Delta State Research Articles

Godfatherism and Nigeria's 2023 General Elections: The Case of Delta State

This paper focuses on the issue of godfatherism and its impact on the 2023 general elections, with a particular emphasis on Delta State, Nigeria. It raises questions about certain facets of Nigeria's democratic governance that have not been adequately examined, raising questions about the nation's unique problems. The February 2023 general elections in Nigeria were not without flaws as usual, and many issues militating against the consolidation of democratic rule in Delta state since 1999 are ubiquitous. The study considers the role of the godfather in facilitating or stunting democratic growth in Nigeria in general and Delta State in particular. Usurping the place of the masses through their manipulative tendencies of selecting candidates instead of free, fair, and credible elections or the abuse of the rule of law are common in the polity. The historical method of description and analysis was adopted, underpinned by Marx Weber's theory of power, to interpret the work further. The study interrogated both primary and secondary sources related to it. Primary sources, such as oral interviews and newspapers, and secondary sources, such as books, news magazines, and online publications, were consulted. The study revealed that godfathers are gatekeepers in the polity, and their functions are overbearing to the masses. The study also identified that because the masses are not allowed to vote or their votes no longer count, Godfathers select leaders who are not representative of the people and are not accountable to them. The findings further indicate that forcing the godfather out of politics may be dangerous, considering their power and position in the government. It, therefore, concludes making laws that will accommodate them might be a better alternative. Keywords: Godfatherism, Impact, 2023 elections, Delta State, Nigeria.

Effect of Computer Assisted Instruction on Mathematics achievement among Secondary School Students in Delta State, Nigeria

The study investigated the effect of computer assisted instruction in Mathematics achievement among secondary school students in Delta State. Two research questions were raised and two hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted the pre-test, post-test, non-randomized control group design and the population of the study comprised of 1337 senior secondary school students in Aniocha South Local Government Area Delta State. Purposive sampling technique was used to select two public and two private schools to give a sample size of 141 students. The research instrument was the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT). The. Kuder-Richardson Formula- 20 yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.80. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, t-test and ANCOVA statistics. The study revealed, that there was a significant difference between the mean achievement scores of students taught mathematics with computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) method and those taught using the lecture method. A significant difference was found in the mean scores of Mathematics students taught with computer assisted instruction based on their gender. It was concluded that computer assisted instruction method is an effective method for improving students’ mathematics achievement in secondary school students in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State. It is therefore recommended that computer assisted instruction should be applied in the teaching of Mathematics in senior secondary schools in Delta State to improve academic achievements. Keywords: Mathematics Academic Achievement, Computer Assisted Instruction, Academic Abilities, High Academic Ability, Low Academic Ability

Effect of Secondary School Principals' Record-Keeping Practice on Administrative Effectiveness in Delta State, Nigeria

This study's goal was to examine the effects of principals' record-keeping procedures on the management of public secondary schools in Delta State, Nigeria. The research design used in this study was descriptive. 473 public high school principals from the Delta region participated in the survey. By using stratified random sampling, 150 principals (100 men and 50 women) were selected as a sample. Two research questions and two hypotheses served as the foundation for conducting this investigation. A self-structured instrument titled “Principals Recording Keeping Practices for Enhanced Administrative Efficiency Questionnaire” (PRKPEAEQ), is the name of the instrument. Two professionals validated the scale. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and the two groups' reliability indices were 0.81 and 0.85, respectively. Utilizing the direct application method, the researcher(s) collaborated with three research assistants to gather the data. The study questions were answered using the mean and standard deviation, and a chi-square probability table was employed to assess the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The results demonstrate that school administrators are using computers and cloud storage as management tools to enhance the efficiency of Delta Public Secondary Schools. The Ministry of Education should advise school administrators to use computers and cloud storage, among other things, according to the conclusions.

