Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy of Nigeria

It is incontrovertible that one of the significant innovation in our constitutions in recent times is the inclusion of fundamental objectives and directive principle of state policy of Nigeria. However, it is not an understatement  to say that the provisions on fundamental objectives and directives principles of state policy of Nigeria as enshrined in the 1979, 1989 and 1999 constitutions of the federal republic of Nigeria (as amended) are controversial. The controversy trailing the provision is not  unconnected to its non enforceability and judiciability in our law courts. People have argued that the enforceability and judiciability have made the provisions unachievable, incapable of furthering the aims of good governance and sustainable development. I beg to differ. This paper wants to argue that even though all values are enforceable in the courts of public opinion, not all values(rights) are enforceable in the law courts. Thus the non-justifiability does not make the ideals and values (rights) unachievable and  unimportant. DOI: 10.7176/JPCR/40-0

Do Nigeria’s 2019 General Elections Pass the Electoral Integrity Test?

Studies and institutional reports have increasingly demonstrated the significance of electoral integrity as a conceptual framework for measuring the quality of elections in contemporary democracies. Apart from measuring the quality of elections, the phenomenal electoral fraud and manipulations which have characterised the post-third wave of democratisation, had given credence to the general benchmark for evaluating the credibility of elections. I use the Electoral Integrity framework popularised by Pippa Norris and co, to examine the integrity of the 2019 general elections to know whether the polls pass the electoral integrity test. While adopting qualitative research method for collecting and analysing the data, I found that contrary to optimistic remarks in some quarters on the outcome of 2019 general elections, the elections failed the electoral integrity test. I offered a proficient perspective that explored the relevant indicators from the electoral integrity framework to establish the veracity of my claim that the 2019 general election is less credible, and consequently, failed the electoral integrity threshold. The findings of this work contribute to theory and practice on electoral integrity and high quality of elections in Nigeria. Keywords: Electoral Integrity, electoral fraud, elections, operationalisation and theorisation DOI: 10.7176/JAAS/81-05 Publication date: March 31st 202

The Development of Sustainable Hydrometallurgical Processes for the Recovery of Precious Metal

The study investigates the utilization of cedar wood bark as bioadsorbent for the adsorption and simultaneous precipitation of gold as flakes. This is with a view to establishing the electrochemical study of the adsorption and evaluate pre-treated cedar wood bark as possible adsorbent for gold in various solutions. The research plan for this project is divided into two parts. Part one focuses on understanding the adsorption of gold using the cedar wood bark as adsorbent. The second part focuses on the electrochemical study of the redox reaction during adsorption process using cyclic voltammetry technique. Synthetic solution of gold is prepared with dissolution of gold (III) chloride in hydrochloric acid, sodium thiosulfate and sodium thiourea lixiviants. Cedar wood bark is pre-treated with dilute and concentrated sulfuric acid under various experimental conditions to obtain three bioadsorbents, dilute-air dried (D-AD), concentrated washed-air dried (CW-AD) and concentrated not washed-oven dried (CNW-OD). The gold solutions are electrochemically tested for redox reaction using cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques. One-point adsorption test is carried out on the various gold solutions to determine the suitable samples for the research. The outcome of the CV experiment indicates that redox reaction of gold in hydrochloric acid medium is easily measured through the anodic and cathodic peak formation. The one-point adsorption test favors the use of D-AD as adsorbent in acidic gold solution with percentage adsorption of 99.999%. Hence, the research is narrowed down to the use of D-AD adsorbent and acidic gold solution. Solid/liquid ratio and hydrochloric acid concentration tests indicate that 1.5 and 0.5 M, respectively, are the best suitable for the research. For the kinetic study of the adsorption process at temperatures of 298, 303 and 313 K in 96 hours, pseudo-second order model has determination coefficients of 0.988, 0.996 and 0.998, respectively, while the pseudo-first order model has determination coefficients of 0.91, 0.77 and 0.62 at those three different temperatures. Hence, the adsorption process follows the pseudo-second order model. The activation energy from the pseudo-second order rate constant indicates that the process is chemisorption with a value of 59.86 kJ/mol. The adsorption isotherm is found to follow Freundlich isotherm model, which might have favored the formation of gold flakes on the adsorbent. The CV experiment shows the disappearance of anodic peaks as the adsorption of gold progresses, which is an indication of reduction reaction synonymous to adsorption process. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) instruments were used to determine the presence of gold precipitates and the spectra obtained from the two experiments confirm the presence of gold. In conclusion, the study established cedar wood bark as a potential source of biomass for adsorption of gold (III) ions from acidic chloride solution, and that cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique was successfully used to examine the adsorption process

