The Contribution of The Church Towards The Economic Development Of Nigeria

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The Contribution of  The Church Towards The Economic Development Of Nigeria

There has been a debate on the contribution (or lack of it) of European Christian Missionaries to the development and self-understanding of Africans since the publication of the book, The mission on Trial (1977). Some acute observers of the history of ideas have recently reopened the same debate on a local level with particular reference to the Church in Nigeria. A quarter years after the first centenary of the coming of the first missionary heralds of the Gospel in Eastern Nigerian in 1885 is a landmark. In the history of the universal Church, it is a brief period. In the history of evangelization in the Eastern part of Nigeria, it is a vital period. The faltering steps of early days have gradually given way to a robust and fast-growing community of faith, with elements of joys and sorrows, problems and plans, the successes and failures. It helps us to understand better the growth of social, intellectual, political and material development brought to the people of the area by this Church.
The social, cultural and political problems hampering Nigeria’s quest for unity and appropriate human development have become major staples of contemporary concern of the Church in Nigeria (Obinna, 1995).
The multi-dimensional aspects of development in the various facets of the Nigerian Society have received the attention of the Church and still beckon on the Church for dialogue, critical and constructive dynamism if the church must continue to be relevant today and into the future. Indeed the history of the Church in Nigeria does not make full appreciative sense without a decisive entry for the better into the economic, cultural and socio-political development of the nation (Onwuanibe, 1995). Only with such vigorous engagement for the authentic progress and development of the nation can the Church’s message be welcome in the seeking of solutions to emergent development problems facing the country. Ultimately, human development is about the realization of potential. It is about what people can do and what they can become–their capabilities and about the freedom they have to exercise real choices in their lives.
 
The Holy Ghost Fathers had been in Eastern Nigerian for about eighty-five years. Not until after the Nigeria-Biafra war has their influence been somewhat minimized. Arriving originally from France in 1885, the Roman Catholic Missionaries exerted a considerable influence on the lives of the people of the region far out of proportion to their number. They became a factor to reckon with in the history of the development of the region.
The former Eastern Nigeria has been carved out into nine separate States of Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Akwa-Ibom, Cross-River, Rivers and Bayelsa. The missionary efforts of the Holy Ghost Congregation covered the above-mentioned areas with their take-off point at Onitsha, Anambra State. There were only four missionaries who arrived at Onitsha in 1885. By 1918, there were a total of thirty-two Roman Catholic missionaries—Priests, Brothers and Sisters. The beginning of the Church in Nigeria was slow and arduous, but persistent as those great missionaries such as Fr. Leon Alexander Lejeune, Monsignor Pierre Le Berre, Fr. Joseph Lutz, Fr. Horne, Brothers Hermas and Jean-Gotto, Mr. Charles Townsend and Bishop Shanahan courageously made their way into the hinterland to bring the light of Christian faith in Nigeria especially in Eastern Nigeria in the early 1900s (Onwuanibe, 1995, 66). The missionary activities continued to spread to reach the remote part of Igboland, Efikland and other parts of Eastern Nigeria.
The impact of the Church can be felt in the dismantling of inhuman practices and institutions such as slavery, human sacrifice, killing of twins, and in the establishment of Christian villages which eventually gave way to schools for formal education. Translation of the Gospel into the vernacular languages and the production of catechisms in vernacular languages showed the good sense of recognizing the native culture, for language or tongue is a main  vehicle of culture and development. Many local customs were banned as “pagan” and there is need today for inculturation in terms of appraising and recognizing good traditional values (Onwuanibe, 1995).
By building schools which range from the primary to secondary levels the Church recognized the importance of education in development. The Church has also had a programme of medical, social and personality development. She lays great emphasis especially through the voices of recent ecclesiastical hierarchy on the determining role of a just and widespread development for all the corners of the globe. She sees this condition as a prerequisite for world
 
peace via international solidarity. She even gives development a new name: peace (Paul VI, 1967). The Church therefore stresses on the true condition of integral development, one that does not disfigure the human person by a neglect of any of the important constituents of his personality.

