International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and Credibility of Financial Reporting in Nigeria Public Sector: An Improvement or A Ruse

The objective of this work is to examine the application of IPSAS on financial reporting in Nigeria public sector and its economic benefits. The descriptive research survey method was adopted in this work while the population comprises of Fifty (50) members drew from ten (10) ministries randomly selected from all accounting departments of various ministries in Ado- Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State, Nigeria. The primary source of data collection was employed through the use of questionnaire. The 4-point Likert scale was logically employed to quantitatively reflect order ranking while the mean scores of data analysis and Ordinary least square (OLS) were used. The results show that there is no relationship between application of IPSAS, financial reporting and its economic benefits to Nigeria. For instance, IPSAS has neither improved management and Revenue generation nor increased foreign direct investment into Nigeria. It was observed that IPSAS has no significant relationship with ability of the government or financial reporting in reducing corruption in the public sector, though, the findings show positive relationship between IPSAS and credibility of financial reporting-using accrual basis of accounting. The study concludes that adoption IPSAS has not really brought any improvement in term of its economic benefits to the government and the public; hence IPSAS is a ruse and a mere imposition on the developing countries. We recommend that government should put in place an enabling legislative framework that will aid the smooth running of IPSAS implementation in Nigeria. Government should strengthen anti- corruption agencies and engage professionals, and technocrats to drive the process to reflect stakeholders’ expectation on IPSAS and financial reporting in the public sector. Keywords: Accountability, Corruption, Financial Reporting, Public Sectors, Transparency

ANALYSIS OF MULTIMEDIA CHANNELS OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO FISH FARMERS IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Fish farmers in Nigeria lack adequate information and their production capacity is low. The study ana- lyzed the multimedia channels of information available to fish farmers in Ogun State, Nigeria. Multi- stage sampling techniques was used to select 120 fish farmers in the study area. Primary data were obtained with interview schedule. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data collected. Most of the farmers (97.5%) were male and married. Many (43.3%) had primary education while 30.9% had no formal education. Majority (76.1%) had radio sets while 45.3% and 28.3% had television and phone respectively. Farmers’ accessibility to information was high in radio (79.2%) and extension agents (73.3%) but low in television, flyers, trainings, phone, internet and fellow farmers. Most of the farmers (85.0%) preferred extension agents, radio (71.6%) and television (68.3%) as their source of information on fish farming. Majority (80.0%) preferred Yoruba as the language of broadcast and pub- lications, 16.7% preferred English while 3.3% preferred Igbo. Most (83.3%) of the farmers regarded lack of electricity as the foremost constraint to their access to information on media. Other constraints identified were non-relevance of information to farmers’ felt needs (73.3%), feedback problem (60.0%), inadequate fund (40.8%) and illiteracy (23.3%). Chi-square analysis showed a significant association 2 at p ≤ 0.05 between farmers’ choice of information channels and age (π=19.60), educational level 2 2 2 2 (π=39.82), years of farming (π = 20.48), income (π = 34.03), and media related constraints (π = 6.92). The study established that age, educational level, years of farming, annual income and con- straints experienced by the farmers played significant roles in their choice and use of information channels, and that, farmers have more access to extension agents as channel of information. It was recommended that more information on fish farming should be provided through the multimedia and be based on farmers’ felt needs. More extension workers should be employed and trained while phone-in radio and television programmes should be regularly aired and viewing centres and radio groups established in strategic locations

Politics and Politicking: The Organizational Perspective

The totality of our community, society, the whole world and even the entire universe is an organization. Organizing involves developing a structure of roles for effective performance and it requires a network of decision and communication for coordinating efforts towards group and enterprise goals. For effectiveness an organizational structure must be understood and principles and policies must be put into practice through the structural organizational politics. Power and politics are interrelated and interwoven with the fabric of an organization. Politics, power and politicizing are necessary, unavoidable and inevitable. The paper therefore examined the features of organizational structure, sources of power, leadership styles, features and tactics of organizational politics. The paper equally examined the mistakes in organizational setting and way out. It was then concluded that effective managers need to be fully aware of the existence of political tactics, have the required wisdom, knowledge, skill and should learn how best to manage the organizational politics for the efficacy of the organizational setting. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p105

CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE FADAMA II PROJECT TO AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

