Administration of Drug Abuse among Secondary School Students in Nigeria

The study focuses on the administration of drug abuse among secondary school students in Nigeria. Drugs having been labelled as the enemy within, it is noted as a major national and world wide problem by the general population through appropriate education, drug abuse can be reduced drastically through the radio, television, commercials and other channels of sending out information. 1,000 questionnaires were administered to students in the five public schools of the five state capitals of Nigeria namely, Benin, Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu and Jos. Out of 1,000 questionnaires only 75 (7.5%) were badly filled while 925 (92.5%) were properly completed. The analysis of the questionnaires indicated that secondary school students know of the existence of certain drugs and their effect if abused, mostly through all the available channels of information (education, radio, television, newspaper, magazines and others). The study indicates that many students are seriously involved in drug abuse but with effective administration and planning in schools the bad habits can be reduced drastically. Recommendations are made to both students, parents and guardians as well as to the government to organize health talk in line with drug and drug abuse regularly. Government and educational administrators to design more programmes for youth that can serve as inspiration to the students to avoid drug abuse. Keyword: Administration, Drug abuse, secondary school student, Nigeria.

Administration of Salaries, Allowances and Teachers Attitude to Work in Public Secondary Schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

The study focuses on the administration of salaries, allowances and teachers attitude to work in public secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The research design adopted for the study was descriptive survey research design of the expost factor type. A stratified random sampling technique was used in selecting 800 teachers from a population of 2,128 from 376 public secondary schools located in 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The instrument used for data collection was a fifty (50) item Human Resource Management and Teachers Attitude to Work Questionnaire (HRMTAWQ). Data collected were analysed using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical tools to test the formulated hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The study found out that there is a significant influence of administration of salaries and allowances on teachers attitude to work. Following this result, it is recommended that the government should give adequate attention to issues relating to human resource management practices. That is, the better the salaries and allowances of teachers, the more likely they are to put up positive attitude towards work Keywords: Administration; Salaries and allowances; teachers attitude; Akwa Ibom State, Nigeri

“Home” and “Homelessness” in Black-Diasporan Literature

The motif of “home” and “homelessness” seems to be a recurrent one in Black-Diasporan literature, especially, the literature of the Caribbean. The historical dislocation of the Islands, coupled with the cultural and racial diversity of the area has given rise to what can be referred to as a plural society. The result is the creation of the formless, casual society with haphazard standards and the emergence of the confused, unaccommodated man. The fragmented nature of the society gives the West Indian an acute sense of “homelessness” and is best described as paradoxical since it insists on roots and rootlessness; “home” and “homelessness” at the same time. This motif of “home” and “homelessness”; the predicament of the nomadic society and individual, the wanderer in space and time who can find no anchorage is discussed in this paper. Being a literary research, the work is mainly library-based. First, a selection of published literary works by Caribbean writers have been rigorously examined and as many relevant critical references as could be found have been used to sharpen the focus of the arguments. In the end, it is found out that because of the dissolving and indistinct environment in which the people find themselves, the characters try to seize upon something to give permanence to their lives and to arrest the flux, so that the works discussed in this paper constitute individual attempts to overcome dereliction and “homelessness”. Keywords: home, homelessness, black-diasporan, literatur

“Cane is Bitter”: The “Epigraph” of Caribbean History

Cane-cultivation can, to a large extent, be said to symbolize the history of the Caribbean. Following Columbus’sdiscovery of gold in the West Indies and his later realization that the gold supply from the area was finite, hisattention turned to the large-scale cultivation of cane which was then a highly lucrative crop. The cultivation ofcane was highly capital-and-labour-intensive. The more sophisticated and efficient machines for extracting sugarwere expensive and the crop itself was highly perishable which meant that it had to be processed shortly afterharvesting. Negro slavery provided easily available and replaceable, unskilled labour. Under slavery, thehumanity of the blacks was almost completely eroded. This inhumane system of slavery, coupled with thecultural and racial plurality found in the West Indies had far-reaching influences on the Caribbean psyche, suchas are difficult to eradicate even in the twenty-first century. And so, the objective of this paper is to show howcane is bitter as depicted in literary texts by Caribbean writers and why it could be regarded as the “epigraph” ofCaribbean history. The methodology of the work is to first examine a selection of published literary works on thesubject and then have recourse to relevant critical materials in a bid to enhancing the focus of the arguments. Inthe end, it is found out that cane, indeed, is bitter because it was what brought about the uprootment anddispossession of millions of people from thousands of miles of ocean for servitude in the West Indies and alsodestined them to a life of hard toil, dependence, ignorance, illiteracy, poverty, disease and subservience.Keywords: cane, cultivation, epigraph, Caribbean, history, bitter