Hierarchical and Non- Hierarchical Cluster Classification of Precipitation Time Series Data in Nigeria

Precipitation is highly unpredictable over space and time, and is an indicator for climate change. The present work classified average yearly precipitation over the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Nigeria into various groups. The hierarchical and non- hierarchical (k-means) cluster method was used in the classification of 37- years precipitation data (1984-2020). The results showed that six major clusters were formed. The Precipitation across the 36 states and the FCT in Nigeria can be classified as Light precipitation for Sokoto, Borno, Kastina, Yobe and Kano States; Moderate precipitation for Kebbi, Zamfara, Dutse, Yola, Gombe and Bauchi States; Heavy precipitation for Kaduna, Plateau, Kwara, Taraba, Nassarawa, Benue and Kogi States; Very Heavy precipitation for Osun, Ogun, FCT, Ekiti, Niger and Lagos States; Shower for Edo, Abia, Delta, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Ondo and Oyo States and lastly, Heavy Shower for Akwaibom, Imo, Rivers, Bayelsa and Cross River States.. The rangs of precipitation based on the six classification are 1.5-1.8mm (Light precipitation), 1.9-2.7mm (Moderate precipitation), 2.8-3.6mm (Heavy precipitation), 3.7-4.3mm (Very Heavy precipitation), 4.4-5.4mm (Shower) and greater than 5.5mm (Heavy Shower). The hierarchical cluster method performed better than the non- hierarchical (k-means) cluster method in structuring the precipitation data and shaping it into groups (clusters) such that observations within the same group are more similar than those in different groups. The results of this study can contribute to a better understanding of the climate condition of the36 States and the FCT in Nigeria.

The Effect of Oil Pollution on the Engineering Properties of Construction Soils in Some Selected Oil Region of Nigeria: A Case Study of Four Oil Towns in Rivers and Delta States

The nature of subgrade as well as basic information of soils for construction purposes is important for engineers, especially civil engineers and the general public. The primary aim of this research work is therefore to access the effect of oil spillage on the engineering properties of soils around the oil producing states of Nigeria. Four communities in two state of the Niger- Delta region of Nigeria were selected for investigation. These communities include Alesa (as sample A) and Aleto (as sample B) in Rivers state and Elume (as sample C) and Mereje (as sample D) in Delta state of the Niger- Delta region of Nigeria. Soil samples from these communities were collected at the subgrade depth of the oil spilled soils and was later subjected to laboratory examination. Important soil properties that were evaluated through laboratory investigation include soil shear strength test using triaxial test where the shear strength parameters were determined to enable evaluation of soil bearing capacity using Terzaghi’s equations. Others include soil strength (CBR) test, soil permeability test, and soil classification test as well as soil compressibility tests or one dimensional consolidation test. The results show that the oil pollution/ spillage have affected the engineering properties of construction soils in the four towns investigated to some degrees. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) value of the subgrade, the Coefficient of Volume Compressibility,Mv, the Safe Bearing Capacity and the Coefficient of Permeability, K of the investigated soil , all fall below the accepted standard limit for soils to be used for construction purposes. This result will hopefully add to the existing knowledge as well as equipping the government and other relevant agencies for policy and regulatory development for the oil and gas, and construction industries for the sustenance of economic development in Nigeria. Therefore, before any meaningful civil engineering construction works can be done in these communities, the soils within the area will have to be subjected to series of engineering soil tests so as to equip the government and other interesting stakeholders with the requisite knowledge on how to apply appropriate soil remediation and soil stabilization techniques.

Characterization of Proteus Spp. And Plasmid Mediated Resistance Among Hospitalized Patients in Eku, Delta State, Nigeria

The study was conducted to analyze the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Proteus species in blood and wound samples from patients who visited Eku General Hospital in Delta State, Nigeria. A total of 60 samples, 30 from blood and 30 from wound, were collected for the study. The bacteria were identified through bacteriological and biochemical analyses, while antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Plasmid curing was carried out using a sub-inhibitory concentration of 10% sodium dodecyl sulfate on resistant organisms. The study found three isolates including Proteus mirabilis, P. vulgaris, and P. penneri. The results showed that P. mirabilis was the most prevalent in blood (32.3%) and wound (22.6) samples, followed by P. penneri (11.3%), and P. vulgaris (9.7%) in blood sample. The study also found that the highest rate of isolation of the bacterium occurred among individuals aged between 21-35 years, followed by 12-20 years. Result of antibiotic susceptibility test showed high level of resistance in the two most commonly prescribed antibiotics cephalosporins and ampicillin. No resistance was observed in gentamycin making it the best drug for treating empirical infections. However, resistance was mostly carried on plasmids as shown by the loss of resistance after curing by the isolates. Harbouring of resistance on plasmids as huge public health implications including but not limited to spread of resistance genes, as such measures should be put in place to prevent spread.

