ASSESSING THE ROLE OF ROTATING SAVINGS AS A MEANS OF FUNDS MOBILIZATION AND CREDIT SOURCING- CASE STUDY OF OTUASENKAN RURAL BANK LTD.

oai:ojs2.freeprojectwork.com:article/1The primary aim of this study was to assess the role of rotating savings as a means of funds mobilization and credit sourcing with a special focus on Otuasekan Rural Bank (ORB). The study used a sample of 365 respondents who were susu customers and credit officers of ORB. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were employed in selecting the sample. The study employed survey methodology in which primary data was gathered with the use of structured questionnaire and unstructured interviews. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods of research analysis and mainly used primary data in addition to secondary data. Data was processed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and presented in frequency tables and charts. The study reports that the operation of the rotating savings scheme has benefited the customers in terms of access to loans, education and seminars and safe keeping of savings while the bank gained from the scheme in areas of interest income from lending and investment activities, improvement in deposits and liquidity position as well as a source of low cost of funds. Further, it is reported that embezzlement of customers’ funds by bank officials, high labour turnover of personnel in-charge of rotating savings operations and inadequate personal data of customers are some challenges facing the bank in operating the scheme. The study recommends that a repackage of the scheme could be done so that clients who have been with the institution for long could be given a reduced interest rate which can go a long way to attract new contributors

Neo-Colonialism and alienation in African fiction: Ayi Kwei Armah’s Fragments

This article examines the themes of neo-colonialism and alienation in Ayi Kwei Armah’s novel Fragments. It contends that these are two of the most topical subjects within African existence in the contemporary era and are still very directly related to the present African predicament of a seemingly developmentally slow and retrogressing continent. Alienation and neo-colonialism are also inextricably intertwined with the whole question of nation-building and nationalism and directly linked with issues relating to African identity in the aftermath of slavery and colonialism. The discussion suggests that Ayi Kwei Armah’s engagement of the themes of neo-colonialism, alienation, nationalism and nation-building offer some very useful insights into grappling with the present African condition. Ultimately, the point is made that examining and exploring the nature and intricacies of neo-colonialism and alienation of both individuals and community through the experiences of protagonists in the fiction discussed contributes to facilitating an understanding of the project of African self-rehabilitation and reclamation, which are pursued through nation-building and nationalism and which are currently ongoing

The Factors Contributing to the Challenges with Apprenticeship in Ghana: Trainees’ Perspective

Apprenticeship has been the method of training the youth in acquiring employable skills in most developing countries. It provides an avenue for school dropouts to acquire skills leading to employment for sustainable livelihood. Apprenticeship plays a significant role in providing a skilled workforce and produces entrepreneurs, however, it is confronted with many challenges. This study, therefore, assessed the factors contributing to the challenges with an apprenticeship in Ghana, specifically from the trainees’ perspective. A descriptive survey was employed with a stratified random sampling technique used to select 1200 participants for data collection using a questionnaire. The study identified ten key or extremely challenging factors such as; the quality of the training is controlled by masters, masters provide training schedule, the training involves only practical activities, the training includes entrepreneurial skills, the training includes customer care, the training involves the use of modern technology, the training included financial management skills, there are policies governing the duration of the training, equipment and tools used are modern, and policies governing the duration training. Six components were found to be the factors contributing to the challenges, including; training structure-related factors, contemporary technological-related factors, aid-related factors, recognition-related factors, funding-related factors and perception-related factors; and these factors correlate positively and significantly. It is recommended that the government of Ghana should help in providing training structure and resources to promote skills training for the youth to acquire sustainable employment. Keywords: Apprenticeship, Apprentice, Challenges with apprenticeship, Entrepreneurs, Training DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-30-02 Publication date:October 31st 202

Turbulence on the Global Economy influenced by Artificial Intelligence and Foreign Policy Inefficiencies

It is said that Data and Information are the new oil. One, who handles the data, handles the emerging future of the global economy. Complex algorithms and intelligence-based filter programs are utilized to manage, store, handle and maneuver vast amounts of data for the fulfillment of specific purposes. This paper seeks to find the bridge between artificial intelligence and its impact on the international policy implementation in the light of geopolitical influence, global economy and the future of labor markets. We hypothesize that the distortion in the labor markets caused by artificial intelligence can be mitigated by a collaborative international foreign policy on the deployment of AI in the industrial circles. We, in this paper, then proceed to propose a disposition for the essentials of AI-based foreign policy and implementation, while asking questions such as 'could AI become the real Invisible Hand discussed by economists?'.Comment: This is the pre-print versio