Acute toxicity of qua iboe light crude oil on a fresh water fish, Oreochromis niloticus

The process of Crude oil exploration and exploitation is known to result in wide ranging negative environmental impacts, despite its huge benefits. Oil spillage, in particular, has been implicated in the pollution of aquatic and terrestrial environments resulting in severe harm and damage to organisms inhabiting them. The degree of pollution is measured by the damage potential or toxicity of the crude oil. The knowledge of toxicity of a particular blend of crude oil facilitates proper management of its spillages as has been widely reported in the Nigeria aquatic ecosystem.Acute toxicity of Qua Iboe Light Crude Oil against a fresh water fish, Oreochromis niloticus was determined in laboratory bioassay.Toxicity measurement based on 72hrs LC50 and 96hrs LC50 showed an average toxicity of 1.25ml/l. Specifically, 96hrs LC50 value was shown to be 1.069ml/l while 72hrs LC50 value was 1.432ml/l. The relevance of acute toxicity studies against sensitive aquatic organisms in the management of oil pollution events in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is discussed in the paper.KEY WORDS: Acute toxicity, Qua Iboe Light Crude Oil, Oreochromis nilotilus

Prospects of Nigeria Upgrading to Teacherless Classroom

Countries around the world are concerned with achieving education for all by improving all educational facilities in line with international best practices. Consequently, everyone attempts to introduce technology into the classroom. Wherever technology is introduced, it dominates and replaces human and manual labour.  Now that technology has been brought into the classroom the possibility is that it will comfortably replace the teacher and take over the class. This paper prepares the society for the takeover of the classroom by technology and suggests that people should prepare for it. Keywords: Teacherless classroom; Educational technology; e-Learning; Digital classroom DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/93-05 Publication date:October 30th 202

Microextrusion 3D Printing of Optical Waveguides and Microheaters

The drive for smaller and more compact devices presents several challenges in materials and fabrication strategies. Although photolithography is a well-developed method for creating microdevices, the disparate requirements in fabrication strategies, material choices, equipment and process complexities have limited its applications. Microextrusion printing (μEP) provides a promising alternative for microfabrication. Compared to the traditional techniques, the attractions lie in the wide range of printable material choice, greater design freedom, fewer processing steps, lower cost for customized production, and the plurality of compatible substrates. However, while extrusion-based 3D printing processes have been successfully applied at the macroscale, this seeming simplicity belies the dynamic complexities needed for consistent, repeatable, and cost-effective printing at the microscale. The fundamental understanding of the microextrusion printing process is still lacking. One primary goal of this dissertation, therefore, is to develop the fundamental understanding of μEP. This study elucidates the underlying principles of this printing technique, offering an overall roadmap - stepwise guide for successful printing based on both results in the literature and our experimental tests. The primary motivation is to provide users at both the research and industrial platforms with the requisite knowledge base needed for adapting μEP for microfabrication. Ultimately, this understanding, optimization of materials properties, and process parameters dictate the resolution and quality of the printed features. Following the improved understanding of microextrusion printing, two complementary goals were set. First, in order to test and validate the applicability the framework, a high-resolution microextrusion 3D printer was designed and implemented to enable high precision printing of microdevices and microstructures. Second, taking advantage of the guiding framework and printing platform, printing of novel materials and devices including flexible optics and a high-temperature microheater were explored and demonstrated. One common thread is observed throughout this work, that is, the development of the fundamental understanding of microextrusion 3D printing and its application for creating functional microdevices and structures. This work opens new possibilities and versatile approach for low-cost patterning of materials and functional devices

