Analysis of urban households’ preference for informal access to residential land in Minna, Nigeria

Over the years, the urban land markets in Nigeria have been grappling with conflicts between the formal and informal institutions who have remained the dominant players. Despite the provision of the Land Use Act of 1978, which vested in the states, the power to hold and administer all lands within their territorial boundaries, interests are still being transferred informally. These transactions continue defying all risks associated with insecure tenure. The purpose of this study therefore, is to investigate the factors responsible for the choice of households’ access to land through informal channels. Data was obtained through questionnaire from 362 land owners and analysed using descriptive statistics and factor analysis techniques. The results revealed that, households’ preferences for informal access to residential land are influenced by socio-economic factors with 37.9% variance, inefficiency in the urban land administration with 21.2% and planning and development control issues with 17.7% variations respectively. Thus, the main conclusion of the study is that the predominant influence of these factors on the urban land market will continue to sustain the informality of land access in Minna. The study recommends the decentralisation of land administrative system and reduction in the planning standards to enhanced formal land access.Keywords: Urban Households, Informal Access, Residential Land, Insecure Tenure Factor

Land Use Changes within the Bogoso-Prestea Gold Concession, South West Ghana

Mining activities have existed in the Bogoso-Prestea area for over a century. The high demand for gold has led to intense mining activities in the area and has resulted in land use changes. This study evaluated a total area of 4 379.93 ha within the Bogoso-Prestea Gold Concession that has experienced land use change due to mining using estimation of areas and analysis of land use flows over a period of twenty years ie.1986 - 2006. Results from the study revealed that mining increased in land coverage from 4.69 ha in 1986 to 530.84 ha in 2006, an increase to 12.1% of the study area. Settlements increased to 4.95% in 2006 as compared to 0.41% in 1986, showing a significant rural migration primarily due to mining. Agricultural land use reduced from 97.8% in 1986 to 82.7% in 2006. The study also revealed that land use due to mining increased by only 0.67 % between 1996 and 2006 and if this trend continues, then land use due to mining under the prevailingconditions might not introduce any significant increment between 2006 and 2016

Assessment of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy on antenatal clients of Addis Ababa

Background: Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) are common symptoms experienced during pregnancy. Both mild and severe symptoms can have significant morbidities and socioeconomic impact. Despite its frequency and associated distress, its exact cause is unknown. No study was done addressing this particular important issue in our country and this study will serve as a bench mark for future work on the topic in the Ethiopian context.Objective: To assess nausea and vomiting of pregnancy on ANC (antenatal care) clients of three hospitals of Addis Ababa.Methods: A descriptive facility based cross-sectional study, done in three teaching hospitals of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to random sample of 384 pregnant women. Descriptive statistic was used to summarize data. P-value and χ² test were used to measure associations.Results: The prevalence of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy was 74.5%, with 4.4% being admitted for severe symptoms. It was found out that 91% had symptoms in the 1st trimester, 2.1% after mid pregnancy, and 85% were triggered by smell and taste. Primigravidity, nulliparity, excessive salivation and food aversion were significantly associated with nausea and vomiting connected with pregnancy. Significant associations were also observed between admission for severity and being unmarried, loss to work, affected relationship, more frequent vomiting, and early onset of symptoms. Severe frequency of vomiting was a major factor associated with admission for severity and loss to work.Conclusion and recommendation: Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy found in this study were similar to other studies. Sensory stimuli were major trigger of symptoms and more frequent vomiting was linked with more admission. Importance of supportive measures, rest, counseling and advice on diet and life style modification needs to be underscored and early treatment of vomiting need to be considered

Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment of the Tarkwa Mining Area Using SINTACS Approach and GIS

Groundwater vulnerability assessment to delineate areas that are susceptible to contamination from mining and anthropogenic activities has become an important element for resource management and landuse planning. In view of the extensive mining in the Tarkwa area, quality of groundwater has become an important issue. This study estimates aquifer vulnerability by applying the SINTACS model which uses seven environmental parameters to evaluate aquifer vulnerability and geographical information system (GIS) in the Tarkwa mining area. Sensitivity analysis has also been carried out to evaluate the relative importance of the model parameters for aquifer vulnerability. The SINTACS model results show that the intrusive rocks within the Tarkwaian and the Birimian rocks are dominated by very high vulnerability classes while the Banket Series is characterised by high vulnerability class. The Huni Sandstones have moderately high vulnerability. In addition, the Kawere Group and the Tarkwa Phyllites displayed medium vulnerability. Analysis from the variogram model shows that all parameters used in the SINTACS model have a strong spatial structure. From statistical analysis, depth to water parameter inflicted the highest impact on the vulnerability of the aquifer followed by effective infiltration, vadose zone media, soil media, aquifer media, topography and hydraulic conductivity in the order of decreasing impact. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the aquifer media, hydraulic characteristics and topography cause large variation in vulnerability index. Depth to water and effective infiltration were found to be more effective in assessing aquifer vulnerability. Keywords: Groundwater, Vulnerability, Tarkwa, SINTACS, GI

