Traditional cattle production in the subhumid zone of Nigeria

Describes, briefly, sizes structures, general management and productivity of pastoral herds in the Kaduna Plains of Nigeria. Includes data on age at first calving, calving percentage, calving intervals, calf liveweight & mortality to 1 year, and milk yield of Bunaji cattle under this sedentary pastoral management system. Identifies nutrition as cause of this below-genetic-potential productivity

The effects of supplementary feeding of traditionally managed Bunaji cows

Describes effects of feeding Bunaji cows supplements of cottonseed cake, molasses-urea or fodder bank on birth & 1-year weight of calves and their viability to 1-year, and milk yield, for both calves & humans, of cows under an agropastoral management system

Managing Organisational Change: The Experience of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) of Ghana

The need for change in the public service is widely recognized by the public, professionals and government. In most recent times, reforms under the influence of the New Public Management (NPM) have been driven by a combination of economic, social, political and technological factors, which have triggered the quest for efficiency and effectiveness in delivering public services. A qualitative approach was adopted where respondents were interviewed. The study revealed that the changes such as the introduction of public-private-partnership and banking services have significantly transformed the activities of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) in terms of service delivery. The change that occurred at DVLA is a transformational one in the sense that it changed the structure of the organisation granting it more autonomy in the discharge of its functions. The process has not been an easy despite the successes chalked so far. It is self-evident that public sector institutions need to always adopt an approach to change which incorporates both the structural and cultural aspects of change, and which recognises the need to appreciate and address extensively the issues raised by employees

IN A WORLD OF THEIR OWN: MEMORY AND IDENTITY IN THE FISHING SONGS OF A MIGRANT EWE COMMUNITY IN GHANA

The musical traditions of the southern Ewe of Ghana; particularly the Anlo, have been subject to a substantial amount of research. Existing research has focused on Anlo musical traditions as practiced in its original context. Comparably little is known about these musical traditions as performed by Anlo migrants living and working among a linguistically and culturally different ethnic group. Furthermore, fishing songs of the Anlo, even at home, have escaped most academic research. In this article, I address both shortcomings by focusing on Anlo fishing songs as performed by a migrant Anlo community living among the Fante in Cape Coast. Employing a variety of qualitative research techniques such as in-depth interviews, participant observation and a two-way inter-subjectivity, I explore the extent to which these fishing songs serve purposes beyond their perceived role of accompanying and easing work. Specifically, I examine how the fishing songs of the migrant Ewe community provide a solid basis for negotiating individual and collective memories and identities

The role of Time, Income and Expenditure Patterns in Pedestrian decision-making in the Kumasi Metropolis (Ghana)

This research was undertaken in May 2012 using a sample size of 174 respondents in four proxy communities in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. Using cross-tabulation quantitative methods, the research shows that walking speed is directly related to age. Also, when presented with the choice to walk or not in different scenarios, respondents with higher incomes prefer to trade money for time whiles lower income earners would trade time to save money. In addition, motorised transport costs represent 15% of the average monthly income of respondents and 18% off their expenditure; of which lower income earners cannot afford on a regular basis and therefore walk to 'survive'. Keywords: Pedestrian, Travel time, Kumasi, Income, Expenditure, Pedestrian behaviour, Ghan

Heavy metals concentrations and burden in the bivalves (Anadara (Senilia) senilis, Crassostrea tulipa and Perna perna) from lagoons in Ghana: Model to describe mechanism of accumulation/excretion

Seasonal sampling of the bivalves: Anadara (Senilia) senilis (n = 260), Crassostrea tulipa (n = 220), from two ‘open' lagoons (Benya and Ningo) and a ‘closed' lagoon (Sakumo), and Perna perna (n = 170), from rocky shores adjacent to Benya and Sakumo, were analyzed for their total Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cd and Hg concentrations and total body burden (that is concentration multiply by total flesh weight). Median concentrations for cockles were: 5, 38, 710, 10, 0.22 and 0.20 µg/g dw respectively. Cd and Hg levels in dry season samples were higher than those in wet season. While Zn and Fe dry season levels were lower than wet season with no variation in Cu and Mn. Median total body burden in cockles were: 3.3, 30.5, 370, 5.2, 0.28 and 0.13 µg respectively. Geographical variations observed were mostly due to size distribution rather than the ecological differences between stations. Log-transformed regression relationships between body burden and size were used to compare the species. Relationship between condition index, body burden and concentration were used to develop a model to describe mechanism of accumulation/excretion. Key words: Heavy metals, bivalves, marine, lagoons, seasonal variation, accumulation, Ghana. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol.2(9) 2003: 280-28

The Impact of Rhymes and Songs in the Teaching and Learning of Numeracy in Kindergarten

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the use of Rhymes and songs in the teaching and learning of numeracy in Kindergarten. The study was a descriptive study in which a survey research design was adopted. Two municipalities in the Eastern Region of Ghana were randomly selected for the study. Simple random sampling was used to sample thirty female Kindergarten teachers from ten Kindergarten schools in both municipalities. Research instrument used was teacher’s questionnaire in collecting the data for the study. Findings showed that about 70% of the Kindergarten teachers use Rhymes and songs in all aspects of their numeracy lesson delivery and as such it created a positive impact on children’s learning of numeracy. Keywords: Rhymes, Songs, Numeracy, Kindergarten, Kindergartners DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-20-14 Publication date:July 31st 202

The contradiction of Demotorisation: a Literature Argument

This paper is aimed at outlining the flexibility of capitalist consumption (Harvey, 1990) through a review of literature that has condemned the modernist era of the automobile for its consumerist tendencies but has failed to recognise that this flexibility of capitalism has been re-invented through demotorisation as a new tool for consumer culture. Demotorisation here is used to refer to the removal or partial removal of cars from roads and replacing it with cycling and walking. The research employs a review of theoretical as well as secondary empirical analysis. It must be emphasised that this paper is not aimed at discrediting demotorisation of streets but rather to point its postmodern nuances. Key Words: Demotorisation, Pedestrianisation, Consumerism, Automobile, Cycling, gentrification