Impact of the Implementation of the 9- Years Universal Basic Education Programme in Public Primary and Junior Secondary Schools in Imo State

The study focuses on the impact of the implementation of the Universal Basic Education 9-3-4 system of education. Its general objective is to identify and access the impact of the implementation of the Universal Basic Education 9-3-4 programme while the scope covers the public primary and junior secondary schools in Imo State. It adopted the descriptive survey design witha sample size of 300 respondents that were drawn from teachers in public primary and junior secondary schools. Data collected was analyzed using mean score. Findings suggest that the impact of merging primary school andJunior Secondary School (JSS) is significant and positive while disarticulating JSS and Senior Secondary School (SSS) is not significant and therefore negative. It is therefore recommended that JSS Programmes of activities such as improving the relationship between the administrators and properly equipping the JSS school for a smooth transmission from JSS to SSS

SEX, FEMINISM AND SEXUAL REVOLUTION

This paper is an expository analysis of sex, feminism and sexual revolution. The paper reveals that right from historic time, the society’s normative pedagogy has been overwhelmingly influenced by obsessive religious sexual morality. Fundamentalist sexual morality is arguably a morality and pedagogy that is economical with the truth about the nature, meaning and essence of sex. It was a regime that mystified and forged ossified myths that confounded the meaning and essence of sex. It was a regime that hid the truth or presented a narrow notion of the primary purpose of sex. Worse still, it denied children and impressionable adolescences the knowledge of sex for fear that they may be corrupted.  Consequently, children resorted to other ‘honest and open’ means for the knowledge of sex. Subsequently, armed with the true knowledge of sex when the children of yesterday grew into adolescence and adulthood, they revolted against the traditional order. The strict and dishonest traditional normative pedagogy inadvertently precipitated the sustained resentment that eventually snowballed into full scare sexual revolution in a free and liberated society fostered by the emergence of information technology. Based on the findings of the analysis, the paper argues that although, sex is a profoundly close and personal affair, yet, it is an act of man and human act and must be subjected to ethical reckoning based on the fact that it also has a social dimension arising from the rational and gregarious nature of humans. While we do not totally subscribe to the list of non-traditional sexual behaviours which include senseless and irrational pervasions, we also do not believe that morally accepted sexual behaviours should be limited to traditional sexual behaviours as classically delineated by society under repressive religious influence. The paper concludes that the notion that reproduction is the only primary purpose of sex is miss-guided. Individuals must be allowed significant deal of sexual freedom, however, with responsibility. The paper advocates for a sexual freedom that is necessarily accompanied by emotional intelligence, self-discipline and a conscious resolve not to harm significant others and the society

Dividend policy as determinant for investment decision

A company‘s dividend policy is the choices the company makes about whether to pay shareholders cash dividend, about how large the cash dividend should be and about how frequently it should be distributed. Dividend policy still remains one of the most vital financial decisions faced by management of corporate organization such insurance firms.  Allen, Bernardo and Welch (2000) summarized the current consensus view when they concluded that “Although a number of theories have been put forward in the literature to explain their persistent presence, dividends remain one of the thorniest puzzles in corporate finance”.  Organizations is always confronted with the decision on how much of the net earnings are to be distributed and how much of the dividend should be reinvested.  Dividend payment directly affects shareholders wealth maximization therefore it is extremely an important issue for every company in a vital decision making. It encompasses decision such as whether to distribute cash to investors in form of share repurchases or specially designated dividends rather than regular dividends, and whether to rely on stock or cash distribution.  Dividend policy is the guiding principle that a company uses to decide to make dividend payment to shareholders.  The decision to increase the company’s regular dividend still lies on the management.&nbsp

The Nigerian internal security policy : an assessment of the human security threats to Nigeria in the post – military era (2006 – 2021)

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.The Nigerian internal security policy is designed to deter all forms of real or perceived physical and human security threats to the people’s lives, property, interest and personal welfare. Since the post-military era, measures put in place to actualize this objective seems not to have yielded much needed outcomes. To understand this reality, this study examines the sources of internal security threat to Nigeria that are endemic across the country’s six geo-political zones. The study critically appraises the ideas, opinions and belief of the various public policy makers and stakeholders across academia, and civil society who form the study population, on the key threat to human security and the measures to address it The human security and securitization theories were the main ideas of human security that were advanced to elucidate the country’s human security issues. The study adopted a mixed method research approach where quantitative and qualitative information was sought. A sample of 95 participants was drawn from the identified strata within the study population in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), while secondary data sources were also explored. The main sources of primary data collection were survey instruments (questionnaires) that engaged 60 participants, and in-depth interviews were conducted among 10 out of 35 participants due to the Covid-19 challenges. The study found that the present situation of human insecurity in Nigeria is abysmal, alarming, and scary, expressed in the high rate of crime, widespread of poverty, high rate of unemployment, economic inequality, and corruption. The study identified human displacement, human insecurity, lack of access to basic health, recurrent flood disaster and desperation for wealth as the major socio-economic consequences of human insecurity in Nigeria. The study recommends the decentralization of Nigerian internal security architecture, rehabilitation of victims of crime, legislation for education rights, and the formation of youth empowerment programs. In addition to effective economic development policy, the right to self-determination, de-emphasizing ethnic and religious sentiment and adherence to democratic principles and the rule of law, as part of measures to mitigate Nigerian internal human security. The study concludes that so long as the Nigerian authorities continue to prioritize physical security and infrastructure development over human security, welfare and wellbeing, the threat of human insecurity will remain unabated