Analyzing the Risk of Investment in the Construction Industry of Ghana

This study was undertaken to examine the risk associated to Construction projects investment in Ghana and the relationship between risk and investment in the construction industry of Ghana with more attention and focus on international joint ventures.. To accomplish the objectives of the study, investigations were conducted regarding the following factors of risks to investment: Political risk, Financial risk, Management risk, Technical risk, Legal and Policy risk, Strategic risk and Market risk, Specific areas such as human Resource, plant and equipment, software and technology, bidding and tendering stage, Legal and administrative work and no or low credibility of lenders and shareholders were outlined to determine how investment are done and the results or impact they give. Relationship between risk and investment was carefully examined. The results of the analysis indicate that the majority of professionals in the industry have a good understanding of risk, and this means that their responses were of a professional view and its impulses reflect what happens on site or in the construction industry. The analysis of General Construction Industry (GCI) further indicates that financial risk during the investment of a project is high and very risky to venture into even though the less risky aspect of financial risks is considered. IJVs companies investment are channelled to software and technology, with the other elements such as human resource, plant and equipment, bidding and tendering, legal and administrative work having less investment channelled to them. Keywords: Risk, Investment, International Joint Ventures (IJVs), Construction Firms/Companies, Construction Project

Writing Between ‘Self’ and ‘Nation’: Nationalism, (Wo)manhood and Modernity in Bessie Head’s The Collector of Treasures and Other Botswana Village Tales

Le présent article étudie trois nouvelles du recueil Collector of Treasures de Bessie Head, née en Afrique du Sud et immigrée au Bostwana où elle a fait carrière d'écrivain. Hommes et femmes, les personnages de son oeuvre illustrent la relation qui existe entre traditions africaines et modernit

Eldership, Ancestral Traditions and Cultural Identity in African Fiction: Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Ayi Kwei Armah’s Fragments Ama Ata Aidoo’s The Dilemma of a Ghost

This paper explores the place and significance of the representations of eldership and ancestral traditions in African fiction. It argues that what the examples located within the selected texts discussed are not merely co-incidental, but collectively represent and articulate an engagement in a discourse of African cultural and spiritual rehabilitation. Examples are chosen from the work of three of Africa’s most prominent and well-known writers to illustrate the argument that is being made, which is that when Africans refer to their ancestral traditions, they do so both as a form of commemoration and also as a means of establishing their belief and faith in age-old spiritual traditions

Writing Between ‘Self’ and ‘Nation’: Nationalism, (Wo)manhood and Modernity in Bessie Head’s The Collector of Treasures and Other Botswana Village Tales

Le présent article étudie trois nouvelles du recueil Collector of Treasures de Bessie Head, née en Afrique du Sud et immigrée au Bostwana où elle a fait carrière d'écrivain. Hommes et femmes, les personnages de son oeuvre illustrent la relation qui existe entre traditions africaines et modernit

Assessment of the Rationality of Senior High School students’ Choices of Academic Programmes in Kwabre East District of Ghana

The study sought to find out whether Senior High School students in Kwabre East District make rational choices of academic programmes in school. The population of the study was all students in the six Senior High Schools in Kwabre East District. However, the Form 3 students were purposively sampled for the study. Stratified random sampling technique with proportional allocation was used to sample 331 Form 3 students from the various programmes in each school for the study. A self-made questionnaire was used to gather data from the 331 respondents. A total of 320 copies of the questionnaire were obtained from the respondents. Statistical Product for Service Solutions was used to analyze the data. Frequencies and percentages were analyzed to answer all the research questions.It was found out that generally Senior High School students in Kwabre East District make rational choices of their programmes of study. This is because most of them assessed their strengths and weaknesses and sought information on their programmes before choosing them. Again, most of them chose their programmes based on their abilities or interests. However, few of them sought counselling from qualified counsellors before choosing their programmes. It was recommended that school counsellors should reinforce students’ rational programme choice behaviour by intensifying counselling in schools so that students will continue to make rational choices of programmes in school. Keywords: career choice, rational choice, academic programmes, Senior High Schools

Structural Characteristics of Reinforced Palm Kernel Shell Concrete Deep Beams

This paper evaluates the structural characteristics of deep beams made from reinforced palm kernel shell concrete (PKSC) and normal weight concrete (NWC). Twelve PKSC and NWC deep beam samples, with and without shear reinforcement were tested under three-point loading and their structural behavior studied. The ultimate shear strength of PKSC beams increased with a decrease in the shear span-to- depth ratio. Post diagonal cracking shear resistance is greater in PKSC deep beams than beams of normal weight concrete. The shear capacity of the PKSC and NWC deep beams were assessed to be un-conservative using ACI 318-99, ACI 318-05, Eurocode (EC) 2 and a kinematic model, when compared with the experimental results. Nonetheless, this necessitated the development of a calibration procedure to correct the bias inherent in these models. Calibrated shear strength models revealed the compressive strength and the ratio of the shear span-to-total depth as significant influential parameters for correcting the inherent bias in the original deterministic shear strength models. The calibrated functional model of ACI-318-99 may produce conservative predictions, given this limited number of test specimens. Therefore future studies should investigate the reliability of the calibrated models, and quantifying the uncertainties in the estimated coefficients of parameters, using a much larger representative dataset