Conflict Resolution: A Critical Analysis of the Challenges of the Government Amnesty Program in the Niger Delta and the Way Forward

This is a qualitative research study that used a narrative approach to explore the perspectives of the research participants (indigenes of the oil communities) on the challenges of the government amnesty program in the Niger Delta. Cyril Obi (2014) argues that the program is an unsustainable state-imposed peacebuilding project that only brought about a “graveyard peace” that enabled continued access to oil by the state and the oil companies operating in the region. Like other analysts and scholars, he explained that for peace to be sustained in the region, the underlying issues such as oil revenue allocation, environmental damage, poverty, unemployment, lack of basic infrastructures, marginalization of the Niger-Delta people, underdevelopment and negligence among other issues in the conflicts must be addressed. While some scholars and analysts believe that the amnesty program has been a huge success, others argue that the program was a total failure. Currently, there are still ongoing conflicts in the region as new militant groups have emerged. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the perspective of the participants on the amnesty program and why it could not sustain peace in the region. The study analyzed interview data from purposeful sampling of youths, elders/community leaders and militants as well as ex-militants/beneficiaries of the amnesty program in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States, to uncover why the program could not sustain peace in the region. From its findings, the study made recommendations that could assist in finding a lasting peace in the region

Characterization of physico-chemical properties and micronutrients status of soil developed on Anantigha Coastal Marine Sediment in Calabar

A study was carried out to characterize the physico-chemical properties and micronutrients status of soil developed on Anantigha coastal marine sediment in Calabar. Four profile pits were dug along the coastal area and soil samples taken from identified horizons were subjected to laboratory routine analysis. The data obtained were subjected to one-way Analysis of variance (ANOVA). The predominant colours observed for the study were mostly; dark greys (2.5YR 4/1) and black (10YR 2/1). The soil were massive in structure and has very sticky and very plastic in consistence and the boundary observed was mostly diffuse smooth and clear smooth. Percent sand fraction was the dominant particle size fraction except in profile 4. Soil in profile 1 was made up of sandy loam, silt loam loamy sand, loam and sandy clay loam, while soil in profiles 2, 3 and 4 were predominantly sandy loam, sandy clay loam and silt loam, respectively. Soil pH measured in water and calcium chloride were very strongly acidic and increases with horizon depth with pH mean values of 2.5 in H2O and 2.2 in CaCl2 for surface soil and 2.7 in H2O and 2.4 in CaCl2 for sub- surface soils. The organic carbon and organic matter content of the surface soils were high and those of the subsurface soils were moderate. The mean electrical conductivity was 2.0 and 2.3 dsm-1for surface and subsurface soils respectively. The exchangeable cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ and Na+) were moderate to high in both surface and subsurface soils. The exchangeable acidity (Al3+ and H+) were high. CEC was low in surface soils and high in subsurface soils. Base saturation in both surface and subsurface soils was below 50 %. The results obtained for available micronutrients showed that the mean values for Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn were 1.43, 0.92, 134.65 and 5.05 mg/kg for surface soil and 1.89, 1.89, 121.29 and 1.48 mg/kg for subsurface soil. Zn and Cu were generally “low” to “medium” in all the horizons of the pedons while Fe and Mn values were “high”. Agronomic practice such as liming that will raise soil pH is recommended so that levels of nutrients that are below the critical levels will be made available in the soil.Keywords: Morphology, micronutrients, physicochemical, marine sedimen

Design Methodology of Fuzzy Expert System for the Diagnosis and Control of Obesity