Online counselling services: The future of counselling and psychotherapy,

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to stress the increasing imperativeness of counseling and psychotherapy in Nigerian universities, given the growing, strident, and persistent reports of maladaptive behaviors such as suicidal ideation and behaviors among university students.Method - The study employed the method of informed arguments to present online counseling as a veritable tool to assist the universities in linking the undergraduates with the sources of counseling and psychotherapy with the view to promoting their self-consciousness, self-understanding, and adequate mental health needed to develop top-level human resources.Result - It shares the experiences of online counseling interactions obtained from the Obafemi Awolowo University online counseling platform.Implication - Recommendations are also made to guide other universities in Nigeria and similar climes as to establishing their home-grown platform or sharing in the use of the existing dedicated platforms.Originality - The paper is one of the earliest to present an argument for including online counseling services in the systems of universities, particularly in the developing world. It is also the first to present a report of practical experiences garnered in such an established service in a Nigerian University to guide the establishment of more of such in other universities.***Tujuan - Tujuan dari makalah ini adalah untuk menekankan meningkatnya ketidaktegasan konseling dan psikoterapi di universitas-universitas di Nigeria, mengingat laporan yang terus meningkat, keras, dan terus-menerus mengenai perilaku maladaptif seperti ide dan perilaku bunuh diri di kalangan mahasiswa.Metode - Penelitian ini menggunakan metode argumen yang terinformasi untuk menyajikan konseling online sebagai alat yang tepat untuk membantu universitas dalam menghubungkan mahasiswa dengan sumber-sumber konseling dan psikoterapi dengan tujuan untuk meningkatkan kesadaran diri, pemahaman diri, dan kesehatan mental yang memadai yang diperlukan untuk mengembangkan sumber daya manusia tingkat atas.Hasil - Penelitian ini membagikan pengalaman interaksi konseling online yang diperoleh dari platform konseling online Universitas Obafemi Awolowo.Implikasi - Rekomendasi juga dibuat untuk memandu universitas lain di Nigeria dan negara lain yang memiliki iklim yang sama untuk membangun platform buatan sendiri atau berbagi penggunaan platform khusus yang sudah ada.Keaslian - Makalah ini adalah salah satu yang paling awal yang menyajikan argumen untuk memasukkan layanan konseling online ke dalam sistem universitas, terutama di negara berkembang. Makalah ini juga merupakan yang pertama yang menyajikan laporan tentang pengalaman praktis yang diperoleh dari layanan yang sudah mapan di Universitas Nigeria untuk memandu pendirian layanan serupa di universitas lain

A Transformational- Generative Approach towards Understanding Al-Istifham

The aim of this paper is to analyse the formation of interrogative sentences in Arabic through the application of the basic linguistic concepts and to explain the derivation of those sentences with their transformations via the employment of the Transformational-Generative tools and concepts. This paper attempts to examine the ways and manners which al-Istifham could be understood through a transformational-generative approach. It begins with an introduction with a sketchy overview of the origin and development of Arabic grammar in the Arab world. Effort is made to explain the theoretical framework used in the paper. Basic terms and concepts are carefully explained. We have been able to show that, Arabic, as a language with VSO word-order, allows a right hand movement. It is discovered that it is categorized mainly into two, viz: (1) al-Istifham al-Lughawi (linguistic question) and (2) al-Istifham al-Adabi (literary question). The formal is characterized by abhathun lughawiyyah (linguistic analysis) but the latter is characterized by aghradun balaghiyyah (rhetorical objectives). The study shows that where two particles of Istifham Hal and Hamzah are  used they both have a syntactic and semantic markers which would be answered by any of Adawatul-Jawab (answer tools)

Investigating the Effect of Aging and Time on the Fate and Transport of Lead in Artificially Contaminated Tropical soils.

Incubation and Batch desorption experiments were conducted on ultisol and a mollisol to assess the effect of aging temperature and contact time on Pb sorption in soils A and B horizon ultisol and Mollisol from Humboldt and San Luis Obispo County, California were incubated at room temperature, 50 and 70 ⁰C for 3 hours, 4 weeks and 2 months in the laboratory. After each aging period, samples were extracted with 10-4 M H2SO4 solution, equilibrated for 24 hours, centrifuged and filtered through a 0.45 µm filter. A separate subsample of the B-Horizon supernatant was passed through 0.22 µm filter. Increase in aging temperature and fixation time was observed to enhance Pb solubility and bioavailability in the A horizon soils. Mobility of Pb in the B horizon was greatly retarded. XRD analysis showed no phase change upon heating; while Kd computations showed partitioning of Pb in the solid phase of the mollisol was greater. This allows for assessing the risk associated with mobility of Pb in tropical soils, and shows that ground water in areas overlain by ultisols are probably more liable to Pb contamination

Challenges and Prospect of Arabic Schools in Yorubaland in the Modern Time

This paper attempts to examine the challenges facing the Arabic schools in Yorubaland in the modern time. This study was undertaken to investigate into what could be the solution to many problems facing Arabic schools ranging from European intrusion, societal stereotype, poor patronage, lack of finance, lack of qualified personnel to mention but few. The prospect of Arabic schools therefore lies in their ability to integrate western education into their system by adopting one of the three recommended models. It begins with an introduction, traces the historical origin of Arabic in Yorubaland and gives the manifestations of serious interest in Arabic among Yoruba Muslims. This is followed by having a look at some of the challenges confronting Arabic schools and their prospect in the light of integration models as well as their features, merits and demerits that will make them compete favourably with western education.  Afterwards, the paper ends with a conclusion and provides certain recommendations. Keywords: challenge, prospect, Arabic school and modern tim

Towards a Re-Definition of Government Interpreters' Agency Against a Backdrop of Sociopolitical and Cultural Evolution: A Case of Premier's Press Conferences in China

The sociopolitical and cultural evolution as a result of the Reform and Opening up in 1978, facilitated not least by the inexorable juggernaut of globalization and technological advancement, has revolutionized the way China engages domestically and interacts with the outside world. The need for more proactive diplomacy and open engagement witnessed the institutionalization of the interpreter-mediated premier's press conferences. Such a discursive event provides a vital platform for China to articulate its discourse and rebrand its image in tandem with the profound changes signaled by the Dengist reform. This chapter investigates critically how political press conference interpreting and interpreters' agency in China are impacted in relation to such dramatic transformations. It is revealed that, while interpreters are confronted with seemingly conflicting expectations, in actual practice they are often able to negotiate a way as highly competent interpreting professionals with the additional missions of advancing China's global engagement and safeguarding China's national interests