A Comparative Analysis Of Nationality Law in Africa

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A Comparative Analysis Of Nationality Law in Africa

Citizenship  laws in Africa leave many millions of people at risk of statelessness. It is impossible to put an accurate figure on the numbers affected, but stateless persons are among the continent’s most vulnerable populations: they can neither vote nor stand for office; they cannot enrol their children in school beyond primary school, travel freely, or own property; they cannot work for the government; and they are exposed to human rights abuses and extortion. Statelessness exacerbates and underlies intercommunal, interethnic and interracial tensions in many regions of the continent.
This comparative study provides a comprehensive analysis of the provisions of the citizenship laws of all 54 African states, identifying those that are not in compliance with international law and therefore leave many without a recognised nationality. While administrative practice may mean that stateless people exist even in a country with good laws, bad laws guarantee that statelessness will result.
Few African countries provide for an explicit right to a nationality in their constitutions and other legislation, even for children born on their territory who would otherwise be stateless—even though this provision is required by the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, to which almost all African states are parties. Perhaps more importantly than this absence of a statement of principle, citizenship laws too often do not include the measures that in practice protect against statelessness.
The factors that are the main contributors to statelessness in Africa are:
 

  • Gender discrimination: Although there is a strong trend to remove gender discrimination in nationality law, the laws of almost half of Africa’s states still discriminate against women in the right to transmit their nationality either to their foreign spouses and/or to their children if the father is not a
  • Racial, ethnic or religious discrimination: The laws of around ten states explicitly discriminate on grounds related to race, ethnicity or Racial and ethnic discrimination in the law leaves those who are not perceived to be of the “right” racial or ethnic group at risk of statelessness, especially where combined with discrimination on the basis of sex and the father is from another group.
  • Nomadic and cross-border populations: Africa has many millions of people following a nomadic lifestyle, whose traditional grazing grounds for livestock or other places of residence may lie in two or more There are also many ethnic and other communities whose cultural,

 
 
 
linguistic, religious or other ties, including pre-colonial political histories, lie on both sides of a contemporary border. African states’ nationality laws, policies and administration are often ill-adapted to take account of these realities.

  • Dual nationality rules: The majority of African states now permit dual nationality in all However, rules on dual nationality are easily misunderstood or misinterpreted, especially for persons who potentially have two nationalities from birth. They have often been used to deny children born to one non-citizen parent the right to nationality in the country of their birth, even when in principle the child is eligible for that nationality.
  • Weak rights based on birth in the territory: Although the nationality laws in more than half of the continent’s states provide at least some rights based on birth in the territory for children of non-citizen parents, the remainder have very weak protections against statelessness, in some cases not even providing nationality for infants found in the territory whose parents are not Countries where there are very limited rights based on birth in the territory typically have large populations of people who are stateless.
  • Lack of access to naturalisation: Another cause of statelessness is the failure by many states to provide effective access to naturalisation If a parent cannot naturalise, and the state also provides no rights based on birth in that territory, a child born to non-citizen parents is at high risk of statelessness, especially where the state of origin provides no effective consular services and especially if the parents are refugees—a risk that increases with each generation.
  • Provisions on state succession: Many countries in Africa face continuing problems related to poor management of attribution and documentation of nationality in the transition from colonial rule to State successions since independence have also failed to provide legal and administrative safeguards for the nationality of those who live in a territory transferred between two states.
  • Non-existent systems for the protection of stateless persons: It is very rare for an African state to have a legal framework in place to identify and provide a status for stateless persons and facilitate their acquisition of a
  • Excessive executive discretion: A final critical problem is the widespread lack of due process protections, especially when the government wishes to revoke or refuse the grant or recognition of The laws in too many countries give almost unfettered discretion to the executive in nationality administration, which in practice may mean that very junior state officials responsible for birth registration and the issue of identity cards are deciding the critical right of a person to nationality.

Many nationality problems are, of course, related to Africa’s history of colonisation and the inheritance of borders that cut through pre-existing political boundaries, and institutions that had been founded on systematic racial and ethnic discrimination. The nationality laws adopted at independence were based on European models, all of which discriminated on the basis of gender at that time and were ill-adapted for African realities, including the very low rates of civil registration bequeathed by the colonial powers, the substantial numbers of people who follow a nomadic lifestyle, or the effective integration of populations who migrated during the colonial period.
The recommendations in this report, which draw on widespread expert consultation, call on African states to address the problems of nationality that the continent’s history of colonisation and migration has created and bring their nationality laws into line with international human rights norms. They should support the proposal of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights for the adoption of a protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Specific Aspects of the Right to a Nationality and the Eradication of Statelessness in Africa. The African Union and its Regional Economic Communities should lead a process to harmonise national laws and to ensure their compliance with the basic principles of non-discrimination and due process already enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. The proposed draft protocol, as well as the General Comment of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child on the right to a name, birth registration and a nationality, already provide guidance on the provisions that national laws should contain.
These include, most importantly:

  • The removal of discrimination on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or other grounds prohibited in the two African Charters, including on the basis of birth in or out of
  • Guarantees that all children have the right to a nationality from Nationality laws should, at a minimum, provide for nationality to be attributed from birth not only to a child with a father or mother (including adoptive father or mother) who is a national, but also to a child who cannot obtain recognition of the nationality of his or her parents, or whose parents’ nationality is not known, as well as a child found in the territory of unknown parents. Much stronger guarantees against statelessness are provided where laws also give rights to nationality to those born in the territory who are still resident at majority or who have one parent also born there.
  • Reform of rules on naturalisation to make it possible for an adult, including a refugee, to change nationality and become a full member of the society where he or she lives—and to transmit that nationality to his or her
  • Effective oversight of executive discretion, with routes for administrative or judicial review of decisions to refuse recognition or deprive a person of

THE TERM NATIONALITY UNDER NIGERIAN LAW

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GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Someone’s nationality is their legal relationship to a particular country, in which a person is either born, or because his or her parents are citizens of that country. It is the country that has jurisdiction over that person, the country that is legally responsible for protecting him or her for as long as he or she remains under its jurisdiction. The rights that are afforded to a person, and the responsibilities that are attached to those rights, vary depending on the country in which the person is born.
Nationality is a threshold issue in modern nation-states, dependent or independent. The basic ideaof Nationality evokes a necessity of a legal force attached thereto. States have entrenched the legal framework on Nationality into their respective constitutions, which are by their nature fundamental laws. Nigeria is no exception. Nigerian constitutions from independence have had provisions on Nationality.The effect of such provisions necessitates the entrenchment of fundamental rights of citizens in Chapter IV and the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy in Chapter IIof the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). The provisions proper to Nationality are housed in Chapter III. Nationality is predicated to and tied with rights, privileges, benefits and obligations.A citizen of a country is a person who has rights and duties in that particular country. The 1999 Nigerian Constitution provides for three ways by which one can become a Nigerian citizen: by birth, by registration, and by naturalization. A person who is an alien in a state cannot stand on equal footing with a citizen of the said state. Nigerian citizens are entitled to fundamental rights and privileges wherever they live in Nigeria so that in places other than their towns or cities of their birth or birth of their ancestors they should not feel deprived of their Nationality rights. Thus, citizens are vested with rights such as rights to life and dignity; personal liberty; fair hearing; private and family life; freedom of thought, conscience and religion; freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, freedom of movement, freedom from discrimination, and acquisition and ownership of property. In addition to these civil and political rights are also economic, social and cultural rights that would make for a good and quality living

Contents

VALUE- RELEVANCE OF ACCOUNTING INFORMATION IN THE NIGERIAN STOCK MARKET

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VALUE- RELEVANCE OF ACCOUNTING INFORMATION IN THE NIGERIAN STOCK MARKET

Abstract

There is little known about the role of accounting information in terms of its ability to explain changes to the security prices of listed companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). Almost all evidence in this area is obtained from  the  United States or Western European countries which have sophisticated markets compared to most developing countries. This work investigates the value relevance of accounting data in the Nigerian stock market, with a view to determining whether accounting information has the ability to capture data that affect share prices of firms listed on the NSE. It also examines the difference in perception of  institutional and individual investors about the value relevance of various items of financial statements in equity valuation. This study used secondary and  primary data to investigate the value relevance of accounting numbers. Secondary data were obtained from the Nigerian Stock Exchange Factbook, Annual Financial reports of companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the Nigerian Stock Market Annual and primary data were obtained through survey questionnaires administered on the respondents. The methods used for gauging information content of various accounting numbers were Ordinary Least Squared (OLS), Random Effects Model (REM), Fixed Effects Model (FEM) and Independent – Samples t-Test.  The findings show that there is a significant relationship between  accounting information and share prices of companies listed on the NSE. Dividends are the most widely used accounting information for investment decisions in Nigeria, followed by earnings and net book value. The accounting information of manufacturing companies is more informative in the NSE. The study also finds that a significant negative relationship exists between negative earnings and share prices of companies listed on Nigerian Stock Exchange. It equally  observes  that there  is no significant difference between the perception of institutional and individual investors about the value relevance of accounting information. The study therefore suggests that the firms should improve the quality of earnings as manipulated earnings (of which dividends are sub-sets) have large effects on share prices. Moreover, there should be firm and stiff penalty by  the national standards setters for manipulating earnings in the Nigerian stock market. It is also recommended that all companies listed on Nigerian Stock Exchange should prepare Simplified Investor’s Summary Accounts (SISA) with emphases on the most widely used accounting information along the required mandatory detailed financial statements to suit Nigerian peculiarities. This is expected to remove information over-load particularly for non-accountants and non-financial analysts. The afore-mentioned measures are anticipated to increase investors’ confidence in accounting numbers and by extension the economic growth in Nigeria.