Analyzing the financial viability and technical efficiency of aquaculture farming in Delta State, Nigeria: Lessons from cluster operations

This study delved into the comprehensive analysis of aquaculture farming in Delta State, specifically focusing on the financial viability and technical efficiency of cluster operations. As aquaculture plays a crucial in meeting global seafood demands, understanding the dynamics at the regional level become imperative. The study employed a multifaceted approach to assess the financial viability of aquaculture farming, technical efficiency of aquaculture production. By adopting a cluster based perspective, the research aims to unravel the intricacies of collaborative farming operations, identifying synergies that contribute to enhanced financial outcome. Insights garnered from this financial evaluation can provide stakeholders with strategic guidance for sustainable economic practices within the aquaculture sector. The research draws on a diverse set of data source, including financial records, production metrics, focus group discussions and questionnaire distributions. Statistical tools and econometric models are applied to quantify the relationships between various variables, providing a clear understanding of the factors influencing technical efficiency and financial Findings from this study showed that the price of labour, price of fish feeds and price of medicine had a significant effect on efficiency of aqua farming with a coefficient of 0.5468**,-0.7862**, -0.8896** respectively. The result of the technical efficiency , (25.0%) falls within the 0.71 - 0.8 range, indicating a high level of technical efficiency of aqua farmers. This is followed by those in the 0.31 - 0.4 and 0.51 - 0.6 ranges, each with 11.2% of farmers. In contrast. The result of the BCR showed a significant variation in profitability highlights of aqua farming operations in the study area are more financially rewarding, with a net return on investment (ROI) of 0.58. However, the technical efficiencies and productivities of aqua farmers in clusters were significantly high regardless of how biases were corrected, implying that participation in cluster group is positively related to increases in aqua farmers output.

Comparative analysis of petroleum products from artisanal refineries and standard products

Comparative analysis of petroleum products from artisanal refineries and standard products

Impact of attachment to cell phones on classroom learning

This study investigated the influence of cell phone attachment on classroom learning among Senior Secondary students in Delta Central Senatorial District, Delta State. Guided by three research questions, the study utilized a correlational survey research design. The population comprised 15,170 Senior Secondary students, with a sample of 375 students drawn from 19 secondary schools using proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using two researcher-designed questionnaires: the Cell Phone Attachment Questionnaire (CEPAQ) and the Classroom Learning Questionnaire (CLQ). The validity and reliability of the questionnaires were established, with reliability coefficients of 0.71 for CEPAQ and 0.80 for CLQ, calculated using Cronbach's Alpha. Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was employed to answer the research questions. The findings revealed a positive relationship between cell phone attachment and classroom learning, with gender and age exerting positive moderating impacts on this relationship. The study concluded that cell phone attachment significantly affects classroom learning and recommended, among other measures, that school administrators monitor phone usage in classrooms to mitigate negative impacts.

Mapping and analysis of urban drainage system in Asaba metropolis delta state using remote sensing and geographic information system

Mapping and analysis of urban drainage system in Asaba metropolis delta state using remote sensing and geographic information system

Knowledge sharing strategies for improved service provision in the academic library at Delta State University Abraka Nigeria

The changes experienced in the digital era require academic library staff to constantly update, expand, and develop their skills in order to carry out their roles efficiently and remain relevant in the provision of services to clients. Consequently, academic libraries have been among the first organizations to adopt knowledge sharing as a means to enhance the provision of services to clients. Several studies on knowledge sharing in academic libraries have been conducted in recent years. However, the focus of these discussions has been on understanding the knowledge sharing practices in academic libraries, and on technology as a factor making knowledge sharing possible so as to improve service provision in this context. Delta State University (DELSU) has yet to develop, adopt and formalize adequate strategies for sharing knowledge so as to improve service provision. This article explores the barriers to knowledge sharing among staff at the DELSU library and suggests strategies to enhance knowledge sharing among staff for improved service provision. A mixed method research approach and case study research design were adopted. A census was conducted on the target population, consisting of the entire staff at the DELSU library, using questionnaires that comprised both open and closed ended questions, while seven heads of department from the various library sections were purposively sampled for the collection of data through interviews. Social exchange theory provided the underpinning for the study. The findings revealed a lack of effective knowledge sharing for service provision in the library. The absence of a knowledge sharing culture; the absence of information and communication technology tools and infrastructure; a lack of motivation; and inferiority and superiority complexes among staff hindered knowledge sharing, with concomitant repercussions for service provision in the library. Strategies for knowledge sharing among the staff for improved service provision were suggested.

