of its Amnesty proposals and a late declaration of state of emergency in the conflict zones). However, two notable conclusions were made, at the scholarly level any analysis on the current Boko haram conflict must go beyond the publicly avowed intentions of the sect and must carefully examine its actions which highly contradicts its stated and publicly held intentions. Finally, at the policy level, there is a need for the government to apply a more tactical and transformational approach in search of solutions to the current crisis. In other words it needs to go beyond the current declaration of state of emergency and an all-out military attack which have human rights implications as ordinary citizens are affected. The need for an adequate partnership between security agencies at both the local and national level must be encouraged. This is necessary as it will promote strong information system and intelligence gathering. The government must also aim at checking the linkages between local insurgent groups and global partners through adequate training of military personnel and other security agencies

Is Nigeria\u27s Conflict Ethnic or Religious?: Resolving the Escalating Conflict in Nigeria

The history and politics in Nigeria have often been characterized and marred with conflict, ranging from political to religious, ethnic and electoral violence. In this study, Edward Azar\u27s Protracted Social Conflict theory which advocates for a multidimensional analysis of conflict was adopted in an attempt to properly understanding the nature and manifestation of the current Boko Haram insurgence in Nigeria. Methodologically, both the qualitative and quantitative methods were deployed. Survey\u27s (questionnaires and evidence from social media) was conducted in the three regions with the aim of comparing and contrasting various perspectives on the root cause of the conflict. While lack of an effective leadership was the dominant perspective held by respondents and findings from Boko haram tweets on twitter, the study compared the findings from the survey as well as contending perspectives both of scholars and prominent political gladiators such as past leaders, and notable and distinguished scholars, human right advocates, and civil organization leaders from the various regions. The use of a chronological overview or a date by date analogy of the Boko haram attacks was also deployed to draw inferences on the possible causes of the current conflict. In the final analysis the Boko ha ram crisis was found to be motivated at first by religious factors such as extremism and the quest to revive Islamic tenets. However, from the turnout of events it appears that the current conflict is motivated by a whole array of factors (re-emphasizing Azar\u27s protracted conflict theory) such as inadequate government action at both military and non-military responses, lack of political will and legitimacy to act in a decisive manner (failure of its Amnesty proposals and a late declaration of state of emergency in the conflict zones). However, two notable conclusions were made, at the scholarly level any analysis on the current Boko haram conflict must go beyond the publicly avowed intentions of the sect and must carefully examine its actions which highly contradicts its stated and publicly held intentions. Finally, at the policy level, there is a need for the government to apply a more tactical and transformational approach in search of solutions to the current crisis. In other words it needs to go beyond the current declaration of state of emergency and an all-out military attack which have human rights implications as ordinary citizens are affected. The need for an adequate partnership between security agencies at both the local and national level must be encouraged. This is necessary as it will promote strong information system and intelligence gathering. The government must also aim at checking the linkages between local insurgent groups and global partners through adequate training of military personnel and other security agencies

The hidden cost of 'Free Maternity Care' in a low-resource setting in south-eastern Nigeria

No Abstract