The Ombudsman in Nigeria: A Jurisprudential Overview

The Ombudsman or Public Complaints Commission which came up in the 19th century is a body established by law to address administrative radicalism and injustice in public institutions This body was of boisterous use in the Scandinavian countries in Europe to address administrative injustices without resorting to courts of law In Britain it is called Parliamentary Commissioner In Russia it is called Prosecutor General and in Nigeria it was introduced in 1975 as Public Complaints Commission and attached to the legislature as the supervising agency This body is recognized by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria but its performance appears to be unnoticed because of certain bottlenecks This paper intends to highlight these gridlocks which include incapacity to give effect to its decisions financial incapacity and other administrative setbacks It is our belief that if these bottlenecks are removed the Ombudsman will perform in Nigeria as in other countries where it has favourable condition

Perspectives on Corruption and Contemporary Anti-Corruption Policies in Nigeria: A Critique*

Corruption which is an anti- social concept is the use of one’s position wherever located to earn underserved benefits for oneself or for others. Its effects are devastating to the growth of the individual, society and the country at large. Corruption as an aspect of crime is traceable to so many factors. According to bio-physiological theorists, there are born criminals who are known and could be identified by their physical features just like the psychological theorists contend that the character traits of the individual is responsible for his criminal activities. On the other hand, socio-cultural theorists contend that it is the surrounding circumstances in the environment of the individual that makes him to be involved in crime. Just as demonological theorists believe that the devil makes people to commit sin. The above theories have their usefulness in the understanding of the causes of corruption in the society. The socio-cultural theorists however appear to have most of the factors responsible for corruption in Nigeria such as the nature of our political economy, poverty, lack of essential amenities, fears of the unknown, wrong value system, attitude to public service job, unemployment, poor reward system and etc. The government in her bid to combat corruption has enacted some anti-corruption legislations such as the E.F.C.C and I.C.P.C Acts, the Criminal Code and introduced some palliatives that would help to avoid corruption for persons in the public and private  sectors of the economy but the problem of corruption  continues to be. This paper intends to critically look at the above issues and proffer solutions on how to eradicate or reduce corruption in Nigeria. Keywords: Corruption, crimes, origins, causes, panacea, strategies. DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/89-12 Publication date:September 30th 201

Perspectives on Corruption and Contemporary Anti-Corruption Policies in Nigeria: A Critique*

Corruption which is an anti- social concept is the use of one’s position wherever located to earn underserved benefits for oneself or for others. Its effects are devastating to the growth of the individual, society and the country at large. Corruption as an aspect of crime is traceable to so many factors. According to bio-physiological theorists, there are born criminals who are known and could be identified by their physical features just like the psychological theorists contend that the character traits of the individual is responsible for his criminal activities. On the other hand, socio-cultural theorists contend that it is the surrounding circumstances in the environment of the individual that makes him to be involved in crime. Just as demonological theorists believe that the devil makes people to commit sin. The above theories have their usefulness in the understanding of the causes of corruption in the society. The socio-cultural theorists however appear to have most of the factors responsible for corruption in Nigeria such as the nature of our political economy, poverty, lack of essential amenities, fears of the unknown, wrong value system, attitude to public service job, unemployment, poor reward system and etc. The government in her bid to combat corruption has enacted some anti-corruption legislations such as the E.F.C.C and I.C.P.C Acts, the Criminal Code and introduced some palliatives that would help to avoid corruption for persons in the public and private  sectors of the economy but the problem of corruption  continues to be. This paper intends to critically look at the above issues and proffer solutions on how to eradicate or reduce corruption in Nigeria. Keywords: Corruption, crimes, origins, causes, panacea, strategies. DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/89-12 Publication date:September 30th 201

“They are demonstrating against SAP” – Abbreviations and social identity construction in select Nigerian novels

Scholarship on the Nigerian novel has shown the exquisite interplay between linguistic choices and social reality. Although extant studies on the use of language in the Nigerian novel, critics have paid negligible attention to how abbreviations are employed by Nigerian novelists to explore social reality in their writings. In attempt to fill this gap, we explain the mutually reinforcing medley between language and social reality with the aim of accounting for how Nigerian novelists employ abbreviations to construct and reconstruct social identities. Employing the analytical methods of critical discourse analysis (CDA), this paper studies the use of abbreviations in four purposively selected novels, namely, Waiting for an Angel, Love My Planet, Under the Brown Rusted Roofs and Arrow of Rain in order to show how abbreviations are deployed as linguistic techniques in the expression of social identity. Through critical textual analysis, this study contributes to extant scholarship on the interface between language and literature and between language use and meaning-figuration

