The Impact of Educational Trust Fund on Nigeria Tertiary Institutions: Ondo State as a Case Study

The study examines impact of Education Trust Fund on Nigeria tertiary institutions by using Ondo State of Nigeria as a case study. Four tertiary institutions were sampled in Ondo state namely (Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo and Adeyemi  College of Education, Ondo. A total sample of 200 were used for the study. Questionnaires were distributed among the students, teaching and non teaching staff in the same proportions, to gather data for the study Frequency counts and simple percentages were used to analyse the data. The result shows that Tertiary institutions in Ondo state have benefited greatly from the activities of the Educational Trust Fund (ETF) programmes in terms of training of staff, sponsorship attendance of conferences and infrastructural development programmes. Therefore, it is clear that the impact of Educational Trust Fund (ETF) has on Nigeria tertiary institutions particularly in Ondo state is paramount towards the achievements of better teaching and learning process. It is therefore recommended that Educational Trust Fund should make sure that they assign their projects to only contractors who are certified to be honest and competent. The monitoring team should be at work always to make sure that they evaluate the project at close interval Keywords: Educational Trust fund, Tertiary Institutions, Projects, Impact, Evaluate the project DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-6-0

Effects of Cooling Media on the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Sand and Die Casting Aluminium Alloys

Die and sand castings are versatile processes capable of being used in mass production of alloys having properties unobtainable by other manufacturing method. In this research, efforts were made to study the effects of cooling media on Aluminium alloy cast. Aluminium scrap (Al – Mg – Si,) were charged into crucible furnace from which as-cast aluminium samples for the experimental work were obtained. The specimens were subjected to hardness test, tensile test and metallographic examination. The results show that samples obtained from air cooled dies had the best mechanical properties and those produce by sand casting had comparable hardness values but lower tensile properties. Other results show that the hardness of cast alloys can be varied by changing the cooling media. Keywords: Die casting, cooling media, aluminium Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 28 (1) 2008 pp. 97-10

Linguistic Freedom and Hate Speech: A Critical Review of Nigerian Politicians’ Speeches and Their Implications

This paper deals with the linguistic freedom of the people of Nigeria as entrenched in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the misuse of that freedom through hate-speech by Nigerian politicians against their opponents in the public for and even in the National Dailies. This paper condemns such actions in its entirety exposing the dangers involved and the implications both at present and in future. The paper goes further to give a better alternative to hate-speech, which is persuasion; this is believed to be more convincing than the former. The theories of persuasion were explained and elaborated. These theories are social judgment theory and the Relationship based persuasion theory. It concludes by saying that whatever the situation, it is when Nigerians see themselves as one, respect one another and work together, that Nigeria can stand tall in the comity of nations of the world. Based on the havoc and the hatred that hate-speech causes, the paper recommends that government should do everything possible eradicating this societal cankerworm or reducing it to the barest minimum, by taking drastic actions against perpetrators, because,  to build Nigeria and make it one continually, is a task that must be done by all. Keywords: Linguistic freedom, hate-speech, politicians, persuasion, societal cankerworm. DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/80-01 Publication date:May 31st 201

Conservation of Botanicals Used for Dental and Oral Healthcare in Ekiti State, Nigeria

A combination of social surveys and direct field observations was used to identify and determine the abundance status of chewing stick botanicals in the tree zones of Ekiti State, Nigeria. Voucher specimens of the botanicals identified by the respondents were collected, identified and relevant information on them were documented. The relative abundance of the identified species was determined based on their accessibility when required. Thus species were classified into two groups, abundant species and scarce species. A total of 49 species belonging to 26 families were identified as being used for dental and oral health care in the study area and the various similarity measurements revealed that similar plant species were used in the three zones of the study area. Most of these species were indigenous species, the introduced species constituted 18% of the total number of the species used. Only 31% of the botanicals were cultivated in the study area and these species were cultivated mainly for other uses apart from the production of chewing sticks. The relative abundance test revealed that 34 of the species could be described as being abundant while 15 species (31 %) of the species were scarce. The major sources of these scarce species were the forests which were located far from the household areas. Chewing sticks acceptability tests conducted among the urban dwellers in the study area revealed that the use of chewing sticks cut across gender, age, educational and economic strata. However, the use of chewing sticks among the urban dwellers was governed by species availability rather than preference. Strategies that would enhance the conservation of the chewing sticks botanicals were proposed