The National Fadama Development Project (FADAMA II) was an idea conceived by the World Bank, Africa Development Bank and Federal Government with active involvements of the State and Local governments as quick and sustainable agriculture and rural development strategy targeted at dry sea- son farming activities and related agro–processing and marketing. This study was carried out to as- sess the contributions of Fadama II project to aquaculture development in Ogun State, Nigeria. 120 fish farmers were selected using multi-stage sampling techniques and structured, pre-tested and vali- dated interview guides to elicit information from fish farmers. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that majority of the respondents were male (60.8%), married (84.2%), cultured Clarias spp. only (62.5%) and also had large household sizes (63.3%), secondary education (44.2%), source of aquaculture messages was mainly from telephone (GSM-66.7%) and extension guides/bulletins (75.8%), and generated large annual fisheries’ income from Fadama aquaculture (65.8%). Fadama II project had contributed positively to acquisition of pro- ductive asset, poverty reduction, increased income, rural infrastructure, provision of input supports, project management, reduced fish culture period, increase in overall fish yield, expansion of fishery business, improvement in livelihood, and demand-responsive advisory services. The results also showed that majority of the fish farmers considered both lack of finance and high cost/lack of construc- 2 tion equipment as serious factors affecting their fish farming. The results of Chi-square analysis (X ) revealed that there was a significant relationship between the Fadama II project and aquaculture de- velopment in provision of Pilot Assets Acquisition Support (X2 = 52.050; P<0.05). Based on the find- ings, it was recommended that more Fadama facilitators should be employed to provide technical knowledge to fish farmers on how to use some equipment and on how to improve their fish farming business and productivity

Awareness and adoption levels of improved smoking oven among fish processors in Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria

This paper investigated awareness and adoption levels of improved smoking oven among fish processors in four fishing communities along Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 153 respondents who were engaged in fish smoking. Data collected using structured interview guides were subjected to descriptive and inferential analyses. Results revealed that majority of the respondents were young, married women with average fish smoking experience of 22.6 years. Majority (90.8%) of them were solely engaged in fish smoking while 9.2% combined fish smoking with other income-generating activities. All the processors used traditional smoking oven (drum, box and mud ovens). More than 66.0% of the fish processors were not aware of improved fish smoking equipment. Lack of awareness, inadequate access to the technologies, low relative advantage and lack of maintenance services and high cost of procurement were responsible for low adoption levels of improved smoking oven. Irregular visits of extension agents to the study area had negative impact on the adoption of improved traditional smoking ovens. Proper dissemination of innovations developed on improved fish processing equipment to the active fish processors in Lagos State using available communication channels is hereby advocated. &nbsp

Water Absorption Characteristics of Two Rattan Species (Laccosperma Secundiflorum and Eremospatha Macrocarpa) from Fresh Water Swamp, Lagos State and Rain Forest, Edo State, Nigeria

Water Absorption is one of the properties that determine the suitability of rattan canes as structural material especially for outdoor use. This study therefore evaluated the water absorption characteristics of two rattan species (laccosperma secundiflorum and eremospatha macrocarpa) from a fresh water swamp, Arapagi village, Lagos state and rain forest-Nicholas village, Edo state in Nigeria by collecting three matured wild rattan species from each ecological location and the water absorption carried out after 24 hours and 48 hours respectively. The results show that, water absorption after 24 hours ranged from 39.63 % to 82.51%. However, water absorption after 48hours increased from 44.53 % to 93.74 %. It was also observed that water absorption after 24 hours and 48 hours increased along the axial direction from base to top. Meanwhile, the samples of the two rattan species sourced from Rain forest had lower water absorption values than Fresh water swamp. In conclusion, the two rattan species had different levels of water affinity, however, samples obtained at the base from Rain forest absorbed less water

Preservatve Potentials of Datura metel Seed Oil on Triplochiton scleroxylon Wood (Schumann)against Fungal Attack