Trend in case detection rate for all tuberculosis cases notified in Ebonyi, Southeastern Nigeria during 1999-2009

Unlike previous annual WHO tuberculosis reports that reported case  detection rate for only smear- positive tuberculosis cases, the 2010 reportpresented case detection rate for all tuberculosis cases notified in line with the current Stop TB strategy. To help us understand how tuberculosis control programmes performed in terms of detecting tuberculosis, there is need to document the trend in case detection rate for all tuberculosis cases notified in high burden countries. This evidence is currently lacking from Nigeria. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the trend in casedetection rate for all tuberculosis cases notified from Ebonyi state  compared to Nigeria national figures. Reports of tuberculosis cases notifiedbetween 1999 and 2009 were reviewed from the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health tuberculosis quarterly reports. Tuberculosis case detection rateswere computed according to WHO guidelines. 22, 508 patients with all  forms of tuberculosis were notified during the study. Case detection rate for all tuberculosis rose from 27% in 1999 to gradually reach a peak of 40% during 2007 to 2008 before a slight decline in 2009 to 38%. However,the national case detection rate for all tuberculosis cases in Nigeria rose from 7% in 1999 and progressively increased to reach a peak of 19% during 2008 and 2009. Since the introduction of DOTS in Ebonyi, the  programme has achieved 40% case detection rate for all tuberculosis cases -about 20% better than national figures. However, with the current low case detection rates, alternative mechanisms are needed to achieve the current global stop- TB targets in Nigeria

Perception of the efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) and chloroquine prescription pattern and among nurses in South-West Nigeria

Background-Malaria remains a threat to millions of children despite the recent advances recorded in the fight against the disease which remain the 3rd largest killer of children below the age of 5 years in endemic regions. Drug resistant plasmodium species continues to limit the fight against malaria, while the spread of fake and substandard antimalarial drugs has been recognized as a major problem across Africa because of its association with drug resistant parasite. We aim to find out the prescription pattern of chloroquine among nurses in South-West Nigeria and perception of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT).Design and methods-About 180 pre-tested questionnaires were administered to randomly selected nurses out of which 155 were sufficiently completed and suitable for analysis. Results-Majority (56.1%) still have confidence in the efficacy of CQ which was still being prescribed by 45.2% of the respondents. CQ was mostly prescribed by those who had previous ACT treatment failure experience (54.3%) with their patients, P=0.03; as well as those who believe that ACT resistance malaria is now in circulation (44.3%). Fifty (32.3%) of our respondents claimed that they had come across fake and substandard ACT, from which 40.0% now prescribe CQ.Discussion-The high rate of CQ prescription in this study showed that many of the health workers were still resistant to the change in antimalarial treatment policy, which is related to unsatisfactory experience with ACT. Additional measures are urgently required to verify this experience so as to win the confidence of healthcare workers away from chloroquine.Keywords: Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), chloroquine, substandard antimalaria

From DOTS to the Stop TB Strategy: DOTS coverage and trend of tuberculosis notification in Ebonyi, southeastern Nigeria, 1998-2009

Background: Nigeria ranks fourth among the 22 high tuberculosis (TB) burden countries. The estimated incidence of all TB cases in 2009 was 311/100,000 population. Since the implementation of DOTS in Ebonyi state, southeast Nigeria, the epidemiology of TB in the region has not been documented. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the type and case notification dynamics of TB following DOTS expansion and to examine age- and sex-specific trends in TB notification rate. Methods: A retrospective trend analysis of case notification data from the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health records from 1998 to 2009 was conducted. Patients were diagnosed according to the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme guidelines. Denominators for TB notifications were derived from population census data. Results: Of the 24, 475 cases notified between 1998 and 2009, 66% were smear-positive, 31% smear-negative and 3% had extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. Overall, the proportion of new smear-positive cases notified decreased continuously from 67% to 48% in 2009 while that of smear-negative cases increased from 29% to 40% in 2009. In 2005, 13 (100%) of the local government areas were covered by DOTS. Despite initial increase in case notification with DOTS expansion, the case notification rate had a mean annual decline of 3.1% for all TB cases (falling from 123/100 000 to 77/100 000), and of 5% for smear-positive patients (falling from 80/100 000 to 32/100 000). Smear-positive notification rate in children <14 years was consistently low while 25-34-year-old persons were affected most. However, smear-positive rates among persons aged =65 years did not change. Overall, annual new smear-positive notification rates were persistently lower in females than males. Conclusion: TB notification rate shows a decreasing trend in our region with a pool of infectious cases in young-persons. Additional targeted, type and age-/sex- specific interventions for TB control are needed.Key words: Tuberculosis, Epidemiology, control, DOTS, case finding, Nigeri