TRANSHUMANISM AS A PHILOSOPHY OF MATERIAL TRANSFIGURATION: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This paper is a critical expository analysis of the controversial philosophy of transhumanism. The method adopted in this philosophical paper is the expository analytic method. The analysis established that transhumanism is both a biotechnological aspiration as well as a philosophical vision of a material transfiguration of human condition and experience which ultimate culmination is the man-technology singularity or convergence. This paper concludes that notwithstanding contending voices and the pertinent questions raised regarding the moral standing of transhumanist philosophy and their radical dreams for humanity; one fact remains incontestable- the fact that their promises are relishing, enticing and impressive. With regard to whether or not humanity can attain the height envisioned by transhumanist, we confidently hold that the unprecedented legacies and achievements of science and technology overwhelmingly affirm the high probability of the realization of the material transfiguration of humanity

Rapid decision support tool based on novel ecosystem service variables for retrofitting sustainable drainage systems in the presence of trees

There is a lack of practical decision support tools useful for a rapid assessment ofthe potential of ecosystem services when retrofitting permeable pavements in urban areasthat either feature existing trees or should be planted with trees in the near future.There isalso a need for a geospatial decision support tool for different professions such as drainageengineers and urban planners, which is useful for a quick assessment of the potential ofecosystem services when retrofitting sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) in urban areasTherefore the aim is to develop adecision support tool for choosing the best possibleoptions for theretrofitting ofsustainable urban drainage system techniquesusing novelecosystem servicevariables and modifyitto includeareflection of the confidence level oftheassessorto minimise uncertainty,andweighting factors that will reflect theprofessional background of thestakeholders to reduce professional bias.Thistool wasdeveloped andused to assess 100 sites in Greater Manchester withretrofittingpotentials including Brownfield sites.The introduced weighting factors helpedtonarrow down the choicesfurther.Since the retrofitting ofSUDS, especially permeablepavements, and other urban development projects usually involve areas where there arealready existing mature trees, further studies were carried out on the damagecharacteristics of urban tree species on urban structures including permeable pavements,impermeablepavements, kerbs, roads and retaining walls. This was conducted on adifferent 100 sites also in Greater Manchester. Further studies were also carried out aboutpublic acceptance of the urban tree species using pictures taken of trees from theWestonbirt National Arboretum.The resultsof the ‘ecosystem service’ approachwere compared with thoseoftraditional‘community and environmental’approachdeveloped by CIRIA.A comparisonwith the traditional approach of determining community and environment variablesindicates that permeable pavements are generally a preferredSUDSoption regardless ofthe professional perspectives.The introduced weighting factorsmade the toollend itself tobe used by stakeholders of varying professional backgrounds.The results of thecomparison of the different approaches showed that the ‘ecosystem service’ approach gavea rather more thorough and precise assessment and will give a less misleading choice ofSUDStechniques.In comparison to common public opinion, statistically significantdifferences between social scientists and the general public for the estimation ofland costsusing the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test were found. It was also surprising to findno significant differences in the estimation ofhabitat for speciesby civil engineers andxviiiecologists.Permeable pavements combined with urban trees received relatively highscores, because of their great potential impact in terms of water and air qualityimprovement, and flood control, respectively.Theresultofthe assessmentof damages to structures by urban tree speciesrevealed that Norway maple, Lime, Common Ash and Sycamore dominated GreaterManchester, andshowed that certain tree species are better suited for certain structureseither because ofthe damage or the nuisance that the trees cause. Impermeable pavementswere subject to the highest number of damage from trees (44%), followed by permeablepavements and kerbs (22% and 19%, respectively).Trees planted close to impermeablepavements will cause more damage to the structure compared to those planted close topermeable pavements under the same conditions. Wild cherry, large leaved lime, horsechestnut and hawthorn may are the best recommended trees for use alongsidemostroadsandSUDSstructures as they have least potential to damage structures. However, horsechestnuts produce lots of litters with their conkers. From aesthetics point of view,sycamore was the most aesthetic tree all-round the year.This study therefore suggests best tree species for permeable pavements and otherrelated structures, and its outcomes are likely to lead to more combined permeablepavement and tree systems in the urban landscape, which are beneficial for humans andthe environment.It will help urban developers inchoosing the most suitable trees for theright urban environment. It will also help to save money in maintaining infrastructure suchas roads and pavements.Keywords:Sustainable urban drainage systems; Ecosystem services; Permeablepavements; Expertsystem; Different professions;Stakeholders;Uncertainty; Urban trees;Urban structures, Structural damage