Combined Electrical Resistivity Imaging and Electromagnetic Survey for Groundwater Studies in the Tarkwa Mining Area, Ghana

The major source of potable water in Tarkwa is the Bonsa Treatment Plant sourced from the Bonsa River. The activities of illegal miners along the banks of the Bonsa River has resulted in pollution of the river. This has resulted in high treatment cost and irregular supply of water to the Tarkwa Township and surrounding communities that are fed by the Bonsa Treatment Plant. In view of the difficulty in getting frequent and regular potable supply of water, people have resorted to construction of boreholes and hand-dug wells. However, the success rates and borehole yields are low especially in the hydrogeologically difficult terrains in the Tarkwa area. The aim of this paper is to investigate the hydrogeological conditions of the Tarkwa area using both the Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) and Electromagnetic (EM) geophysical techniques to determine the electrical resistivity and conductivity values that are related to groundwater accumulation, so that potential water-bearing zones can be identified. Results from electrical resistivity show that the general resistivity distribution in the Tarkwa area is between 32 Ωm and 100 000 Ωm. Water-bearing zones in the Huni Sandstone occur to a depth of 35 m with an average resistivity value of 400 Ωm, at a depth of 60 m and a resistivity of 600 Ωm in the Tarkwa Phyllite, at a depth of 55 m and a resistivity of 600 Ωm in the Banket Series and 50 m depth with resistivity value of 500 Ωm in the Kawere Conglomerate respectively. The electromagnetic conductivity values also show that the general conductivity distribution in the Tarkwa area is 3 – 32 S/m. The application of electrical resistivity and electromagnetic techniques separately gives success rate of 80 % and 65 % respectively. An improved success rate of 86 % is achieved combining the two techniques. Keywords: Electrical Resistivity Imaging, Electromagnetic Method, Groundwate

Product Marking and Conformity Assessment of Portland Cements on the Ghanaian Market

Cement bound concrete materials and complementary fittings are requisite ingredients for all civil engineering works. In all these, Portland cement, a basic binding ingredient for the concrete work is the dominant binder. In Ghana, there are various brands of cement on the market. Five major brand products currently in circulation include the Ghana Cement (GHACEM), Western DIAMOND Cement (DIAMOND), CIMAF Cement, DANGOTE Cement and SUPACEM Cement. Increased infrastructural development has placed high demand on cement consumption. Consequently, new products keep emerging in the market. Indeed, a standard measure to provide product marking and evaluations of conformity to standard Class thresholds are required for the desired specification, properties and the performance quality of the cement products. This research therefore sets to ascertain the strength quality of the five cement brands on the Ghanaian market by checking their conformity to C-30 and C-40 standard compressive tests, using their 32.5-R and 42.5-R flagship brands. To achieve this, concrete cubes were moulded with fixed mix ratio of 1:1⅟2:3 and 1:1:2 for C-30 and C-40 respectively. To achieve the desired strength conformity, the slump as well as the coarse and fine aggregate constituents were standardised. The results indicated that the cement brands despite parading same strength thresholds in the market, do not exhibit same strength build-up. There are significant variations in growth of compressive strength over time. It was observed also that conformance threshold within 28 days was not attained for a number of the brands. Indeed, not until 56 days or more some of the brands could not achieve their desired compressive strength thresholds

PERSEPSI MASYARAKAT TERHADAP HUTAN TAMAN WISATA ALAM BIPOLO, DESA BIPOLO, KECAMATAN SULAMU, KABUPATEN KUPANG, PROVINSI NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR

Bipolo Nature Tourism park is one of the Nature Tourism Parks in Indonesia, before being designated as a Nature Tourism Park, Bipolo Forest was a production forest, with a total production area of 5.000 hectares, of the total production forest area of 5.000 hectares, an area of 352.62 hectares in the production forest area is converted into a Bipolo Nature Tourism Park since March 30, 1999 through MENHUTBUN Decree Number.161/Kpts-II/1999 concerning Establishment of Bipolo Nature Tourism Park Forest Area. The change in the status of the Bipolo Forest as a Nature Tourism Park in Bipolo Village caused a lack of attention from the management so that damage occurred such as the management of agricultural areas by the community around the forest and forest fires and illegal logging and other forest damage. From this damage resulted in the reduction of wildlife inside the Bipolo Nature Tourism. The purpose of this research is to find out the perception and the behavior of community participation in Bipolo Nature Tourism Park Forest and to find out how participation community in the management of Bipolo Nature Tourism Park, which was used in this study, the population around the Bipolo Nature Park Forest area was 83 people which  determine using Purposive random sampling. The results of the in research showed that the community's attitudes and participation in the Bipolo Nature Park.  In Bipolo Village, Subdistrict Sulamu, Kupang Regency, the Province of East Nusa Tenggara is in a very good category, and the level of community perceptions of the Bipolo Nature Park Forest area is in the good category while the Bipolo Nature Park Forest area is included in the  neutral category. &nbsp

