32 research outputs found
Historical Context of Counterterrorism Measures in Nigeria: The Need for Restorative Justice
Many approaches have been adopted to address the problem of terrorism in Nigeria, but none seems to be very effective in totally eradicating terrorism and its despicable effects on the safety and well-being of the people. To prevent the prevailing cycle of retribution and violence, the author makes a case for the employment of restorative justice principles and practice in responding to terrorism. Restorative justice is a contextualized and negotiated justice system that seeks to restore a sense of harmony and well-being among all those affected by the harmful act. All the primary stakeholders to the conflict, namely the victims, offenders, the affected community and relevant governmental agencies must actively participate in the definition of the harm, and the search for a resolution acceptable to all concerned. This article examines the military, criminal justice and conciliatory counterterrorism models employed by various government administrations in Nigeria starting from the 1980âs until the present time. It theoretically analyzes restorative justice and Amalatocracy, as alternative measures to countering terrorism in Nigeria. Relying on secondary data from open-source historical documents, existing literature, various government sites and other databases, it concludes that a combination of synchronized policies that suits the national circumstances of Nigeria could be effective. The findings emphasize the need for government leaders, policy makers, and researchers, to support the adoption of the tenets of restorative justice in countering terrorism. Keywords: Terrorism, Restorative Justice, Amalatocracy, Counterterrorism, Re-integrative Shaming, Repressive Measures, Retribution, Nigeria DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/11-4-08 Publication date:May 31st 2021
Critical Analysis of Nigeriaâs Terrorism Prevention Acts of 2011 and 2013 (Amendment) and Implications on Human Rights
Terrorism is defined as acts of violence or threatened use of violence against a target population in an attempt to achieve political, religious or socio-economic objectives. Nigeria is presently experiencing what is considered its worst security situation since the 1967â1970 civil war due to the surge in terroristsâ activities. As a result, the Nigerian government has strategically developed measures including the Terrorism Prevention Act of 2011 and its Amendment Act of 2013 to end the scourge of terrorism. This study examines the legal frameworks for the prevention of terrorism in Nigeria vis-a-vis the principles of fundamental human rights outlined in the Nigerian Constitution and the International Human Rights Laws. It significantly highlighted the lack of balance between the provisions of security and protection of human rights as evidenced in the Acts. Some irreconcilable approaches border on charges punishable by death sentences, life imprisonment, search and arrest without court warrants, detention of terrorism suspects, deprivation of citizenship, interception of communications, proscription of organizations, and excessive powers accorded to government agencies. Some provisions of the Acts are found to be incompatible with Nigeria's constitutional provisions on human rights and international human rights obligations. Among others, this study recommends the need to address excessive punishments, undue powers of government agencies, and the lack of clarity in the definition of terrorism in both the Principal and the Amendment Acts and strive to balance the protection of human rights and the provision of security in Nigeria. Keywords: Terrorism, Human Rights, Terrorism Prevention Acts, Nigeria Constitution, International Human Rights Law DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/109-04 Publication date:May 31st 2021
Restorative Justice: Psychological Needs of Offenders and Implications for Safety & Security
Crime creates psychosocial needs for victims, offenders, and communities where they occurâwhether it is homogeneous or heterogeneous. Unfortunately, the criminal justice system does not recognize and take steps to meet these needs. This failure stems from a mischaracterization of the state or government as the crime victim. Our contention is that this problem also emerges from the theoretical groundswell that posits that offender must pay for his or her crime through incarceration. The result of this skewed perception of crime and victimhood has not deterred crime as evidenced by the high rate of recidivism. Certainly, crime-created psychological and social needs, also referred to in this analysis as psychosocial needs, do exist. The overarching question for this analysis is: Does the traditional criminal justice system meet these requirements? Contrarily, the restorative justice system is a method of justice administration that focuses on meeting the psychosocial needs of victims, offenders, and communities. The goal of restorative justice may be realized through victim-offender conference, family group conference, and peacemaking circles. Our findings revealed that these programs are effective because their success is supported by factors such as high rate of participation; the satisfaction of victims, the offenders and the communities where the crime occurred; as well as the programsâ popularity
In Defense of the Nigerian Homeland
Recently, Nigeria has experienced various acts of domestic terrorism and kidnapping that may be rooted in many forms of motivations and agitations. These aggressions have resulted in homegrown bloodshed, émigré aggression, or even organized international network assaults against the population. The scourge of these terrorist activities has continued to weaken the Nigerian character or moral fiber. While the government is trying to combat these offenses caused by extremist activities, there are still remedies that have not been implemented prudently or applied properly. In this article, we propose various forms of the repertoire of actions which the government can use to effectively fight and combat terrorism in a democratic Nigeria
