Efik traditional marriage rites- A gender perspective

This paper investigated Efik marriage rites from a gender perspective. Marriage in Africa is a union between a man and a woman (monogamy) or mainly between a man and women (polygyny), or between a woman and men (polyandry), though this is very rare. In some cases it may be serial polygyny or polyandry, i.e. the case of marrying more than one wife or husband, but always after divorce. Marriage just like other institutions in Africa has rites of passage in which those who intend to enter into it must pass through. Every culture has a sense of peculiarity as to the way in which it approaches this matter. The Efik people are not an exception to this. The question that may be asked is, how gender-balanced are these rites? The Efik people claim to have gender equality, but is this reflected in her marriage rites? Rites are symbolisms of what the actual institution which those rites represent. It is in the light of this that this paper using gender theory critically looked at the Efik traditional marriage rites from gender perspective. The paper realized that, among the Efik people’s traditional marriage rites, there is gender imbalance. It proffers ways of having gender balance in Efik traditional marriage rites. Apart from adding a voice to the cry for gender equality and equity, it provides scholarship a resource material needed for Efik ethnographic study

Conflict Management. The Contribution of the Christian Church

It is true now that man lives in a world of conflict. Conflict is an ever-present process in human relations. Conflict situations indeed appear frequently in daily, public and private life. Conflict may occur within and among families, groups, communities or nations; and they may be fuelled by ethnic, racial, religious, or economic differences, or may arise from differences in ideologies, values and beliefs. Conflict may be on a small or large scale. Conflict charge the people with tensions, threats, fears, anxieties and uncertainties. What makes a society ideal is the extent to which the conflicting interests and needs in a society are constructively managed so that violence does not threaten its continued existence. Since it is obvious that conflicts in any given society is inevitable, management and resolution of conflict is the very essence of talking about conflict. This is what this work is set to achieve and to offer suggestions on how to manage and resolve conflict thereby reducing its negative and destructive effects. This work showed the church has the potential to contribute to the management and resolution of conflicts in Nigeria

Reforming Education through User Fees: Ability and Willingness to Pay For University Education in Calabar, Nigeria

This study explored user fees as a policy option in transforming university system in Calabar-Nigeria and its implications for ability and willingness to pay for the cost of schooling. The study was expected to provide a baseline information on the policy-planning process of user fees in solving revenue and financing problems of the university system for efficiency. This survey inferential design study had two research questions and one hypothesis that guide the investigation. With the use of stratified random sampling technique, 460 parents were drawn from the parents’ population in the two universities’ locations. Data collection was carried out using a researchers’ constructed instrument called “Household Reaction To Cost of Schooling Questionnaire (HRTCOSQ)”. Descriptive statistics (using tables and percentages) and Ordinary Least Square Regression Analysis were used to statistically analyze data collected for the study. Results obtained revealed that households in Calabar were able and willing to pay for the cost of schooling. The low income group households were willing to pay more for the male than the female children. The desirability of the user fees as a policy option depended on the ability and willingness of the household to pay for the cost of schooling. It is therefore recommended that the user fees should be adopted by university’s administration to raise revenue while government should provide scholarship to brilliant students from low-income households to cushion effects for equity. Keywords: Household, user fees, cost, reforming, university education

The Historical Era of Providential Preparation of the World for Christ and the Church

This work argues that Christianity was born into a world where religion was fully tolerated in the Greco-Roman world. On the other hand the Jews, the Greeks and the Romans made so many oblivious preparations which enhanced the growth and development of Christianity. Although on a superficial glance the Roman Empire may seem the greatest enemy of the early Christianity, and at times a bitter persecutor, yet it was in many ways the greatest preparation and in some ways the best ally of Christianity. God so designed the coming of Jesus Christ completely or in a perfect way that the small width time slot in which He came to this world was perfectly the most possible time for His coming to the world. Saint Paul called attention in Galatians chapter 4 verses 4 to the historic era of timely preparation that go before the advent of Jesus Christ to earth in human form: “But as soon as the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of women, born under the law”. When the Lord Jesus came, he declared “in Matthew 16:18: I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. This work adopted qualitative research approach with focus on historical and content analysis as a method. This shows that God in his infinite wisdom and sovereignty designed according to a plan to build the Church just at the very peculiar or suitable period in history. This work has shown how the Jews, the Greek and the Roman contributions helped in conveying historical development to the juncture where Jesus Christ could produce the highest or greatest significant or strong influence on history in such a way that not capable of being done or achieved previous to or since the period of his birth

Occurrence, distribution and diversity of microflora in the intertidal mudflats and sandbars of the Cross River Estuary, Nigeria

A comparative study was carried out on the occurrence, distribution and diversity of microflora in the intertidal mudflats and sandbars at the Nsidung Beach end of the Cross River Estuary, Nigeria between February and April,2009. Samples were analysed within six hours of collection. Identification of microflora was based on standard identification guides and texts. Altogether, 16 microflora taxa belonging to 13 genera and 5 divisions were identified.Over eighty five percent of the microflora was recorded in the mudflats while 14.0% were identified in the sandbars. Diversity indices of 1.69 and 1.59 were obtained for the mudflats and sandbars, respectively. Results of the study arediscussed in relation to the differential nutrient entrapment and retention capacities of the mudflats and sandbars in the estuary

Editorial: Conducting Evidence-based Research: Interventions and Observational Analytic Studies

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How information propagation in social networks can improve energy savings based on time of use tariff

The expected savings from energy efficiency projects are divided into two, direct savings and indirect savings. Direct savings refer to savings obtained through the personal effort of an individual implementing some energy efficiency measures. Indirect savings are achieved through information transmission of energy efficiency measures from an individual to his/her neighbours. In this paper information transmission is seen as human contribution for energy savings through interactions within the social network. This paper formulates a mathematical model that calculates an expected energy cost savings model that consists of direct and indirect savings. Indirect savings are made through social interactions of people in a network over time. Direct savings calculations are based on the Homeflex time of use tariff of South Africa. A case study of thirty-six households is used to illustrate the impact individuals have on the rest of their network in transferring information about the energy efficiency measures they have implemented. The results show that social interactions can improve energy efficiency savings and consequently reduce electricity cost

Mathematical modelling for the social impact to energy efficiency savings

In this paper, a mathematical model is formulated to quantify the social impact an individual has on his/her community when he/she performs any energy efficiency project and transmits that information to his/her neighbours. This model is called the expected power savings model; it combines direct and indirect expected power savings of the energy efficiency project for each individual within the network. The indirect savings are quantified through the social interactions people in the network. The example used in this paper illustrates the effectiveness of the model by identifying the households who should have free solar water heaters installed in their residential houses based on their influence through interactions in their community. Two case studies are considered in this paper, single and multiple sources case studies. In the multiple source case study, the results show that it is not necessarily the people with the highest connections who provide the maximum expected power savings

Darier-White Disease with Sensorineural Hearing Loss – A Case Report

Darier-White disease (keratosis follicularis) is a rare autosomal dominant genodermatosis characterized by hyperkeratotic papules and plaques in seborrheic areas, often presenting with nail abnormalities and occasionally mucous membrane changes.It has been associated with neurocognitive/psychiatric disorders, ankylosing spondylitis, hidradenitis suppurativa and nephritis. Affected individuals also have an increased tendency to cutaneous infections. However, a thorough literature search showed no association with sensorineural hearing loss. We herein report the case of a 34-year-old Nigerian man with disfiguring Darier-White disease (DWD) associated with spondyloarthropathy and sensorineural hearing loss. We affirm that early diagnosis, prompt and appropriate therapy and adequate patient education can avert undesirable outcomes