The 'War' of Appropriate Pricing of Petroleum Products: The Discourse of Nigeria's Reform Agenda

This study focuses on the newspaper coverage of the debate on the pricing of petroleum products (petroleum, diesel, kerosene, etc.) in Nigeria. It seeks to examine, specifically, the discursive constructions of economic development with particular concern for the reform agenda in the country's petroleum sector. In doing this, the paper tries to analyze and characterize the debate on the increase in the prices of petroleum products in the country between 1999 and 2004; following on the heels of World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF)-driven reforms. It further situates the analysis of the debate within the history and politics of oil and development in the country with particular concern for the 'angles of telling' of the participants. Using the framework of critical discourse analysis (CDA), the paper attempts to show the ideological elements in the discourse of socio-political development in Nigeria as constructed by the different sociopolitical groups and concludes that the different angles of telling result from different underlying issues of identity and power

Deference and subordination: Gender roles and other variables in addressing and referring to husbands by Yoruba women

The Yoruba society, like many patriarchal traditions, tends to espouse male supremacy - an ideology that is reflected, often, in many of the cultural values and beliefs of the people. The use of address terms in Yoruba constitutes an aspect of linguistic practices where there is inequality in the use of language between male and male, female and female as well as between male and female. The study reported in this paper focuses on the use of first names (FN), teknonyms (TKM) and pet names (PN) as address forms by Yoruba-speaking women in the city of Ile-Ife in interaction with their husbands. It describes the pattern of use according to a number of social factors including age, level of educational attainment, region of origin and speech context. The paper demonstrates that while these factors are important determinants of address usage by Yoruba women, gender role-expectation (child-rearing) and the relations of power between Yoruba women and men interact in some crucial way in the women's language behaviour. This is particularly so because of the social changes that have been taking place within the Yoruba culture over the last three decades or so

Comparative Analysis between Monophasic and Biphasic Methods of Blood Culture

A biphasic blood (BiPB) culture bottle (GIBCO Laboratories, North Andover, USA) with an architectural design that physically separates the agar slant from the broth was compared with a conventional vented monophasic bottle (MPB) (GIBCO Laboratories, North Andover, USA) for routine blood culture. Monophasic bottles contained thioglycollate broth (BioAmerica Inc., USA) while the biphasic contained Brain heart infusion agar-BHIA/Brain heart infusion broth-BHIB (BioAmerica Inc., USA). 120 blood cultures were examined on either of monophasic and biphasic blood culture experimental set up.  Out of 240 sets collected, 157(65.4%) were positive for bacterial growth while 83(35.6%) were negative. After subculture a total of 8 isolates (from 154 plates for BiPB and 117 plates for MPB) were recovered during the study. Of these isolates, 4 (from 126 plates for BiPB and 91 plates for MPB) were recovered, 2 isolates (from 28 plates) grew in the BiPB but not in MPB, 2 isolates (from 26 plates) grew only in the MPB but not in BiPB. The BiPB allowed more rapid recovery of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., Klebsiella spp., Salmonella spp. and Proteus spp. While Pseudomonas spp. and Enterococcus faecalis were more readily isolated using MPB. BiPB subcultures was easy enough to permit both early and daily subculture which provided isolated colonies sooner than could be done by using the MPB. Bacteria organisms were recovered at a non-significantly (P > 0.025) more frequent rate in the BiPB than in the MPB-A. Either bottle, however, should be used in conjunction with an anaerobic bottle for optimal recovery of anaerobic bacteria. Key words: Biphasic, Monophasic, Thioglycollate, Brain Heart Infusion Agar/Broth, blood culture

Dynamic Relationship between Debt and Cash flow in Pecking Order Theory: Evidence from Panel GMM

The paper investigates the relationship between cash flow and debt for South African firms. The difference generalized method of moment results show cash flow has significance and negative relationship with debt. Similarly, the system generalized method of moment results show negative relationship between cash with debt. The results affirmed pecking order theory of corporate financing and it reveals the incidence of asymmetric information problem between the firm and its financiers. Besides, the results imply a need to further develop South African capital market in order to reduce information asymmetry costs associated with raising external finance. Moreover, evidence of trade-off theory is also presented in the results which suggest that the dynamic nature of firms’ capital structure decision deserves attention. Keywords: Capital structure; debt ratio; cash flow; pecking order theory; panel GMM; South Africa

Review of leadership theories and management performance in organizations

Better understanding need to be developed on leadership theories and management performance in organization. The main aim of this study is to identify best styles of leadership that can raise management performance in an organization. Data for this current study were obtained from previous literature on leadership theories and management performance in organizations. From the literature review of previous studies, it was concluded that for better management performance in organizations, transformational leadership styles is highly needed because many literature are in support of this leadership style

Impacts of Oil Foreign Direct Investment on Environment and Poverty Level in Niger Delta Oil Producing Region: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

This study examines impacts of oil foreign direct investment on the environment and welfare of people of Niger delta oil producing communities, using structural equation models. Overall, it was found that oil foreign direct investment has consistent impact on the environment than the well-being of the community, which results in high levels of poverty. The implication is that there is environmental diseconomies and widespread of poverty in the area. Thus, there is need for fostering sustainable partnership between the oil foreign direct investors and the host communities by suitable consideration of the issues of mitigation of environmental problems that will reduce the poverty level of the people. The environmental and socioeconomic system should be developed to maintain an intensity of biodiversity that will give assurance to the buoyancy of the ecosystems on which human consumption and production depend. Keywords: Foreign direct investment; environmental degradation; poverty; structural equation modeling JEL Classifications: C39; F21; F64; I3

Biodiversity Status of the Immediate Vicinity of an Iron and Steel Recycling Factory in Ile-Ife, South-Western Nigeria

Floristic composition of vegetation communities of 27 plots established along a line transect in the four major directions was investigated in the vicinity of an Iron and Steel factory in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The aim of the study was to document the plant species composition (biodiversity) of the plant communities found within the 350 m perimeter of the facility in the study area, which will serve as a reference data, as there was no reported study for the area prior to the establishment of the factory. Plant species were identified to species level in a 10 x 10 m plot and the occurrence of each species was described in semi-quantitative terms. The vegetation is heterogeneous in nature having 31 species of tree saplings and climbers, 26 of shrubs, 15 of herbaceous plants and 4 of grasses. These 107 plant species belong to forty six (46) plant families. The dominant families included Apocynaceae and Papilionaceae (9 species), Sapindaceae (8 species), Euphorbiaceae (6 species), Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, Malvaceae, Poaceae, Sterculiaceae and Verbenaceae (4 species). Among the diverse species recorded, <i>Chromolaena</i> <i>odorata</i> formed a ticket in almost all the plots. Other common species included <i>Albizia</i> <i>zygia</i>, <i>Alchornea</i> <i>laxiflora</i>, <i>Aspilia</i> <i>africana</i>, <i>Cnestis</i> <i>ferruginea</i>, <i>Combretum</i> sp., <i>Icacina</i> <i>tricantha</i>, <i>Ipomoea</i> <i>involucrata</i>, <i>Momordica foetida, Panicum maximum, Paullinia pinnata, Simicrata</i> <i>welwitschii</i> and <i>Vigna</i> <i>gracilis</i>. The index of similarity of the plots ranged from 6.1 to 71.8%. The potential and vulnerability of the species were highlighted. Adherence to and enforcement of environmental regulations was recommended for preservation of the native species