Prevalence of autonomic dysfunction among pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients in a tertiary hospital, South East Nigeria
Background: Autonomic dysfunction (AD) has been recognized as an important contributor to the poor outcome in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Several studies have reported abnormalities in heart rate variability (HRV) among these patients. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of Autonomic Dysfunction (AD) in pre-dialysis Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients in a tertiary hospital in South East Nigeria.Methods: A cross sectional study of eighty chronic kidney disease patients attending the renal unit out-patient in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu was carried out. Forty subjects, drawn randomly, who had no kidney disease served as control. Autonomic function was assessed with non â invasive cardiovascular tests including, measurement of resting tachycardia, orthostatic hypotension, heart rate response (HRR) to standing test, heart rate response to Vasalva manoeuvre and heart rate response to respiration. Results: With the battery of 5 tests used to assess AD, the frequency of autonomic dysfunction in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients was 51.3% compared to 7.5% in the control group. Heart rate response to standing was the most sensitive test to detect AD in this group of subjects. Â Conclusion: AD is a common problem among pre-dialysis CKD patients in Nigeria. Â Keywords: Prevalence, autonomic dysfunction, pre-dialysis
UTILIZATION OF E-LEARNING RESOURCES AMONG LECTURERS IN NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY STUDY CENTERS IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA
Despite the effort of the Federal Government of Nigeria to enhance the quality of the learning process in Nigerian universities by introducing the use of ICT resources in schools through which lecturers will acquire knowledge and skills that would enable them source the internet and utilize e-learning resources for qualitative teaching, the attainment of the e-learning objectives in National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) appears elusive. The study investigated the utilization of e-learning resources among lecturers in National Open University study centers in South East Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study, while survey design was adopted. The population of the study comprised all the 724 facilitators in National Open University study centers, South East Nigeria. The sample size comprised 84 lecturers obtained through simple random sampling and accidental sampling techniques. Questionnaire was used to collect data. The reliabilities of the clusters in the instrument which were ascertained with Cronbach alpha method were found to be 0.71, 0.80 and 0.77. The data collected were analyzed using mean. The findings of the study revealed that many of the lecturers utilized e-learning resources for instructional delivery, research purposes and evaluation purposes. Based on the findings, it was recommended that University administrators should promote the use of e learning among lecturers by providing technologically enhanced libraries in order to support the use of e learning for the tripartite purposes of instructional delivery, research and evaluation.
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Mothersâ perception of recovery and satisfaction with patent medicine dealersâ treatment of childhood febrile conditions in rural communities
Background
Infant mortality in rural areas of Nigeria can be minimized if childhood febrile conditions are treated by trained health personnel, deployed to primary healthcare centres (PHCs) rather than the observed preference of mothers for patent medicine dealers (PMDs). However, health service utilization/patronage is driven by consumer satisfaction and perception of services/product value. The objective of this study was to determine âmothersâ perception of recoveryâ and âmothersâ satisfactionâ after PMD treatment of childhood febrile conditions, as likely drivers of mothersâ health-seeking behaviour, which must be targeted to reverse the trend.
Methods
Ugwuogo-Nike, in Enugu, Nigeria, has many PMDs/PHCs, and was selected based on high prevalence of childhood febrile conditions. In total, 385 consenting mothers (aged 15â45 years) were consecutively recruited at PMD shops, after purchasing drugs for childhood febrile conditions, in a cross-sectional observational study using a pre-tested instrument; 33 of them (aged 21â47 years) participated in focus group discussions (FGDs). Qualitative data were thematically analysed while a quantitative study was analysed with Z score and Chi square statistics, at p < 0.05.
Results
Most participants in FGDs perceived that their child had delayed recovery, but were satisfied with PMDsâ treatment of childhood febrile conditions, for reasons that included politeness, caring attitude, drug availability, easy accessibility, flexibility in pricing, shorter waiting time, their God-fearing nature, and disposition as good listeners. Mothersâ satisfaction with PMDsâ treatment is significantly (p < 0.05) associated with mothersâ perception of recovery of their child (Ï2 = 192.94, df = 4; p < 0.0001; Cramerâs V = 0.7079). However, predicting mothersâ satisfaction with PMDsâ treatment from a knowledge of mothersâ perception of recovery shows a high accord (lambda[A from B] = 0.8727), unlike when predicting mothersâ perception of recovery based on knowledge of mothersâ satisfaction with PMDsâ treatment (lambda[A from B] = 0.4727).