Corporate Governance and Value Relevance of Accounting Information in Quoted Nigerian Banks

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Corporate Governance and Value Relevance of Accounting Information in Quoted Nigerian Banks

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Accounting provides a vital service to broad and diverse users. Investors use financial accounting information for investment decisions; government agencies need it particularly for tax purposes while regulatory agencies use it to determine whether existing statutory pronouncements are complied with, among others (Kajola and Adedeji, 1999). According to Meyer (2007:2), “accounting plays a significant role within the concept of generating and communicating wealth of companies”. Financial statements still remain the most important source of externally feasible information on companies. Nevertheless, in the wake of the recent accounting scandals and economic meltdown where billions of naira of investment and retirement wealth have disappeared, the very integrity and survivability of the value relevance of this service has been called to question.
Value relevance is defined as the ability of accounting numbers contained in the financial statements to explain the stock market measures (Beisland, 2009). Accounting data, such as earnings per share, is termed value relevant if it is significantly related to the dependent variable, which may be expressed by price, return or abnormal return (Gjerde, Knivsfla and Saettem, 2007).
Studies on value relevance of accounting information are motivated by the fact that listed companies use financial statements as one of the major media of communication with their equity shareholders and public at large (Vishnani and Shah, 2008). For instance, in Nigeria, Companies and Allied  Matters  Act (CAMA), (1990) and the subsequent amendments require the Directors of all companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange to prepare and publish annually the financial statements. Beyond this, the Nigerian Stock Exchange mandates all companies listed on first tier market to submit quarterly, semi-annual and annual statements of their accounts to the Stock Exchange. Companies on second tier market are to submit their statements of accounts annually to Stock Exchange (Osaze, 2007). Accounting information is any data or information obtains from the accounting system of a firm whether contained in a financial statement, a special report, or verbal statement (William, 1968). However, for the purpose of this research, accounting information refers to written information contained in a complete or partial financial report –balance sheet or profit and loss account or  fund flow statement. This study investigates whether these various items of  financial statements are value relevant in the Nigerian Stock Exchange or not.
The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) commenced operation in 1961with only 19 securities worth N80million. As at May 2009, the number of listed securities had increased to 294, made up of 86 Government Stocks with Industrial Loans Stocks and 208 Equity/ Ordinary Shares(including emerging market) with a total market capitalization of N9.45 trillion (The Nigerian Stock Exchange, Factbook, 2009).
However, the Nigerian Stock Exchange still seems to have a long way to go when compared with developed stock markets (Ologunde, Elumilade and Asaolu, 2006). Nigerian Stock Exchange, as a medium of funds mobilization for economic growth may not function well without relevant and reliable accounting information.
 
The researcher is thus motivated to study the extent to which accounting information summarizes stock prices in the Nigerian stock market as an indicator of value relevance. The study of likelihood of the market prices of stock listed in the Nigerian Stock Exchange being a reflection of accounting information is very essential to investors as well as policy makers. Recent evidence shows that stock markets have positive impact on economic growth (Healy and Williston, 2005 and Charles, 2008). In a bid to corroborate or repudiate the afore-mentioned, the perception of institutional and individual investors about value relevance of various items of financial statements for equity valuation is also considered.
 
While there have been a number of studies on this topic in developed countries (Collins, Maydew and Weiss, 1997; Lev and Zarowin, 1999; Francis and Schipper, 1999; Beisland, Hamberg and Navak, 2010), one is not aware of any expansive study that has explored the subject of value relevance of accounting information in Nigeria. It has not been comprehensively researched primarily  because  of problems with data availability (Negah 2008). Literature on capital research in accounting in Nigeria is so scanty and insufficient that it is difficult to determine value relevance of accounting information in this country. In Nigeria, fairly related
 
 
literature are on accounting systems (Jagetia and Nwadike, 1983); corporate financial reporting (Wallace, 1988); Weak Form Efficiency of the Nigerian Stock Market: Further Evidence (Olowe, 1999); communications in accounting: problems and solutions (Adeyemi and Ogundele, 2003); relevance of financial statement to stakeholders’ investment decisions (Kantude, 2005); determinants of upward and downward trending of the stock market prices (Nwude, 2010). The above mentioned studies provide no significant validity of existing empirical evidence of value relevance of accounting information in the developing Nigerian Stock Market.
 