Hesitance to seek assistance in certain areas of university life

The aim of this study is twofold: a) to investigate the area of least student involvement pertaining to a variety of university activities such as the use of the library, computer and information technology, writing experiences, experiences with the faculty, personal experiences, and student acquaintances, and b) investigate the differences in student involvement between faculties regarding these same university activities. Informed by the theory of student involvement, the study utilizes descriptive analysis for the level of involvement and the Kruskal-Wallis test to investigate faculty differences. This quantitative study, involving 332 students of the University of the South Pacific, identifies the relational and interactional hesitance in many measures. This included hesitance to seek assistance at the library or to seek advice from instructors on their writing. Furthermore, students are unlikely to work or socialize with a faculty member on a project or informally, and students are least likely to have serious discussions with others from a different country or political opinion. These findings have implications for positive student involvement and engagement, for student adjustment at university, and overall satisfaction with university

Estimation of the Quantity of Water in the Abandoned Underground Mine of Gold Fields Ghana Limited Tarkwa: A Potential Source to Augment Water Supply to Tarkwa Municipality

The Tarkwa district is an important gold mining area in the Southwestern part of Ghana. The main source of potable water supply to the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality is from the Bonsa River treatment plant managed by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL). The River is under threat from serious contamination by illegal mining ("galamsey") activities within its catchment area. Consequently, the amount of water supplied to the Municipality has not kept pace with its growing population due to increasing treatment cost and supply difficulties. The need to find alternative and sustainable sources of potable water supply to augment that from GWCL to the Municipality has become imperative. A large void volume created as a result of the abandoned underground mine operated by Gold Fields Ghana Limited (GFGL), after its closure in 1999 has flooded. This potential water resource is being pumped out daily, and wasted, sometimes spilling-over to low lying areas around the mine when allowed to reach its decant level. This study estimated the quantity of water in the Abontiakoon Vertical Shaft (AVS) which is part of the large underground void using survey production figures and post-closure void filling parameters resulting in 2.8 x 106 m3 and 2.9 x 106 m3 respectively. The rate of recharge to the underground water was also estimated to ascertain the sustainability of the void water should it be considered for use by employing the model of predicting rebound on “void filling” basis and average dewatering rate before closure at 2 535 m3/day and 2 618 m3/day respectively; indicating that recharge to the AVS reservoir is about 6 x 106 gal/day or 30% of current daily water supply deficit in the TNM. The estimated potential volume of mine water in storage in the entire Tarkwa underground void is 32 x106 m3. Two samples of the mine water were taken in November 2011 and February 2015 for quality analysis, in order to have a fair knowledge of the water quality parameters. The quality of the underground water was found to be potentially good, and not likely to cause any health threats, or water quality problems. Depth sampling is recommended to determine the chemical profile of the reservoir. Keywords: Reservoir, Municipality, Bonsa River, Contamination, Tarkw

The Geometry and Structural Analysis of the Gold Deposits of Chirano Mine

The Chirano Mine gold deposit is a typical example of a structurally controlled deposit developed along the Kumasi Basin and the Sefwi Belt margin structure. The area has undergone various regimes of structural deformations. Consequently, all the Chirano deposits are intimately associated with shears and faults along a single continuous structural corridor known as the Chirano Shear Zone (CSZ). The CSZ geometry has been categorised into three major zones namely: (i) Laminated veins in shears, (ii) Breccia and (iii) Ductile to brittle ductile zones. The shear veins trend NE-SW and N-S, are laminated and occur in the sheared fabric close to the footwall. Penetrative foliated zones varying from a few centimeters to several meters constitute the ductile to brittle-ductile structures. Gold grades are much higher within this zone. Analysis of cataclasis intensity recorded in drill core confirms a semi brittle form of deformation within the mineralised domain. The CSZ has different orientations in dip and strike from the south of the mining lease to the north. The subtle changes in orientation are deposit dependent. The structure has a sinuous shape and tends to pinch and swell. The current geometry and the distribution of stratigraphy and orebodies at Chirano is a manifestation of the complex interplay of magmatic and hydrothermal events in the area.  Keywords: Ductile, Brittle-Ductile, Breccia, Chirano Shear Zone, Chirano Lode Horizo