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the potential of extracted Datura metel seed oil as a  bio wood preservative against fungi attack as reports have shown bio-preservatives to be toxic free and environmentally friendly. The oil was extracted from the seed by Soxhlet apparatus using N-Hexane and ethanol solvents and using volume-to-volume method of dilution kerosene (at 50%) was added to increase its quantity thereafter. The phytochemical screening of the seed of Datura metel revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and phenols. Wood samples of Triplochiton sceleroxylon  were cut to 20 × 20 × 60mm and the dimensioned wood samples were soaked for 72 hours in the seed oil extract hence preservative absorption rate and percentage weight loss of wood  was determined on exposure to a purely cultured Sclerotium rolfsil (brown rot fungi) and Pleurotus ostreatus(white rot fungi). Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance at α0.05 and the results showed the highest value of mean weight loss of 18.29% while the samples exposed to brown rot fungi has a mean value of 14.12% and white rot a lowest mean value of 12.72%. The highest absorption was observed to be 92.73 kg/m at 100 % concentration level of D,metel extract.  Based on the results obtained, the seed-oil extracts of Datura metel have the potential of being an effective wood preservative

Association studies between grain yield and agronomic traits of a MARS maize (Zea mays L.) population under drought and non-stress condition

Open Access JournalThe study aimed at examining the associations between yield and other traits under drought stress and non-stress conditions. A total of 150 MARS testcrosses were evaluated under both conditions at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture substation for two years under during the dry season. Genotypic and phenotypic correlation, multiple stepwise regression and path co-efficient analyses were carried out to examine the relationship among the traits under both environments. Results showed anthesis-silking interval, days to silking, husk cover and plant aspect were significantly associated with yield under drought condition at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. Yield was positively correlated with plant and ear height but had a negative correlation with plant and ear aspect at both levels under well-watered condition. Regression analysis showed that ears per plant, plant aspect, ear aspect, days to silking, leaf death and plant height had a direct effect on yield, contributing a total of 71.1 % of observed variation under drought, while ears per plant, ear aspect, plant aspect, days to pollen shed, days to silking and plant height contributed about 31.42 % to yield under well-watered conditions. The study concluded that these traits be used as selection criteria as it will aid improvement of maize yield

VARIETAL RELEASE: RELEASE OF TWO DUAL PURPOSE OFADA RICE VARIETIES (FUNAABOR- 1 AND FUNAABOR-2) BY FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, ABEOKUTA (FUNAAB)

Two new dual purpose Ofada rice varieties (Oryza sativa) were developed and released by Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta in collaboration with National Cereals Research Institute, Badeggi, Nigeria, Africa Rice Centre, Ibadan, Nigeria and National Rice/Maize Centre, Moor Plantation, Ibadan, Nigeria. A bottom-top approach was used for Ofada rice seed collection (accessions) from Farmer’s field based on Farmer’s preference. The collected Ofada rice seed (mixtures) were purified and field selection done using recurrent selection methods for desired morpho-agronomic, adaptive and nutritional characters. Repeated cycles of selection was done resulting in four distinct Ofada rice varieties, while two outstanding and dual purpose; upland and lowland agroecologies (first of its type in Nigeria) Ofada rice varieties were selected; FUNAABOR- 1 (aka Ofada gold) and FUNAABOR -2 (aka Ofada white) were finally selected, registered and released, after they were tested for acceptability, adaptability and stability across all south western states and in addition Edo and Delta states of Nigeria. The distinctive and specific descriptors of both released Ofada rice varieties are hereby presented:Â

Climate Change: Implication on Aquatic Resources, Food Security and Livelihoods

Climate changes are growing environmental concerns which are much in the scientific government and public eye at present. The potential impact on aquatic resources and livelihood are immense. From local to global levels, fisheries and aquaculture play important roles for food supply, food security and income generation. Some 43.5 million people work directly in the sector, with the great majority in developing countries. Adding those who work in associated processing, marketing, distribution and supply industries, and the sector supports nearly 200 million livelihoods. Aquatic foods have high nutritional quality, contributing 20 percent or more of average per capita animal protein intake for more than 1.5 billion people, mostly from developing countries. They are also the most widely traded foodstuffs and are essential components of export earnings for many poorer countries. Extreme events will also impact on infrastructure, ranging from landing and farming sites to post-harvest facilities and transport routes. They will also affect safety at sea and settlements, with communities living in low-lying areas at particular risk. Livelihood diversification is an established means of risk transfer and reduction in the face of shocks, but reduced options for diversification will negatively affect livelihood outcomes