(Re)-interrogating the “Darkness” in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Achebe’s No Longer at Ease

Over the years, many critics especially of the African extraction, have regarded and described Conrad’s Heart of Darkness as a racist tale based on the manner in which Africa(ns) is/are depicted in the novella. Of greatest importance is the manner in which Africa is represented as the “heart of darkness” which provoked Achebe’s 1975 response in his article - ‘An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness’ where he out rightly discarded the work as a racist tale. “Darkness” which is metaphorically translated to African primitivity, backwardness, uncivilization, illiteracy and crudity, is critically re-interrogated here with the evidential facts surging from the text which finds strong corresponding support in No Longer at Ease. The aim of the paper which is in two parts is first, to articulate the first-hand information from the “first-class agent,” in the text - Mr. Kurtz by paying particular close attention on his character to better interpret the events and condition of the “heart of darkness” and; second, to examine what has been argued as “darkness” which ironically is found present in Achebe’s No Longer at Ease and even still proliferates in many present day African societies. Through the process of this metacriticism, the real deals of what happened in the Interior are found, as directly extracted from the mouth of Mr. Kurtz while the issue of African backwardness (darkness) is also found to subsist within the African life as could be located in No longer at Ease

Deconstructing Truth as a Symbolic Construct in Mukoma wa Ngugi’s Nairobi Heat

As a literary work which builds its plot on the intricacies of crime and murder, Mukoma wa Ngugi's Nairobi Heat has many of its criticisms focused on vices thus giving the text a meaning as expected, of a crime fiction. However, critical discourse has not been focused on deconstructing the symbolic idea of Truth in the text and its relevance in generating new and multiple meanings in the text. Therefore, through a close reading, this research aims to explicate the running idea of truth in the novel as a symbolic construct and traces the chains of multiple meaning it signifies. This is achieved through a focus on Paul Ricoeur's dialectical hermeneutics of faith and suspicion, which seeks to unearth hidden meanings from the primary symbol. To this end, the research focused on three objectives, first, it devotes itself to the identification of truth as a symbolic construct in the text; second, analyses the symbol of truth based on the hermeneutics of faith, which reveals truth to be that centred on the true reasons behind the death of Marcy Jane and other crimes in the text thus making it a quest for justice: while lastly, the symbol of truth is critiqued based on the hermeneutics of suspicion, which demystifies the hidden meaning of truth as truth for self-identification and truth about Africa which also serves as the supreme finding of the research. Keywords: Truth, Symbol, Hermeneutics, Faith, Suspicion, Meaning, Mukoma. DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/95-02 Publication date: January 31st 202

Human Resource Development and the Productivity of the Civil Service of Cross River State, Nigeria

This study was designed to determine the level of training and development of civil employees and how it affects their present and future productive capacities. Survey design was adopted for the study. Civil employees selected from six ministries constituted the population for the study from which a sample of 90 was randomly drawn, 15 employees from each ministry. Two research questions and a null hypothesis was formulated to guide and direct the study. The t-test statistic and simple percentages were used to analysishypothesis and questionnaire respectfully. The result revealed that civilemployees in cross river state civil service were not exposed to regulartraining workshops and refresher courses required to cope with jobchallenges and organizational changes. Hence, they are denied theopportunity of acquiring the relevant skills and knowledge required toperform tasks effectively and these has a direct and immediate impact onproductivity. It was recommended that government should expose itsemployees to regular training workshops and refresher courses as well asaward scholarships to intelligent employees to improve their educationallevels

African Traditional Religion and National Development in Nigeria

There is a general misconception that religion and development do not mix, and a strong belief that religion has a negative effect on development. Against this background, this paper showed that African traditional religion can aid national development in Nigeria. This it does through its traditional ethical principles based on the communal concern for the well-being of all, principles founded not on the ethics of individualism, human autonomy and selfishness, but on a common unity-centered. These traditional ethical principles, sanctions and eschatological beliefs regulated the behaviour, conduct, and actions of individuals in African society. Ethical principles, sanctions and eschatological concepts were the factors that kept individuals and government in check. The paper also x-rayed how African traditional religion can play a vital role in the national development of contemporary Nigerian society through its ethical principles and practices. This argued that the moral salvation of Nigerians lie in their immediate and conscious return to traditional socio-religious values and morals system which is the foundation for genuine conscience and national development. Keywords: African Traditional Religion; National development in Nigeria; Religious Ethic

