Sociology of Landscape: Agricultural, Soil and Water Conservation in Calabar, Cross River State

The magnitude of challenges created on the human environment in different parts of the earth surface today, is alarming. This has resulted to various environmental threats across the universe which are quite visible and have a roused the concern of sociologists-worldwide. This is seen in the scale of wildlife destruction, soil erosion, deforestation, air, water, and land pollution, increased temperature levels among others. Globally, we are confronted with massive human starvation, extinction of plants and animal species, dwindling biodiversity, drought and desertification, global warming, emission of carbon dioxide from burning of fossil fuels, depletion of the protective ozone layer by lethal chemicals and concomitant bombardment of the earth’s environment by cancer-causing ultra violent radiation. Man’s attempt to convert the environment for his development had produced the highlighted and if mans activities on the environment are not controlled it would seriously rendered the world landscape uninhabitable. This paper seeks to explore the various ways in which man’s activities in the environment pose a threat to Agricultural soil and water conservation. It also highlights strategies to achieve sustainable environmental landscape balance

Challenges of Mobilization And Participation For Community Development: A Study Of The Internally Displaced Person Of Bakassi Peninsular, Nigeria

Mobilization and participation have extraordinary implication on the socio-cultural lives of the people of Bakassi, especially for the kind of forceful resettlement on the citizenry. This study was conducted through a participatory rural appraisal technique (survey research) in order to ascertain and evaluate the basic needs of a typical rural setting like Bakassi in Nigeria, with a view of understanding the strategies for rural mobilization and participation in a resettled environment. The study intended to explore on the social-economic, political and cultural factors affecting the internally displaced persons of Bakassi. The study was premised on invalidating contemporary resettled issues affecting a resettled area like Bakassi. The people are not appreciative of government efforts because of the frustration encountered as displaced persons. Data for this study were obtained from two hundred (200) respondents in the study area through a combined set of research instrument and Focus Group Discussion (FGD). The respondents were randomly selected from the various areas under the study. Two null hypotheses were tested using the x2 test of significance. The findings of the study have among other things shown that the people of Bakassi are not properly resettled inspite of government huge resources committed to the area; majority of the people are poor and under fed, the settlers are without good drinking water, no access to good education and poor health delivery services. The study therefore, recommends that government should have the political will to design and implement policies targeted at ameliorating the plight of the resettled Bakassi people especially in the provision of affordable social services and empowering the poor to design and implement policies having the potential of meeting the basic needs of the people. Government should also embark on proper and most effective resettlement that could make the people closer to the sea, in other to continue with their normal marine occupation

Effect of Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons on the Development of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

The study was a survey of the sources of small arms and their effects on the development of the South-South Zone of Nigeria. The study was conducted in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The data used for the project were the responses of youths, staff and adults randomly selected from the research area. The Mean and Simple Percentage Method formulae were used to analyze the data and interpret the results. The results revealed that it was not the advent of small arms but oil multinationals activities, insensitivity and long years of neglect that caused the insecurity in the Niger Delta. The Federal Government of Nigeria made no genuine effort to develop the region until the creation of Niger Delta Development Commission in the year 2000. The study concludes that rather than cause the insecurity situation in the Niger Delta, small arms aided the militants to panic the Federal Government into accepting development as the indispensible solution to the Niger Delta question. The study recommended adequate finding and supervision of Niger Delta Development Commission and accountability of the part of Commission officials to at least realize the 15 years of the Commissions Master Plan