CORRUPTION AND ITS EFFECT ON NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (2000-2018)

The major objective of this study is to examine the effects of financial corruption on national development in Nigeria (1999-2017). The continuous outcry of the citizens on the evils of corruption and its consequences on national development motivated this study. Data were drawn chiefly from primary sources and subjected to statistical computations of scaling and percentages. The major findings of the study revealed that to a large extent corruption leads to poverty in Nigeria. Also to a large extent increase in oil revenues do not translate to poverty reduction in Nigeria. The study equally, found that to a large extent the oil industry causes underdevelopment and increase poverty in Nigeria. This study therefore advances that stiffer sanctions must be imposed on those found guilty of corrupt practices including death sentences. This will serve as deterrent to others. Since corruption is a relationship of ‘give and take’, both the giver and the receiver must be prosecuted as well. There is the need to strengthen institutions such as the civil service, parliament and the judiciary, which in turn will create interlocking systems of oversight and self-regulation. All of these institutions have to be free of corruption themselves and active players in the fight against corruption and good governance should be entrenched.

EFFECT OF PUBLIC DEBTS ON PRIVATE-SECTOR INVESTMENT IN NIGERIA

This study empirically analyzed the effect of Public Debt and Private-Sector Investment in Nigeria (1986-2017). This study employed secondary data in the analysis. The study used the ordinary least square method (OLS) and Error Correction Model (ECM) tools of analysis in the investigation of the impact and relationship among the economic variables. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and the Error Correction Models show that there is a strong relationship between Private Investment (PIVN)in Nigeria and Public Debt in Nigeria. Public Debt in Nigeria has a negative effect on the economy both in the short run and long run especially the Public Domestic Debt in Nigeria and Public External Debts in Nigeria. This is because the more government borrows from both the domestic and the external the more it crowds out investment especially the domestic debt crowds out private investment through lack of access to funds. The ECM result revealed that Public Debt Service in Nigeria has a positive effect on Private Investment (PIVN)in Nigeria, this is because when the government pays back loans or debts, it increases access to funds by the private investors thereby increasing the level of private investment in the country. Therefore, the study recommends that government should design a mechanism for effective and efficient Public Debt Service Management in Nigeria to increase access to funds by private investors and thereby increasing and enhancing Private Investment (PIVN) in Nigeria.

High-Performance Work Systems, Perceived Organizational Support and Employee Job Satisfaction of Food Manufacturing Firms in Port Harcourt

This study scrutinized the moderating effect of perceived organizational support on the nexus between high performance work systems and employee job satisfaction of food manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Cross-sectional survey design was adopted using an accessible population of 7,790 employees of sixteen (16) food manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt. A sample size of367 was drawn using the Krejcie and Morgan’s table of sample size determination. To enhance the study’s generalizability and non-response bias, a mark-up of 1% of the population was made and giving a sample size of 445 which was proportionately allocated and distributed using the simple random sampling technique. Data were analyzed using Perason’s product moment correlation technique and multiple regression analysis. The hypotheses were tested using probability value (p-value) of 0.05 level of significance. All these were aided by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.The findings show that POS alongside HPWS predict job satisfaction to a large extent. Thus, the study concluded that HPWS is strategic to employee job satisfaction in food manufacturing companies in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The study consequently endorses that managers and owners of organisations desiring to incite positive attitudes should endeavour to create a benign atmosphere to produce an environment that allows for a high degree of initiative and nurtures healthy interactions among peers, supervisors and subordinates. This ultimately will produce happier workers.

IMPACT OF PROMOTION ON ACADEMIC STAFF DEVELOPMENT IN THE STATE HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF BORNO STATE

Promotion may be considered as an employee’s reward for good performance or for additional qualifications, that is, positive appraisal which boost individuals’ moral and is a mark of recognition. The study explores the Impact of promotion on academic staff development in the State higher educational institutions of Borno State. The study raised one questions to determine: The impact of promotion on academic staff development. Hypotheses was formulated and tested in line with the objectives of the study. Related literatures were reviewed based on the stated objective. Survey method was employed for the study. The population of the study were all academic staffs of the State higher educational institutions (1410). The sample of the study comprised all academic staff from the four selected institutions (938) using closed questionnaires. The collected data was presented by the use of simple frequency and percentages, and later analysed using Chi-square statistical technique. The finding reveals that since 2015-to date the State government offer paper promotion with no monetary increment to salary to academic staff in the state higher education. The study also reveals that there is a significant relationship between promotion and academic staff development. The study concluded that promotion influence academic staff development. It is recommended that the state government should offer the academics the financial benefits of their promotions to boost morale and for effective and efficient performance.

NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN NIGERIA, 2009 - 2019

Development strategies are judged by results. Over the years, Africa’s political leadership adopted and pursued various development initiatives to translate the immense natural resources of the continent into prosperity for the benefits of her teeming population. Unfortunately, the outcomes of these efforts have been abysmal. This study assessed the achievement of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) in curtailing poverty in Nigeria from 1999-2015. The paper adopted the theory of the postcolonial state of Africa to explain the increasing rate of poverty in Nigeria, despite the NEPAD poverty reduction ambition. The study is anchored on documentary methods of data collection. The paper concludes that genuine poverty reduction can only be realized when Nigeria political leadership sincerely invests in her human resources in terms of genuine empowerment of the populace through skill acquisition.

ENHANCING AFRICA’S INTERNAL SECURITY THROUGH NONVIOLENT MEASURES: AN ANALYSIS OF NIGERIA’S AMNESTY PROGRAMME

This paper stressed the need to enhance peace and internal security in Africa through non-violent measures and approaches with particular reference to Nigeria’s amnesty programme. The study adopted the basic human needs theory as its theoretical framework and derived its data from secondary sources. Data collected were analysed using the qualitative method. The study revealed that conflict resolution through nonviolent measures such as disarmament, demobilization and re-integration (DDR) programmes have helped to enhance sustainable peace and internal security in most African countries including Nigeria, Burundi, Rwanda etc. Further findings also show that the use of military force as a means of conflict resolution by some African states have helped to escalate and prolong conflicts in different parts of Africa. The need for good governance, rule of law and strict adherence to democratic principles by African leaders and states is also fundamental in the process of building peace, internal security and political stability in Africa.

THE FIGHT AGAINST THE DESPICABLE SCOURGES OF CHILD TRAFFICKING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL AGENCY FOR THE PROHIBITION OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS AND OTHER RELATED MATTERS (NAPTIP) A REVIEW OF LITERATURE

One of the contemporary social Issues which are posing serious threats to the attainment of a vibrant sustainable development in Nigeria is the child trafficking and it is rapidly spreading like a wild fire cutting across the geopolitical zones of the country which are for example, the north-west, north-central, north-east, south-west, south-south as well as the south-east. The trafficking of the child can be considered as a crime against humanity. This is however in view of the fact that the article titled The Fight Against the Despicable Scourges of Child Trafficking for Sustainable Development in Nigeria: The Role of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other Related Matters examined a plethora of factors which were considered as the critical causes of child trafficking in Nigeria, their actual consequences and the way forward for a laudable sustainable development in the country. It was observed that some of the causes of child trafficking identified in the article were for example, the poverty, illiteracy and ignorance, divorce, separation, inadequate social security and also, lack of adequate community support and policing. However, with regard to the consequences of child trafficking in Nigeria, clear explanations were offered. These comprised for example, the hindrance of the physical, psychological and the mental development of the child; loss of parental love and care of the child; poor health condition of the child, lack of access to quality educational development of the child, the juvenile delinquency and other crimes and lastly, the withdrawal of foreign aids. However, the article was underpinned by a theoretical framework known as the Parson’s famous AGIL SCHEME which was rooted in the structural functionalism, a classical sociological perspective. The article also contained the conclusion and the recommendations.

COMPARING E-PRINT AND FEDORA DIGITAL LIBRARY SOFTWARE E-PRINT OR FEDORA? A BETTER OPEN SOURCE REPOSITORY PLATFORM FOR LIBRARIES

Judicious system analysis is essential in considering budget allocations to libraries. This paper studies two open-source digital library software namely E-print and Fedora, The present study compares and highlights the similarities among the software. The paper attempts to suggest based on the merits and demerits to enable librarians to take wiser decision in terms of open sources software for a repository.