ABORIGINAL PARTICIPATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS FOR NATURAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Aboriginal participation is a key component of environmental assessment (EA), and is recognized in various policy processes concerning natural resources development across Canada. Despite the recognition of the participation of Aboriginal peoples as foundational to effective EA, there are long-standing concerns about the limited influence of Aboriginal communities on decisions about developments on their traditional lands. The recent push for more effective and meaningful Aboriginal engagement in development decisions arises, in part, from increased industry and regulatory demand for the streamlining of EA to achieve a more efficient and timely EA process. Notwithstanding the increasing scholarly and policy literature on Aboriginal participation in EA, little research exists on viable solutions to advance meaningful Aboriginal participation in EA whilst maintaining a degree of process efficiency to support timely EA decisions about resource development. This thesis draws on the experiences from industry, government and Aboriginal communities involved in EA for mineral resource development in northwest Saskatchewan, Canada and case studies in international EA practices, to advance the effectiveness of Aboriginal participation in EA. Effectiveness is defined as participation that is both meaningful to those affected and efficient for those seeking development approvals. The research methodology includes the review of scholarly and policy research, several legal and EA case reviews and semi-structured interviews. First, this thesis examined the evolution of participation in EA in Canada, and the extent to which scholarly research has contributed to solutions for meaningful Aboriginal participation amidst increasing demands for a regulatory process that is more efficient and with shorter timelines for participation and decision-making. Second, attention is focused on the underlying practice-based challenges to meaningful and efficient Aboriginal participation in EA, explored through semi-structured interviews and a case study of EA in northwest Saskatchewan, and adopting a policy community model. Third, drawing on the international literature, case experience, and lessons from northwest Saskatchewan, reforms and enhancements to the current EA system are proposed to help ensure meaningful and efficient participation of Aboriginal peoples in EA processes. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the main findings, addresses specific recommendations to advance Aboriginal participation in EA for uranium development in northwest Saskatchewan, and identifies opportunities for future policy and scholarly research. Results of this research indicate that many of the challenges are multi-dimensional, and of considerable concern to both meaningful and efficient Aboriginal participation in EA. Understanding the nature of these underlying challenges requires increasing attention to the needs, expectations, roles and responsibilities of key actors engaged in the EA policy community, and exploring the much needed institutional and process reforms are critical to advancing meaningful Aboriginal participation in EA without compromising timely decisions for development proponents

The Political Issues for African Immigrants in the United States

Since the 1970s the African-born population in the United States has grown steadily in numbers. This increase of African immigrants offers an historic opportunity for sustained reconstruction of ancestral relationships with Black America. At this point, however, Africans who are mostly English-speaking and highly educated, remain largely isolated and even ostracized. So, what must be done for these groups, Blacks and African immigrants, to begin working together effectively? This essay begins with one basic query necessary for understanding this potential development: What is the current status of African immigrants in the United States? After providing a brief overview in response to this query, I will highlight a few issues relevant to understanding emerging political relations between U.S. Blacks and African immigrants

Tolstoy’s Philosophy of Non-Violence: A Discourse

The title of this paper is Tolstoy’s Philosophy of Non-violence: A Discourse and the major thesis projected in this research is the idea that the actualization of peace, as demonstrated in Tolstoy’s philosophy of non-violence, requires the adoption of a revolutionary approach which has the potential of terminating the vicious circle of violence. Conflict is evidently an inevitable social phenomenon. Consequently, every event of conflict avails us of an opportunity to convert a seemingly destructive occurrence into a constructive outcome. This constructive conversion of conflict is what Tolstoy sought to achieve. This approach to conflict does not only ensure the sustenance of peace but it promotes harmonious social coexistence and entrenches the culture of non-violence. The benefits of non-violence cannot however be overemphasized and every pragmatic method for achieving peace should be studied. This constitutes the rationale behind this paper’s investigation of Tolstoy’s methodology of non-violence. Though most pundits would be aversed to the Tolstoyian method as impracticable, but Tolstoy was inspired by the example of Christ in the Bible and he believed that a passionate commitment to the Biblical teachings of Christ requires that Christians must imitate the examples of Christ. The paper utilizes the method of analysis to expose the conflict resolution formula of non-resistance to evil which is the intellectual ferment from which Tolstoy draws inspiration for his philosophy of non-violence. The major problem of this work is to expose the conflict resolution method espoused by Tolsoy and the central objective of the paper is to showcase the method of active passivism; borne out of the law of love, as an instrument of conquering violence in contradistinction to fascism which is based on the law of force and can only generate an unending spiral of violence. Whereas Tolstoy’s approach is contradictory to fascism in the sense that it absolutely negates the use of coercion and oppression, his non-violent non-resistance to evil is however a contrary to the non-violent resistance principle adopted by most freedom fighters like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jnr. Tolstoy’s idea, critically assessed, may be appraised as containing the recipe for the multiplication of social evil; an outcome which Tolstoy vehemently aimed at averting and banishing through his modus operandi