As a result, the study attempts to fill the gap in literature by investigating the ability of accounting information to capture or summarize information that affects equity value by examining the relationship between accounting numbers and share prices in the Nigerian Stock Exchange. This in turn is expected to accelerate development of the Nigerian stock market.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • CHAPTER ONE: Introduction

  • 1.1 Background to the study

  • 1.2 Statement of Research Problem

  • 1.3 Objectives of the study

  • 1.4 Research Questions

  • 1.5 Research Hypotheses

  • 1.6 Significance of study

  • 1.7 Scope of study

  • 1.8 Summary of Research Methodology

  • 1.9 Sources of Data

  • 1.10 Outline of the Chapters

  • CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review

  • 2.1 Introduction

  • 2.2 Conceptual Framework

  • 2.2.1 The Information Perspective

  • 2.2.2 The Measurement Perspective

  • 2.3 Theoretical Framework of the Research

  • 2.4 Review of Empirical Literaturr

  • 2.5 Equity Valuation and Negative Earnings

  • 2.6 Company Size and Value Relevance of Accounting Information

  • 2.7 Difference in Accounting Information across the Industries

  • 2.8 Nigerian Stock Market Development and Economic Growth

  • 2.9 Company and Allied Matters Act 1990, Investment and

  • Securities Act 1991 and Financial Statements

  • CHAPTER THREE: Research Methods

  • 3.1 Introduction

  • 3.2 Research Design

  • 3.2.2 Sample Size

  • 3.2.3 Sampling Technique

  • 3.2.4 Data Description

  • 3.2.5 Sources and Data Gathering Method

  • 3.2.6 Questionnaire

  • 3.2.7 Validity of Research Instrument

  • 3.2.8 Reliability of Research Instrument

  • 3.3 Analytical Framework

  • 3.3.1 Accounting Earnings and Equity Valuation

  • 3.3.2 Accounting Earnings versus Net Book and Equity Valuation

  • 3.3.3 Dividends versus Net Book and Equity Valuation

  • 3.4 Model Specification

  • 3.4.1 Models

  • 3.5 Method of Analysis

  • CHAPTER FOUR: Data Analysis and Result Presentation

  • 4.1 Introduction

  • 4.2 Data Presentation and Analysis of Aggregate Market Reaction to

  • Accounting Information

  • 4.3 Data Presentation and Analysis of Difference in value

  • Relevance of Accounting Information across the Industries

  • 4.4 Data Presentation and Analysis of the Value Relevance of Negative of Earning

  • 4.5 Presentation of Survey Data

  • CHAPTER FIVE: Summary of Findings, Conclusion and Recommendations

  • 5.1 Introduction

  • 5.2 Summary of Work Done

  • 5.3 Summary of Findings

  • 5.3.1 Theoretical Findings

  • 5.3.2 Empirical Findings

  • 5.4 Conclusion

  • 5.5 Recommendations and Policy Relevance

  • 5.6 Contribution to Knowledge

  • 5.7 Suggestions for Further Studies

  • Bibliography

Contents

Legal Appraisal Of African Human Rights system A Study Of ECOWAS Court

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Legal Appraisal Of African Human Rights system A Study Of  ECOWAS Court

Africa has been traumatized by human rights violations of historic proportions over the last five centuries. The recent chapter in that long history of abuses is still being authored under the direction of the post-colonial state. But the peoples of Africa, like peoples elsewhere, have never stopped struggling for better conditions of life, and especially for more enlightened and accountable political societies. The popular repudiation of oneparty and undemocratic states over the past decade has once again given hope that the predatory impulses of the post-
colonial state might be arrested. Within states, non-governmental organizations have multiplied during that period and governments are being been forced to revise policies and laws that are offensive to basic human rights. At the continental level, NGOs and human rights advocates have demanded that the African Commission become part of this movement towards change.
This is the lense through which Africans now view the African human rights system. While it is felt by many Africans that the idea of the African Commission was a step in the direction, there are serious misgivings that it has been largely ineffectual. Further, that a regional human rights system worth its name need strong institutions to anchor its norms. The African Human Rights Court is an attempt to fulfill that promise. However, the court promises to be a disappointment unless states parties revisit the African Charter and strengthen many of its substantive provisions. Moreover, the court will not meet the expectations of Africans if the OAU does not provide it with material and moral support to allow it to function as the independent and significant institution that it ought to be. Finally, of course, the initial integrity and vitality of the court will rest with those who will be privileged to serve as its first bench. Unless these conditions are met, the African Human Rights Court is condemned to remain a two-legged stool, a lame institution unable to fulfill its promise as a seat from which human rights can be advanced. In that case, the court will have failed to redeem the troubled African regional system.

