ConfBits: A Web Based Conference Management System

ConfBits is a Web-based Conference Management System (CMS) developed to aid effective organization and management of professional, academic and technical conferences. The web based application is an object-oriented and multi-conferences platform that is made up of four major actors which are authors, reviewers, administrators (otherwise known as Program Committee (PC) chair) and participants. Conference organizers in any Anglophone country can subscribe to the platform via the Internet to access and utilize the different features which include; abstract and full paper submissions, assignment of papers to reviewers, sending email notifications to authors and reviewers, participants management and conference program scheduling. The prototype of the platform is already deployed on the Internet and the trial Universal Resource Locator (URL) is www.cucms.com.ng. From our review of existing online CMSs, ConfBits (although still at a prototype stage) is the first of such system from a developing clime. We hope the platform will serve to bridge the hitherto wide digital divide between the developed and developing nations especially with respect to scholarly online content

Alien Registration- Kelsey, Mercy E. (Portland, Cumberland County)

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Employee Motivation and Performance in Entrepreneurial Firms

The main objective of this research work is to determine the relationship between motivation and organizational performance in entrepreneurial firms.  Other specific objectives are to examine the relationship between performance and recognition, job security, promotion, training and development, leadership style, etc. Questionnaires were used to elicit responses and/or perceptions of workers from Timafrique Services Ltd, Warri, Delta State.  Data were analyzed using percentages and mean scores.  Among others, we found out that financial incentives, job security, promotion, leadership style, etc. have a major role to play in relation to organizational performance. Premised upon the researcher’s findings, it was therefore concluded that well motivated employees will no doubt exert extra effort on behalf of the firm and demonstrate unreserved dedication and commitment to work enthusiastically, sacrifice self interest for the firm, geared towards organization’s goals’ attainment.  Thus, it is therefore recommended that firms adequately motivate its employees to induce better performance and organizational growth as it leads to improved performance, increased productivity and increased profitability.  Employees should be equally rewarded and promoted accordingly for high performance and commensurately punish deviants/disgruntled elements in the firm to serve as a deterrent to others and strive for superior performance towards achieving congruent goals. Keywords: motivation, leadership style, job security, performance, training and development, promotion, financial incentive

Robust E-Health Communication Architecture for Rural Communities in Developing Countries

The lack of access to quality healthcare and the lack of sufficient manpower, especially doctors, in rural areas is a major healthcare challenge faced by dwellers in rural communities in most developing countries. The intervention of governments, which range from the introduction of training programs aimed at producing health workers from schools of health technology and nursing to the recalling and deployment of retired nurses to rural areas, has still not been able to generate the desired improvement in healthcare delivery, as outbreaks of epidemics are still being reported in such areas. This work presents an E-Health architecture which utilizes low cost sensors and communication devices to link the doctors in the urban areas with the patients in rural areas enabling doctors-patients interaction. The system enables accurate and timely diagnosis of the patients and facilitates proper treatment plans. It also incorporates an epidemic alert which enables the tracking of diseases and the early detection and control of epidemics

E-Payment System and its Sustainable Development in the Nigerian Economy

The e--payment system has gradually emerged strongly and has no doubt earned competitive advantage. However, the process of establishing e-payment practices in the pursuit of a sustainable development and economic growth is yet to be firmly established. Firstly, this paper describes the significance of e-payment system by explaining the transition from the traditional payment practices to the evolving electronic payment practices which has broken many new grounds and has taken a global dimension.  Secondly, it explains why the electronic payment channels such as the use of ATM, Mobile banking, internet banking, POS terminals, etc could enable business to flourish and reduce the movement of cash/cash handling which in turn helps to curb crime rates and would protect consumers from many dangers.  Also, it explains why it has gained greater height of acceptability and thus explains how information communication technology (ICT) could be exploited and enhanced for this purpose.  Again, it develops a strategic management framework for leveraging e-payment practices by providing considerable and practical suggestions on the use of e-payment system, its features, benefits, success factors and possible attendant risks associated with e-payment system and e-payment constraints.  Finally, it outlines why we need e-payment system, and what we should do to enhance and improve the standard of living, as well as facilitating economic, social and technological changes as certain values are espoused by sustainable development which in turn, would help to foster economic growth in the Nigerian economy . Keywords: e-payment, mobile banking, internet banking, corporate i-bank, smartcards/credit /debit cards, POS, ATM, sustainable development

Corporate Governance and Organizational Performance in Nigerian Banks

The main objective of this research study among others, is to investigate and/or examine the role of good corporate governance on the performance of Nigerian banks.  The study adopted a survey research design which was conducted using a selected bank in Asaba, Delta State. Data were collected through questionnaires  that were administered  to the selected (cross section of 100) respondents which was judged to be adequate for this study. Data collected were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) regression software to establish the level of relationship between corporate governance, ethical behaviour/code of conduct, corporate social responsibility,  managers and board members relationship and banking performance in Nigeria. The study revealed that weak corporate governance has accounted for some recent corporate failures in Nigeria and has heightened poor corporate governance, large scale misappropriation of fund, financial crises, excessive executive remuneration, conflict of interest, bankruptcy, eventual collapse, etc.  Premised upon these findings, this study recommends that shareholders and stakeholders interests be properly and consistently aligned to ensure the banks promise of a future existence. Again, directors and managers should effectively discharge their fiduciary responsibilities and expeditiously increase their commitment, disclosure and transparency, improve on professionalism and shun all forms of fraudulent and corrupt practices.  Lastly, it also recommends that should ethics unit be established in organizations to curb the ills and excesses and introduce principle based policies on good governance and ethics, constraints to good corporate governance would have been reduced to a highest level and relevant control measures to promoting good corporate governance will ensure the highest standards of transparency, accountability and attain stellar performance. Keywords: corporate governance, ethical behaviour, corporate social responsibility, shareholders relationship and performance