Both developed and developing nations of the world have overtime experienced enormous increase in food and other consumables production. This has led to a rise in calorie intake by people living in these nations of the world. As calorie intake increases in the human system, lack of early detection or control leads to obesity. The study of obesity is gaining utmost importance because of the major health issues associated with it. If an obese prone patient is detected early enough, then quite a number of diseases can be prevented. The ability of fuzzy logic to reason with uncertain and imprecise data in addressing the specific problem of diagnosis and monitoring of diseases in our society cannot be over emphasized. In this paper we design methodology of fuzzy expert system to diagnose and monitor obesity in persons at early stage. The study will help reduce to a great minimum the fast rise of obesity in our society and the world at large. The proposed study is validated with MatLab, and is used as a tracking system with accuracy and robustness. Keywords: Obesity, Fuzzy Inference System, Body Mass Index, Body fat, Waist circumference

Cognitive Factors in Students' Academic Performance Evaluation using Artificial Neural Networks

Performance evaluation based on some cognitive factors especially Students’ Intelligent Quotient rating (IQR), Confidence Level (CoL) and Time Management ability gives an equal platform for better evaluation of students’ performance using Artificial Neural Network. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) models, which has the advantage of being trained, offers a more robust methodology and tool for predicting, forecasting and modeling phenomena to ascertain conformance to desired standards as well as assist in decision making. This work employs Machine Learning and cognitive science which uses Artificial Neural networks (ANNs) to evaluated students’ academic performance in the Department of Computer Science, Akwa Ibom State University. It presents a survey of the design, building and functionalities of Artificial Neural Network for the evaluation of students’ academic performance using cognitive factors that could affect student’s performances. Keywords: Cognitive, Intelligent Quotient Rating, Machine Learning, Artificial Neural Network.

A GIS Performance Analysis of a 3G wireless Cellular Network

In this paper, GIS performance Analysis of a 3G wireless cellular network is presented. The research is motivated by the need for network operators and mobile users to have on the spot assessment of the network performance. This was achieved by studying the effect of population, road structure and visibility on the Erlang traffic of an existing 3G Network. The result expectedly revealed that densely populated areas are likely to experience high traffic and poor signal reception. Road structure analysis shows poor service quality along major roads due to high traffic within the study area while the visibility analysis revealed that the terrain structure of the study area does not support good visibility. Keywords: GIS, 3G wireless cellular Networks, Erlang Traffic, Base Transceiver station

Comparative assessment of wetland and coastal plain soils in Calabar, Cross River State

The comparative assessment of wetland and coastal plain soils for agricultural productivity were studied. The investigation was carried out in two areas: Atimbo and Obufa Esuk in Calabar, Cross River State. The dominant particle size in bothcoastal and wetland soil was sandy texture. The mean bulk density values of 1.35 g/cm3 and 1.30 g/cm3 were obtained for Atimbo and Obufa Esuk coastal plain soil while 1.33 g/cm3 and 1.30 g/cm3 were obtained for Atimbo and Obufa Esuk wetland soil respectively. Total porosity in wetland soils was lower than coastal plain soil whereas moisture content in wetland soil was higher than coastal plain soil. Except Ap horizon in Atimbo coastal plain soil, the pH observed for the studied soils were all below pH of 5.0 unit which signifies high acidic condition. The mean organic carbon content in coastal plain soil was lower than wetland soil. Available phosphorus in the studied soils were high with Atimbo and Obufa Esuk coastal plain soil having a mean value of 32.10 and 32.42 mg/kg respectively, whereas those in Atimbo and Obufa Esuk wetland soils were 32.73 and 33.88 mg/kg respectively. The exchangeable calcium content obtained for both coastal and wetland soils were all below the critical limit of 5.0 cmolkg-1. Although exchangeable magnesium content was low in both soils but wetland soils was only slightly below the critical value of 1.5cmol/kg when compared to coastal plain soil. Both wetland and coastal plain soils were below (>0.2 cmolkg-1) critical level of K in soils of the zone. Also, exchangeable Na in both soil were low and below 0.3 cmol/kg limit and are adequate for cultivation of arable and tree crops. ECEC in both soils were low whereas percent base saturation was high. The mean C:N ratio in Atimbo and Obufa Esuk coastal plain soil were 11.45 and 15.48 respectively. Comparatively, the C:N ratio in Atimbo and Obufa Esuk wetland soils was slightly higher having a mean value of 16.39 and 18.14 respectively. This also reflect low rate of decomposition because of anaerobic condition of the soil. The Mg:K ratio were low in both soils. The Ca:Mg ratio values were high in wetland soil when compared with a normal range of 3:1-5:1 for productive soils and was low for coastal plain soil. Per cent silt content, moisture content, and exchangeable sodium of soil sample analyzed from wetland and coastal plain soil in Atimbo were significantly different (p<0.05). The result of the studied soils indicated that coastal plain soil is already losing its fertility status as typified by low values of organic carbon, total nitrogen, Exchangeable cations and high acidity couple with low moisture content; hence there is need to harnessed wetland soil for crop productivity. Wetland soils could be exploited for the cultivation of rice, oil palm, coconut, plantain, pineapple and sugar cane with judicious application of lime, and N and K fertilizers since these crops can perform well under acidic condition.Keywords: Wetland soil, coastal plain soil, soil fertility, soil propertie