The role of religious organization in combating kidnapping in Nigeria

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The role of religious organization in combating kidnapping in Nigeria

 
The social context of religion is a theater for the positive powers of religion in human societies. Efforts from religious agents are a social reality with pragmatic effects that emanates from a genuine human response drawing inspiration from the divine. Religion in its essential nature is one of the most powerful and influential forces in organized human society. Although, the religious resource can be manipulated to negatively serve the interest of some nefarious human agents, yet it has engendered enormous good in the social space. Hence, the researcher’s focus is on the positive and humanitarian impact and how it has motivated many to action and had shaped modes of relationship among peoples. An example can be drawn from among the five basic institutions for societal survival; the Family, Economy, Religion, Education and Polity, the religious institution stands out as one among the basic three structures that cannot be dispensed with as it is an infrastructure to society. That religion is a social fact propelled is what Obilor (1998:29) quips that, “it is  not possible for the human race to survive without the religious dimension as this will lead to anarchy and confusion in human relationship and societal cohesion”.
 
Religion has a number of dimensions and its impact are far reaching on society ranging from its influence on culture; it can be seen physically in our buildings, rituals and actions and intangibly in our norms, values, expectations and thoughts that provoke our actions (Ford, 2009). Ford enthused that religion  had been around well before the foundations of our current societal structures were formed. That economic kidnapping which is the basic form of violent crime that  has bedeviled Abia state is a well organized crime that works with organization, structures and even a sort of network that often balance the risk of detection, prosecution and detention against the chance for their success. It therefore, follows that for any meaningful attempt to abate the upsurge a mode of intervention on the various loop holes on the system would be an ad rem.
The religious sector owing to its large network and  moral authority as well  as a normative structure from which it operates, is of enormous relevance for intervention in the kidnapping and other violent crimes challenges in Abia state, as the employment of brute force and the attempt to control crimes through the barrels of the gun by the combine Joint Military Taskforce (JTF), the Police force, State Security Service (SSS) and other allied security operatives in the state has not been able to ‘‘exorcise the spirit of kidnapping’’ among youths in the state, hence, the need to introduce an alternative approach with a normative structure. Religion provides supernatural sanctions to the relationship between individuals and groups in society in form of social norm to control group behaviour. Madu (1996) sees these social norms that hold society together as acquiring their binding sense,
 
norms of sacredness from religion and that they are preserved, obeyed and transmitted from one fore-bearer to new generations.
The religious legitimacy is strategically and unequivocally unique, as its institutionalized model of behaviour and a functional ethics for the proper and smote running of the Nigerian society especially in Abia state. Despite all these, religion does not work or succeed alone as a vacuum in the social context because on its own it cannot create peace except in interplay with other forces. No wonder, Ezeme (2006) observed that the Christian church is neither police nor army; it can only boast of her moral force, that the church does its work through teaching and mass mobilization. Thus, without true religious perception it will be difficult to eradicate crime in any society (Adewale, 1994).

CURBING CORRUPTION FOR PEACE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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CURBING CORRUPTION FOR PEACE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

 1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Corruption is efforts to secure wealth or power through illegal means for private gain at public expense; or a misuse of public power for private benefit. Corruption like cockroaches has co-existed with human society for a long time and remains as one of the problems in many of the world’s developing economies with devastating consequences. Corruption as a phenomenon, is a global problem, and exists in varying degrees in different countries (Agbu, 2001). Corruption is not only found in democratic and dictatorial politics, but also in feudal, capitalist and socialist economies. Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist cultures are equally bedeviled by corruption (Dike, 2005). Corrupt practices are not an issue that just begins today but the history is as old as the world (Lipset and Lenz, 2000).
In Nigeria, it is one of the many unresolved problems (Ayobolu, 2006) that have critically hobbled and skewed development. It remains a long-term major political and economic challenge for Nigeria (Sachs, 2007). It is a canker worm that has eaten deep in the fabric of the nation. It ranges from petty corruption to political I bureaucratic corruption or Systemic corruption (International Center for Economic Growth, 1999). World Bank studies put corruption at over $1 trillion per year accounting for up to 12% of the Gross Domestic Product of nations like Nigeria, Kenya and Venezuela (Nwabuzor, 2005).
Corruption is endemic as well as an enemy within (Agbu, 2003). It is a canker worm that has eaten deep in the fabric of the country and had stunted growth in all sectors (Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), 2005). It has been the primary reason behind the country’s difficulties in developing fast (Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), 2006). This is evident in Transparency lnternational’s consistent rating of Nigeria as one of the top three most corrupt countries in the world (Ribadu, 2003).