Physico-chemical properties of wheat-yam flour composite bread

AbstractThis work investigated the effect of yam flour substitution on characteristics of wheat bread and also determined the functional properties of the experimental flour samples. Flours were obtained from three varieties of yam (Dioscorea rotundata, Dioscorea alata and Dioscorea bulbifera) and blended with wheat flour at 25, 50 and 75 percent levels of substitution for bread production. Wheat flour (WF) and each of the yam flours were used as the positive and negative controls respectively. The functional properties (bulk density, water/oil absorption capacities, emulsion activity) of the flour samples were determined while the proximate, physical and sensory characteristics of loaves were also determined. The functional properties of the flour samples ranged from 0.42g/ml to 0.67g/ml packed bulk density; 0.39g/ml to 0.47g/ml loose bulk density; 0.88ml/g to 2.10ml/g oil absorption capacity; 1.50ml/g to 3.90ml/g water absorption capacity and 43.75% to 49.37% emulsion activity. The proximate composition of the bread samples ranged from 26.82% to 38.90% moisture, 4.23% to 5.10% fat, 6.10% to 9.25% protein, 1.90% to 2.45% ash, 0.12% to 0.64% crude fiber and 46.43% to 56.71% carbohydrate. The volume, weight and specific volume of loaves varied from 200ml to 400ml, 142.6g to 170.2g and 1.18ml/g to 2.81ml/g respectively. The crack formation of bread samples showed that there were no cracks on wheat bread (WF) and 25% yam flour substituted breads while 100 percent yam flour breads had large cracks. The sensory properties of the 25% yam flour substituted breads were statistically (p>0.05) the same with the 100% wheat bread but differed from all the other bread samples. The mean score of the sensory attributes decreased as yam flour increased in the formulation. Sensory Evaluation of the bread samples showed that substitution level of 25% yam flour produced bread that was acceptable to the consumers whereas up to 50% and above were not acceptable. It is therefore recommended that substitution level of not more than 25% yam flour be used for yam/wheat composite bread production

Qualitative Research to Improve Teaching of Experimental, Ethical and Quantitative (TEEQ) Biology

Qualitative research is very useful in undergraduate biology education. As we are dealing with adult students, we can constructively use their input on how to make improvements to course instructional systems. In a freshman biology course, we implemented a Calibrated Peer Review system to introduce students to the experimental, ethical and quantitative aspects of biology. Students were involved in writing assignments, followed by grading peer work based on criteria, pre-determined by the instructors. At the end of the course, students were interviewed in focus groups to take their feedback on aspects of CPR like benefits, improvements, challenges, relevance to their educational goals and their learning about ethical and quantitative aspects of biology. Upon data analysis, the need for improvements in the qualitative focus group methodology became apparent. To encourage use of qualitative research to improve undergraduate biology education this project shows the need to consider concise, unbiased and probing questions, and trained interviewers. (Funding from NSF CCLI #0837229

Selecting sustainable drainage structures based on ecosystem service variables estimated by different stakeholder groups

In times of recession, expert systems supporting environmental managers undergo a revival. However, the retrofitting of sustainable water structures is currently undertaken ad hoc using engineering experience supported by minimal formal guidance. There is a lack of practical decision tools that can be used by different professions for the rapid assessment of ecosystem services that can be created when retrofitting water structures. Thus the aim was to develop an innovative decision support tool based on the rapid estimation of novel ecosystem service variables at low cost and acceptable uncertainty. The tool proposes the retrofitting of those sustainable drainage systems that obtained the highest ecosystem services score for a specific urban site subject to professional bias. The estimation of variables was undertaken with high confidence and manageable error at low cost. In comparison to common public opinion, statistically significant differences between social scientists and the general public for the estimation of land costs using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test were found. It was also surprising to find no significant differences in the estimation of habitat for species by civil engineers and ecologists. The new methodology may lead to an improvement of the existing urban landscape by promoting ecosystem services