Utilization of Reference Books by Students: A Case Study of Covenant University, Nigeria

This study assessed the utilization of reference books by final-year students of Covenant University, Nigeria with a view to providing valuable data to help students to get a better orientation on the use and importance of reference sources for their research work, to guide instructors and teachers on the use of library, information retrieval processes and information literacy, and to help University management, policy-makers and other stakeholders to make appropriate policies concerning the acquisitions of library materials. The survey method of research was adopted for the study. The simple random sampling technique was used in choosing the study population. The respondents for the questionnaire, interview and focus group discussion were chosen from the 400- and 500-level undergraduate students at the Covenant University. 300 copies of the questionnaires were administered to respondents. A focus group discussion was conducted with 30 participants. And 18 students were interviewed. It was revealed that students prefer online resources, which accounts for the poor usage of the hardcopy reference materials. It is, therefore, recommended that the library should intensify its information literacy skills program in order to help users maximize online reference resources. At the same time, the library should acquire more online reference sources rather than buying hard copies for a few user

Acculturation of Knowledge through Sustainable Language Engineering for National Development: The Case of Igbo

The aim of this study is to find out the possible ways of domesticating knowledge gained through western education by the Igbo through sustainable language development. It also aims to make the knowledge accessible in the Igbo language for empowerment at the grassroots and ultimately for societal and national development. The need for this work is born out of the observation that the Igbo, as well as other tribes in Nigeria are rich with internationally acclaimed learned personalities. These personalities have distinguished themselves in various fields of human endeavor. Also, these achievements are made in foreign languages. Subsequently, these achievements have led to an increase in the relevance of such languages to the relegation of the scholars’ own mother tongues and invariably their own people. By using the descriptive and inferential methods, the paper presents some neologism processes which non linguists can apply in their various academic fields. Also, they can come up with terminologies in the Igbo language for presenting relevant academic materials for use in teaching and learning the Igbo language. The use of these terminologies could be formal or informal as the need arises. Thus, these processes include extra-language borrowing, loan translations, intra-language borrowing, and specialization of dialectal phonological variants. Previously, metalanguage development efforts by governments had bypassed these professionals. Also, they have focused on developing the terminologies through linguists and selected professionals alone. This has resulted to the terminologies not being accessible to the intended end users. Among other things, this paper suggests that the call for the acculturation of knowledge and the processes of embarking on it should be made public in all institutions of higher education. This is carried out in the Igbo culture area and later extended to the Igbo in diaspora. However, the co-ordination of the process of the formalization of the terminologies should be left in the hands of the Igbo Studies Association (ISA). This official regulating body ensures the maintenance of professional standards and uniformity of usage

E-Commerce and Banking Performance in Nigeria

E-commerce is relatively new in Nigeria and this business approach is fast gaining momentum. It has gradually emerged strongly and it’s advancing rapidly in all areas of financial intermediation and financial markets. This development has no doubt earned a competitive advantage owing to the fact that the recent development in telecommunications and information technology has resulted in new delivery channels for banking products and services. One of such derived benefits from e-commerce and its resultant impact on banking performance is its improved efficiency and effectiveness, convenience, reliability, flexibility, speed, etc. in order to enhance effective service delivery and boost banking performance in the Nigerian economy. However, as to how e-commerce practices can be employed in the pursuit of a sustainable development and economic growth is yet to be firmly established. This research work particularly describes the significance of e-commerce system by explaining the transition from the traditional business practices to the evolving electronic commerce practices which has broken many new grounds and has taken a global dimension.  Again, it explains why the electronic commerce channels such as the use of ATM, telecommunications, social networks, internet banking, POS terminals, Mobile phones, software applications, etc could enable business to blossom and reduce the movement of cash/cash handling which in turn helps to curb crime rates, mitigate other barricading challenges and would protect us from many dangers.  Also, it explains why it has gained greater height of acceptability and thus explains how information communication technology (ICT) could be exploited and enhanced for this purpose.  Conclusively, it develops a strategic management framework for leveraging e-commerce practices by providing considerable and practical suggestions on the use of e-e-commerce - its features, benefits, success factors and possible attendant risks associated with e-commerce. It guarantees customers’ patronage,  improve the standard of living, as well as facilitating economic, social and technological changes as certain values are expoused by sustainable development which in turn, would help to foster economic growth in the Nigerian economy . it was recommended that government and banks should establish adequate regulatory framework that will ensure customers’ protection and security of investment. Keywords: e-commerce, e-banking, mobile commerce/mobile banking, internet banking, information technology, social networks.

The Abuse of Legal process in Nigeria: The Remedies

It is trite law that the court has an inherent jurisdiction to protect itself from abuse or to see that its process was not abused. The legal practitioners as an advocate of the court must therefore pay heed to the rule of ethics which requires him never to show marked attention or unusual hospitality for judicial officers, uncalled for by the personal relations of the parties, he must therefore avoid anything calculated act to enable him or her gain or having appearance of gaining special personal consideration or favour from a judicial officer. Legal practitioners should be devoid of carrying out acts or omissions that will derail the due process of the court especially on issues like multiple institutions of actions, frivolity or reckless actions, shop-forum system, instituting different applications on the same subject matter and any form of professional misconduct at the face of the court. The judicial officers should show or adopt an adjudication method or process based on procedural rules of natural justice such like fair hearing, giving opportunity to counsel to present issues without fear and intimidation, making rulings base on substantive laws and maintain accurate case record. Timeous dispensation and conclusion of matters so that there will be an end to litigant. Keywords: Legal process, litigant, justice, judicial process