1.3 OBJECTIVES  OF STUDY

  • The main objectives of this study is on Curbing corruption for peace and sustainable development

The objectives of this study are:

  1. To explore and analyze the development of corruption in Nigeria.
  2. To develop insights for reducing the
  3. To create possible checks and balances that could see this disease to a minimum

1.4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problem of corruption in Nigeria has been characterized by lack of culture of accountability, inefficiency, weak government structures, excessive concentration of power in the executive arm of government and lack of transparency.
This phenomena in governance characterize the practice of shameless act of stealing  of public funds and properties, wasteful mismanagement of national resources and public asset. The fact and ubiquity of corruption in Nigeria are not in any doubt whatsoever.

    1.5    RESEARCH QUESTIONS

  • Can the problem of lack of or slow development be seen in the unending struggle among Nigerians to retain or gain advantages over fellow Nigerians?
  • Where, with regards to institution and organization is corruption perpetuated?
  • Can widespread corruption provoke resentment and promote the chances of a revolution beneficial to the society in the long run?

 

1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This research adopts the secondary method of data collection. This method involves a critical analysis of published data such as text books, newspapers, journals and other source of media information like the internet. Data will also be analyzed using descriptive method of analysis.

1.7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

There is no doubt that the crime of corruption in government threatens the moral integrity of a nation and hampers development, this thus makes the topic of discourse significant especially looking at the global effect of corruption on democracy and development generally.
There are a number of reasons for focusing on the scope and impact of corruption in Nigeria and the difficulties in dealing with it. Nigeria occupies a central place in Africa as the most populous country, with an estimated population of over 149 million. It is one of the continent’s richest countries and is blessed with a huge diversity of natural and human resources. It is also characterized by a multiplicity of different ethnic groups. Like many mono-cultural economies in Africa, its economy is heavily dependent on crude oil. Paradoxically, it is this important natural resource that sustains corruption in Nigeria.
The significance of this study is therefore to expose the acts of the few privileged ones who find themselves in high positions of authority and the ways at which they divert the profits gotten from these natural resources for personal uses instead of using them for public purposes and how this has hampered efforts made on development.
 

1.8 SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study examines critically Curbing corruption for peace and sustainable development. It also explores the concepts associated with corruption, outlines the debilitating effects of corruption on Nigeria. It also elaborates on the conditions that encourage the flourishing of graft in the literature.
This study, due to a number of constraints involving time and resources, especially unavailability of data, shall rely solely on secondary sources of data such as internet, journals, articles etc.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ROLE OF PARENTS AS A CAREER COUNSELOR TO THEIR ADOLESCENTS CHILDREN

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AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ROLE OF PARENTS AS A CAREER COUNSELOR TO THEIR ADOLESCENTS CHILDREN IN ORLU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

ABSTRACT

        This research project was designed to study the role of parents as a career counselor of their adolescent children. The study was guided by three objectives and three research question to accomplish this task. The study benefits the schools, parents, career counselors and adolescent youths. The objective of the study were to determine the roles of parents as a career counselor to their adolescent children in Orlu Local Government Area. Review of related literature on the topic was done. A descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population of the study was one hundred (100) adolescents which consisted of male and female between the ages of 10-21years both catholic and non-Catholics. The method of data collection were both interview and questionnaire. Validity and Reliability of the instrument were ensured. Simple random sampling method was used to select the subjects for the study. Data was presented and analyzed using frequency percentile tables. Findings from the data collected review that parents play an important role in the career choice and development of their adolescent children. Based on the findings and conclusion, recommendation were made which include that parents should enlighten adolescent youths through media on the importance of various profession and their entry requirement and government should ensure that career guidance services is provided in all secondary schools in the state

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

AFRICAN CINEMA: THE CONNECTING ROD OF DISCIPLINES IN THE 21ST CENTURY

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Call for Papers: AFRICAN CINEMA: THE CONNECTING ROD OF DISCIPLINES IN THE 21STCENTURY