EVALUATION OF GLUTATHIONE, TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY, TOTAL PLASMA PEROXIDES, OXIDATIVE STRESS INDEX IN CATARACT PATIENTS IN CALABAR

Introduction: Cataract with prevalence of 15.4% is the leading cause of blindness among blinding eye diseases. The cause of cataracts is not fully understood and may be multifactorial, however oxidative damage to the lens proteins and lipids is suggested to be involved in the development of cataracts. This study aimed to determine the serum levels of glutathione (GSH), Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), Total Plasma Peroxides (TPP) and Oxidative Stress Index (OSI) in cataract patients in Calabar. Materials and Methods: One hundred and seventeen subjects which comprise 75 diagnosed cataract patients and 42 controls were recruited. The cataract patients were sub-divided based on WHO criteria as: No visual impairment (n = 25), visually impaired (n = 25) and blind (n = 25).  GSH, TAC and TPP were determined using verified colorimetric methods while OSI was calculated. Anthropometric indices, blood pressure and sociodemographic information were obtained using standard methods. Data were analyzed using Student’s t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), LSD post hoc and Pearson’s correlation at P < .05. Results: The TPP and OSI were significantly higher while GSH and TAC were significantly lower (P < .05) in cataract patients compared to the control subjects. GSH and TAC were significantly lower (P < .05) in cataract patients with blindness and visually impaired compared to those without visual impairment. Oxidative stress index correlated negatively with TAC (r = -0.607, P < .05) and positively with diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.296, P = .01) in cataract patients. Conclusion: It can be concluded that increased oxidative stress may be associated with the formation of cataracts and further depletion of GSH and TAC may cause the progression of cataracts to blindness

The Influence of New Media Technologies on African Literature

This study investigates the role of new media technologies in the development of African literature. It examines the different ways that these new technologies such as the Internet and mobile phones have revolutionised the way Africans write and read literary works on the continent. African literature refers to literary works written mostly by Africans in any language. Over the last decade, new African writers have created a stir in the arenas of creative writing. Uses and gratification as well as diffusion of innovation theories were adopted as the theoretical framework for this study. A total of 30 African writers and 300 readers completed a survey questionnaire designed to elicit responses on how new media has influenced African literature. Some of the writers interviewed have distinguished themselves in their fields, their works have appeared alongside works of other international writers. The readers were chosen from a popular literary society. The results of the study indicate that the Internet has a big impact on reception of African literature, creating endless opportunities, easy accessibility, promotion of work and networking with peers and literary community. The findings also show that social media also increases networking opportunities and provides a platform where readers access, share and discuss African literature. Mobile phones also play a significant and functional role in the reception and promotion of African literature. Overall, these findings suggest that new media technologies have created opportunities for African literature to be appreciated globally, and have enabled readers to access, share and discuss new works