Influence of Rock Mineralogy on Subsurface Water in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

Sudden geometric increase in population of Ado-Ekiti has lead to an increase in demand for water and harnessing of subsurface water reserve. This research investigated the possible infiltration of dissolved mineral from weathered rock into subsurface water in the area (basement complex rocks), and comparing the mineral level with the set standard for quality water by the World Health Organization Physical test were carried out on hardness, colour, odour, conductivity, pH, and turbidity. Chemical test for sodium (Na+) and potassium (K2+) was also done using experimental scientific set standard. The analysis of the sodium, potassium ions, and the conductivity of the water indicate that dissolved mineral from rocks have great influence on the underground water property. The level of the dissolved mineral is within the acceptable limit for water quality standard set by the W.H.O. Sourcing for underground water should not be based on hydro geological variable alone but possible chemical interference from the geology of the environment (rock type).African Research Review Vol. 2 (2) 2008 pp. 175-18

Application of the Marketing School of Thought and Their Implications in Nigeria Market:A Study of Music Industry

The schools of marketing thoughts have received scholarly attention from marketing enthusiasts and academics from related disciplines such as Economics, Psychology and Sociology. Several works have been published by scholars in an attempt to explain away the schools of marketing thoughts. Some writers traced development of marketing by time period, a few focused on specific marketing thoughts while others simply concentrated on reviewing history of individual schools of marketing thought. Such is the varied and diverse nature of these classifications that it could be somewhat confusing to an average reader. There is the great need to understand the varied classification, as well as the development of each school of thought, its primary focus and contributors to each school. This paper, therefore, seeks to contribute to this discourse by undertaking an archival survey of the extant literature to identifying theories and models relating to the concepts and philosophies of marketing schools of thought. The objective of this study is basically to examine the application of the theoretical foundations and ideas of marketing schools of thought to the music industry in Nigeria. Findings by the study reveals that with the increasing popularity of music industry in Nigeria and the application of the schools of marketing thought, there is need for proper planning, supportive structure and government intervention, of the industry. It is hereby recommended that it is imperative for the government to sponsor and legislate on laws that advance the development of music industry in Nigeria

Quality of Teachers: Effective Teaching and Learning of English Language in Secondary Schools, Akoko North West Local Government Area, Ondo State

This study examined qualities of teachers as a panacea to effective and learning of English Language in selected secondary schools. The study population comprised all the public secondary school teachers in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State. Out of this a sample of 150 teachers was selected through simple ramdon sampling technique. Two instruments were used to collect data. The data collected were analysed using frequency counts, percentages and chi-square. The findings reveal that there is significant relationship between teacher’s quality and students’ academic performance in English Language in Secondary Schools; there is significant relationship between teacher’s experience and students’ academic performance in English Language in secondary schools; there is significant relationship between teachers’ qualification and students’ academic performance in English Language in secondary schools; there is significant influence between teacher’s qualification  and experience on students’ academic performance in English Language. Based on the findings, it is recommended that Ondo State Government should intensify more efforts in the training of teachers in order to acquire higher qualification; teachers should bring their wealth of experience in teaching students that would enhance the internal efficiency in secondary schools in the State. Keywords: Teachers, teaching, learning, English language, secondary schools. DOI: 10.7176/DCS/9-2-0

MAXIMIZING EMPLOYEE RESOURCING FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

This study was carried out to examine ways of maximizing employee resourcing for the achievement of sustainable competitive advantage using Guaranty Trust Bank Pic, in Nigeria as a case study. In order to achieve this, the researchers tested four hypotheses. Data were gathered from a sample size of69 employees from the corporate headquarters of the bank. The data obtained were analyzed with regression and ANOVA test statistics using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 16. The major findings reveal that all null hypotheses were rejected, indicating that manpower requirement contributes to the achievement of the corporate goals of the organization; that recruitment strategy has an influence on reputation management; that selection strategy has a significant effect on the operational efficiency of the organization; and that skill development has significance in the level ofinnovativeness of the organization. Overall from this research, it is evident that employee resourcing is important for the achievement of competitive advantage by any organization and it can be maximized to ensure the sustainabi/ity of the attained competitive advantage. Firms are therefore encouraged to maximize their employee resourcing strategies

Online radicalisation: the net or the netizen?