Venue: Adeleke University
Date: April 19 – 22, 2020
Abstract Deadline: March 25, 2020
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In this year’s conference, the overarching theme that participants will engage with is African(Cinema): The Connecting Rod of Disciplines in the 21st Century. The critical scholarships of new and recent writings in the field have demonstrated the significance of African Cinema to studies in global cinema. Considering the upsurge in theoretical advancements and sufficiently detailed film analyses, drawing specifically on cultural studies, including reception studies, the future of the growing scholarship of African Cinema will continue to appear bright. With the overarching theme, which essentially centres on the concept of “the connecting rod of disciplines,” we expect and anticipate radical and rigorous participation, as we call for abstracts that will not only articulate the relationship that exists between African cinema and other disciplines that operate beyond or, outside the humanities or the social sciences, but also scholarly abstracts that demonstrate a high preference for: (i) the relationship between African cinema and environmental issues and bio-diversity, medicine and public health, (ii) the transformation that filmmaking has undergone since the turn of the millennium, and (iii) studies that go beyond auteur filmmaking in the traditional sense of militancy, but gesture towards accounting for the noticeable shifts; in new critical approaches to African cinema.
Participants are encouraged to address issues that have been neglected, or have not enjoyed the desired scholarly debates for a long time. Scholars are also free to address new areas that are emerging and touch on the contributions of African cinema to world cinema discourses. For instance, participants are free to render abstracts that may answer the following questions:
§ What is new about Anglophone (Nollywood, Ghanaian Cinema), Francophone, Lusophone and Maghreb Cinemas today?
§ Apart from the studies of conventional genres, which have permeated our scholarly efforts for decades, are there instances of fresh genres emerging?
§ What are documentary films exploring in the 21st century?
§ How do we approach the discourse around African Short Films?
§ What is new about African Diasporic cinema?
§ Is the dichotomy between the “art cinema” and “popular cinema” collapsing due largely to technological developments?
§ What innovations are female filmmakers creating in African filmmaking?
§ What is new about mobile filmmaking, mobile streaming of African contents, and online platforms such as Iroko TV, Ibaka TV, Show Max, Natural TV, Sodere, and Netflix? (How are they changing the viewing culture and experiences of the audiences, and how are they responding to these opportunities?)
§ What is the difference between African Cinema and African Screen Media?
§ How do we theorize and discuss marginalized cinema like “faith based films” in Africa and the diaspora?
§ How are African cinema scholars decolonizing African film criticism today?
We expect that participants respond to the myriad questions through the following sub-themes, which are by no means exhaustive:
SUB-THEMES:
· Theoretical and methodological Issues on the Study of African Cinema
· Conceptual Issues on African Cinema
· Philosophical Approaches to Understanding African Cinema
· African Cinema: Sound, Word and Visuals
· African Cinema: Dismantling the Status Quo of Scholarship
· African Cinema: Charting New Paths in the 21st Century
· African Cinema: Professional Endeavors in the 21st Century
· African Cinema: Propagating Scientific Discoveries
· African Cinema: An Institution for Promoting Regulations and Societal Values
· African Cinema in the Services of Social Harmony
· African Cinema: Current (new) Discourses in Gender Studies – feminism and masculinity
· African Cinema: Promoting Popular Culture
· Documenting History through African Cinema
· African Cinema and Artificial Intelligence
· Using African Cinema in the Promotion of Godly Principles
· Language of African Cinema
· African Cinema: The Good, the Bad and the Unintended
· African Cinema, Language and Literature
· African Cinema, Sciences and Social Sciences
· Promoting Religions and Leadership through African Cinema
· Resolving Current African Societal Issues through the Cinema
· Curatorial Practices, Film Festivals and the Discourse of African Cinema
· Piracy and African Cinema
· Projection of Religious Doctrines in African Cinema
DEADLINES AND ABSTRACT SUBMISSION:
· Submission of Abstracts (maximum of 250 words): Latest 25thMarch 2020
· Submission of all completed conference papers – maximum of 12 points Times New Roman Font, Double line spacing, and in not more than 15 pages: Latest April 21, 2020.
· All submissions to:aufoa2020conference@gmail.com and copy adegbite.tobalase@adelekeuniversity.edu.ng
· Registration deadline: April 21, 2020
· Account details: Unity Bank 0027310214: Account Name: Faculty of Arts, Adeleke University
· Participants will be responsible for their own transportation and accommodation, but we will provide information concerning hotel options close to the conference venue.
CONFERENCE FEES:
1. Early Birds – #20,000
2. Undergraduate Students – #5,000.00
3. Post Graduate Students – #15,000.00 (must show current Identification)
4. All other Participants – #25,000.00
Note: Conference fees cover conference materials, tea break and lunch.
Participants who want their papers to be published in Ijinle, the faculty journal, will be required to submit the corrected paper by May 15, 2020.
They shall also be required to pay a review and publication fee of #15, 000 only.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Mr. Femi Odugbemi
Documentary Film maker,
Director, IREP International Documentary Film Festival
LEAD PAPER PRESENTERS:
Prof. Hyginus Ekwuazi
Professor of Film and Broadcasting,
Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan
Emeka Emelobe,
Rector Royal Arts Academy, Lagos
HOST
Prof. Serifat O. Labo-Popoola
Dean, Faculty of Arts,
CHIEF HOST
Prof. Ekundayo S. Alao
President/Vice Chancellor, Adeleke University
For Further Enquiries, contact:
Dr. Adegbite Tobalase
Conference Chair
adegbite.tobalase@adelekeuniversity.edu.ng
08058002000, 08033200505

 
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