Experimental studies on the glycolysis and tissue respiration in the brain of chronic cerebral local anaphylactic rabbits Part I. On the glycolysis and tissue respiration in the cortex of the chronic cerebral local anaphylactic rabbits

The α-type streptococci and cow sera with phosphatid obtained from the cerebral grey matter of cows were given as antigen in the auricular vein of adult rabbits. The effective injections were repeatedly performed for 10 months after the last sensitisation and then the animals were let alone for 4-6 months without any management. Thus the chronic local cerebral anaphylactic rabbits were made. And the glycolysis and tissue respiration in the specimens of the cortex were investivestigated with Warburg's apparatus. Both of glycolysis and tissue respiration in the group of anaphylactic rabbits generally showed lower values than those in the group of normal rabbits, especially that in the group of cow sara with phosphatid was more marked. The Meyerhof's index showed no difference from the normal

Theism In Christianity, Islam And Sikhism: A Comparative Analysis

God is usually taken to be a necessarily existing being who is unsurpassably powerful, knowledgeable and good. Theism is conceptualized in a single being that is monotheism in some religions and polytheism that is more than one being in some others. Yet some others see theism in everything of human concern that is pantheism. The doctrine of God is strong-minded by means of the religious experiences of men and evident in the conduct of such religious persons. This work intends to show here, the points of similarities and dissimilarities between the concept of theism in Christianity, Islam and Sikhism. This work exposed among others that their major point of way out is that in Christianity, there is a distinctive and central teaching concerning Jesus Christ as unique incarnations, the word of God, pre-eminently manifested in a historic person, on the ground that his moral character perfectly represents the character and purpose of the invisible holy God. While Islam, and Sikhism, have no such doctrine, or theory of incarnation

Legal and Policy Bases of Direct Foreign Investments in the Era of Indigenization (Economic Nationalism) in Nigeria, 1975 – 1985

The paper focuses on the legal and policy bases of direct foreign investments in Nigeria between 1975 and 1985. This was examined within the context of the indigenization (Economic nationalism) Policy which straddled the Olusegun military administration (1976 - 1979), and the President Shehu Shagari administration (1979-1983). The aim of the paper was to improve highlighting what has been done by past administrations in trying to develop the Nigerian economy in terms of economic nationalism and the attraction of direct foreign investors, and to chart the way forward. Data was generated from secondary sources only. Our findings reveal that little successes have been recorded in our drive to attract foreign investors into our economy because of weak legal and institutional frameworks, entrenched culture of corruption in the public sphere, inadequate power supply, violence and insecurity, etc. It was recommended that a lot needs to be done in terms of providing an enabling and ennobling environment that would be attractive to direct foreign investors. Keywords: Legal and policy frameworks, direct foreign investments, indigenization policy, enabling environment, corruption

The Influence of In-Service Training, Seminars and Workshops Attendance by Social Studies Teachers on Academic Performance of Students in Junior Secondary Schools Incross River State, Nigeria

This research examined the influence of in-service training, seminar and workshop attendance by social studies teachers on students academic performance in Cross River State, Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of this study, one hypothesis was formulated to direct the study. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. A sample of five hunded Social Studies teachers (500) and students were selected for the study. The instruments for data collection were a set of questionnaire to measure Social Studies teachers in-service training, seminar and workshop training and Social Studies Performance Test (SOSPT)  to measure students academic performance. The reliability estimate of the instruments were established through the split-half reliability method and it associate Spearman Brown prophesy formula. Pearson product moment correlation analysis was adopted to test the hypothesis at .05 level of significance. The result of the analysis revealed that there exists a positive and small relationship between the frequency of teachers’ attendance at in-service training, seminars and workshops and students’ academic performance in social studies. It was recommended that government should make it mandatory for all teachers in both primary and post primary to undergo professional training. As it is the case with other professions like law and medicine among others