Purpose. Radicalisation has gained some unusual prominence in the academic circles; maintaining a generic existence not only in the political sector. And with the advent of the Information Communication Technology (ICT), radicalisation has begun to have some virtual dimension even in the remotest of human communities. This study seeks to mobilise a universal awareness on the collective urgency to oppose Online Radicalisation (a radicalisation that happens through the internet) due to its propensity to engendering conflicts. It also aims at identifying the principal cause of online radicalisation and steer a clear course for a practical reversal in the systems of online radicalisation. Design/methodology/approach. The study is divided into three primary parts. The general notion of radicalisation is the focus of the first part; which is further analysed into the levels of online radicalisation with its accompanying developments and segments. The second part utilises analytic and historical method to pinpoint the principal cause of online radicalisation amidst the suspected causal factors (the Net and the Netizen). The final part analytically focuses on the Netizen (a user/citizen of the internet) as the primary cause of online radicalisation and how the global community can bring about a corresponding change in the Net by the application of some measures on the Netizen. Findings. By virtue of the analytic plus historical methods employed by this study; it has been initially identified that radicalisation is basically having two versions which are online and offline. Further emphasis on the online version reveals that its existence is only made possible by the availability of the internet (the Net). Since the Net is a global phenomenon, online radicalisation is considered to be worldwide: a menace of globalisation. However, the study later indicated that the Net is a facilitator and not a cause of online radicalisation. Research limitations/implications. The study averred that all attempts/measures to bring about a reversal in the status quo of online radicalisation [de-radicalisation measures] should be directly applied to the principal cause, which is the Netizen. Although the content of the de-radicalisation measures were not fully provided by this study due to the reason that the contents can best be supplied by almost everyone that has a vivid understanding of online radicalisation. The study continues to affirm that the application of the measures of de-radicalisation on the Netizen will bring a corresponding ameliorative effect on the Net against its perpetuation of online radicalisation. Practical implications. It is important for domain name providers, governments, internet service providers, mass media, NGOs, parents, politicians, religious organisations, schools, teachers, and web hosting companies to collaborate to create practicable contents for a Gradual Online De-Radicalisation (G.O.D) which will suppress the perturbing rate of Online Radicalisation to the minimal. No unit or sector can singly tackle online radicalisation effectively. Therefore, measures of de-radicalisation should be governed by international treaties and laws, and there should be credible agents to legislate and execute the laws respectively. [...

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR MODELLING: A MYTH OR HEURISTIC DEVICE?

There is confusion in literature as to whether consumer behavior models are myths or heuristic devices. Myths are symbolic tales (believed as true, usually sacred) of the distant past, connected to belief systems or rituals, and may serve to direct social action and values while heuristic device is a provisional and plausible creation whose purpose is to discover the solution of a particular problem at hand. On the other hand, models are theoretical construction and simplified presentation of phenomenon. Notwithstanding the semantics in the definition and description of CB models in the literature, the crux of the matter presents two strange bed fellows: myth and heuristic device, and a number of conundrums are raised: Is it really possible to model a complex, dynamic and unpredictable entity like the consumer? Or is it just a scholarly exercise? To what extent, if necessary, can it help marketers achieve precision in understanding and predicting the customer or consumer behavior? This matter has polarized the scholarly community of marketers for decades. This conceptual paper, therefore, seeks to contribute to this discourse by undertaking an archival survey of the extant literature to look at the two sides of the coins, that is, whether CB is a myth or heuristic device. The study concludes that CB models provide a frame of reference for solving consumer problems and helping to point the way for hypothesis needed for CB theory development. This makes it a heuristic device. The implication is that consumer is at the center of all marketing programmes, scholars and practitioners should understand this and apply it successfully incorporating the views, preferences, feelings, motives and innuendoes of the consumer