Conclusions
Mothersâ satisfaction could be the key âdriverâ of mothersâ health-seeking behaviour and is less likely to be influenced by mothersâ perception of recovery of their child. Therefore, mothersâ negative perception of their childâs recovery may not induce proportionate decline in mothersâ health-seeking behaviour (patronage of PMDs), which might be influenced mainly by mothersâ satisfaction with the positive attributes of PMDsâ personality/practice and sets an important agenda for PHC reforms
Eye health myths, misconceptions and facts: results of a cross-sectional survey among Nigerian school children
Background. Vision is critical in the development and performance of children. Factual knowledge of eye health is important for preventive and promotive eye health. Objectives. To identify eye health myths and misconceptions that are considered true in a population of Nigerian school children, with the aim of prioritizing eye health messages. Material and methods. In a cross-sectional survey, self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain pupilsâ views, which were elicited using statements presented as 22 ocular health myths/misconceptions and three facts in two selected secondary schools in Enugu state, Nigeria in October 2014. Frequency counts and percentages were generated using SPSS v18. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. The sample comprised 404 males (48.5%) and 429 females (51.5%), age range 10â17 years, median 13â14 years; IQR â6). More pupils in the senior classes had previously listened to eye health talks. The most common beliefs concerned the statements âstaying close to the television set will damage visionâ 782 (93.9%), and âreading in dim light will damage visionâ 758 (90.8%). The least commonly-held misconception was âchildren do not need regular eye checksâ 119 (14.3%). The greatest amount of uncertainty concerned the statements âshort-sightedness is worse than long-sightednessâ 421 (51%), and âcrossed-eye disorders cannot be corrected in childrenâ 383 (46%). Conclusions. The majority of the children do not have information on eye health. Despite the persistence of these myths and misconceptions, this study has demonstrated that the children had a reasonable level of knowledge in terms of safe eye care practices. However, appropriate eye health messages still need to be provided
Prevalence of autonomic dysfunction among pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients in a tertiary hospital, South East Nigeria
Background: Autonomic dysfunction (AD) has been recognized as an
important contributor to the poor outcome in chronic kidney disease
(CKD) patients. Several studies have reported abnormalities in heart
rate variability (HRV) among these patients. Objectives: To determine
the prevalence of Autonomic Dysfunction (AD) in pre-dialysis Chronic
Kidney Disease (CKD) patients in a tertiary hospital in South East
Nigeria. Methods: A cross sectional study of eighty chronic kidney
disease patients attending the renal unit out-patient in the University
of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu was carried out. Forty
subjects, drawn randomly, who had no kidney disease served as control.
Autonomic function was assessed with non \u2013 invasive
cardiovascular tests including, measurement of resting tachycardia,
orthostatic hypotension, heart rate response (HRR) to standing test,
heart rate response to Vasalva manoeuvre and heart rate response to
respiration. Results: With the battery of 5 tests used to assess AD,
the frequency of autonomic dysfunction in pre-dialysis chronic kidney
disease patients was 51.3% compared to 7.5% in the control group. Heart
rate response to standing was the most sensitive test to detect AD in
this group of subjects. Conclusion: AD is a common problem among
pre-dialysis CKD patients in Nigeria
Prevalence of CKD-MBD in pre-dialysis patients using biochemical markers in Enugu, South-East Nigeria
Background: As kidney function declines, there is a progressive
deterioration in mineral homeostasis with disruption of normal serum
and tissue concentration of phosphorus and calcium, and changes in
circulating levels of hormones-parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitriol
(1,25(OH)2 D), and Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23). Objective:
This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of markers of
CKD-MBD in pre-dialysis patients. Methods: We evaluated consecutively
168 subjects made up of 85 CKD patients and 83 healthy controls, who
were attending the renal clinics and medical outpatient of University
of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu. GFR was estimated and serum
calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, PTH, and 25(OH) D levels
assayed. Results: The prevalence of various mineral bone disease
abnormalities were 70% hyper-phosphatemia, 85% hyper-parathyroidism,
and 100% low levels of 25 (OH) D among the patients. Estimated GFR
correlated negatively with both serum phosphorus, and PTH. Age of the
patients ranged from18-76 years with a male to female ratio of 1.7:1.
Chronic Glomerulonephritis (CGN), hypertension and diabetes mellitus
caused CKD in 75% of the patients. There was no significant decrease in
serum calcium levels of patients compared to controls. The patients did
not have pathologically raised alkaline phosphatase, although their
mean level was significantly higher than that of the control group.
Conclusion: Low 25 (OH) D levels (insufficiency/deficiency),
hyperparathyroidism, and hyper-phosphatemia were the obvious markers of
CKD-MBD in our pre-dialysis patients. These should be evaluated at
presentation in these patients