A Jurisprudential Overview of the Legal Obstacles to the Creation of New Local Governments in Nigeria Since 1999*

Local Governments constitute the last level of government in all countries where they exist and form the link between the grassroot, the State Governments (Regional) and the Federal Government (Central). A properly managed Local Government system will bring development to the rural areas of the country, train up-coming politicians for participating in national politics and create jobs for the young and the old. Local Governments had existed in Nigeria before colonialism and had continued to be after independence in 1960 where each Region adopted her own system of Local Government until 1976 when the Federal Military Government decreed Unified Local Government System in the whole country. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1979 adopted Unified Local Government System in section 7 of the Constitution just as the 1999 Constitution in section 8 provided for very stringent procedure for the creation of Local Governments amongst other obnoxious provisions which have made nonsense of the possibility of creating new Local Governments in the country. This paper argues that looking at what obtains in established democracies such as U.S.A, Brazil, India etc; that time has come for the obstacles stopping the creation of new Local Government Areas in Nigeria to be removed from the Constitution to allow this important level of government to be multiplied in the country for expanded and even development of the nation. Keywords: Local government, obstacles, constitutional amendments, creation, even development. DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/90-03 Publication date:October 31st 201

Perception of research and predictors of research career: a study among clinical medical students of Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, southeast Nigeria

Introduction: Acquisition of research experience by medical students is associated with good research pathway at the postgraduate level and also in the pursuit of a research career.  Also, it assists the physician to make evidence based decisions in clinical practice.Objectives:  Aim of study was to determine the perception of research and predictors of research career among clinical medical students of Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, southeast Nigeria.Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study design was used. All clinical medical students of Ebonyi State University who were willing to participate were included in the study. Information was obtained using a self administered questionnaire.           Results: A total of 235 students participated in the study, (response rate, 87.0%) . The mean age was 24.8±2.8 years and majority, 61.3% were males. Majority, 96.6% were of the opinion that research is important in the practice of Medicine, 66.4% opted for a mandatory research time in medical school and 18.3% agreed that students were encouraged to participate in research. A minor proportion, 24.3% have ever participated in research apart from the mandatory student projects and 40.4% intend to pursue a career in research.  Barriers to students’ involvement in research included lack of funding, 43.4%, lack of time, 23.8% and lack of mentoring, 22.1%. Predictors of research as a career among the students included being a male student, (AOR=2.1; 95% CI:1.1-2.8), previous participation in research, (AOR=2.0; 95% CI:1.1-5.8), and students that had career guidance, (AOR=3.7; 95% CI:2.0-7.0), Conclusions:  Majority of the students have a good perception of research. However only a minor proportion have participated in research and were willing to pursue a career in research. There is the need to encourage and motivate the students towards having interest in  health research while also addressing the identified barriers. Career guidance should be institutionalized in our medical schools. Key words:  Perception, research career, clinical medical students. Ebonyi state,  southeast Nigeria

The Pattern and Presentation of Stroke in Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA) South-East Nigeria

Stroke is a common neurologic disorder and it is the third leading cause of mortality worldwide after ischaemic heart disease and cancer. Males are predominantly affected and ischaemic stroke is more prevalent than haemorrhagic stroke. This study determined the pattern and presentation of stroke in Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA) South-East Nigeria. It was a retrospective, descriptive and hospital based study. The stroke register of the neurology unit was reviewed and relevant data were extracted and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19 software. The sex ratio was M:F =3:2 and  the peak age prevalence of stroke was the 7th decade. Ischaemic stroke was present in 65%, while intracerebral haemorrhage and subarachnoid haemorrhage were 31% and 4% respectively. Stroke constituted 12% of medical deaths with 30 day case mortality rate of 15%. Stroke is highly prevalent in Abakaliki south east Nigeria. The 30 day case mortality rate is relatively low in this study. There should be regular public enlightenment for stroke prevention and prompt referral of stroke patients to a stroke unit for adequate management. Keywords: stroke, ischaemic, haemorrhagic, Abakaliki, South-East, Nigeri