Urinary schistosomiasis among female secondary school students in Ndokwa East Local Government Area in Delta State, Nigeria: Knowledge, risk factors and prevalence

x`Undiagnosed and untreated cases of urinary schistosomiasis in females usually lead to severe gynaecological complications, collectively known as Female Genital Schistosomiasis. Periodic assessment of schistosomiasis in vulnerable endemic communities will prevent late diagnosis and treatment. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence, knowledge, and risk factors of urinary schistosomiasis among female secondary school students in Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria. A Cross-sectional research design and multi-stage sampling technique were used to select 401 female secondary school students in the Ndokwa East Local Government Area. Participants’ urine samples were obtained and examined for Schistosoma haematobium eggs. A questionnaire was administered to collect information on the knowledge of schistosomiasis and exposure to known schistosomiasis risk factors from each participant. Urinary schistosomiasis was not detected in any of the analysed samples. Most students were uneducated (8% had good knowledge) regarding the infection. The absence of egg- patent prevalence in the samples may be due to mass administration of praziquantel to control the disease in the LGA. Knowledge about the disease was low. None of the independent variables was a significant predictor of knowledge about urinary schistosomiasis.

Prevalence of Occupational Burnout among Healthcare Workers in Government-owned Health Facilities in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria

Introduction: One of the serious issues facing global health care systems, patient care, and patient safety is burnout among health care workers which is a psychological condition affecting people who work at a job for a prolonged period of time and are exposed to interpersonal and emotional pressures. This study evaluated the prevalence of occupational burnout among health care workers in government-owned health facilities in Delta State, Nigeria.
 Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted for this investigation. Stratified (proportionate) random sampling was adopted and the questionnaire was self-administered to 140 respondents. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), was used to measure the prevalence of occupational burnout.
 Results: Burnout scores were divided into low, average, and high categories. Out of the 140 study subjects, 113 (80.7%) were females and 27 (19.3%) were males giving a male to female ratio of 1:4.0. The workplace morbidity/lifestyle of respondents revealed that 6 (4.3%) were diagnosed with health problems prior to commencement of their current job and 38 (27.1%) were diagnosed with health problems on their current job. The majority of the respondents had musculoskeletal pain while 7.9% of the respondents had diabetes mellitus. As a result of stress in the workplace, 72 (51.4%) were overeating, 40 (28.6%) were inactive, 2 (1.4%) had increased use of alcohol. The findings in this study indicated that workload (30.7%) and shift work (20.0%) were the major sources of occupational burnout experienced by the HCWs with the overall prevalence of occupational burnout at 45.0%.
 Conclusion: The study suggests the need for policy intervention from the health authorities of the state hospitals and the PHCs with regards to improving staff welfare, improving work family balance and effective family support from the family to reduce occupational burnout among HCWs.

Comparative Physiognomies of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products from Kwale in Delta State, Nembe, and Kula in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

This paper investigated selected physiognomies of crude oil and petroleum products collected from Kali in Delta State, Kula in Rivers State, and Nembe in Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria using the standard procedure of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The result shows that the crude oils were different in terms of API gravity and specific gravity. API gravity of 52.17, 46.31, and 45.38 for Kwale, Kula, and Nembe respectively. This shows that they are not heavy crude oil. The low water content and low viscosity of the crude oils lower the risk of pipe and container corrosion and flow difficulty. The result of density, specific gravity, viscosity, and kinematic viscosity shows the value of those parameters increase from light fraction to heavy fraction. The pour point and flash point recorded for light fractions were lowered than that of heavy fractions, for the three samples of crude oil. The flash point is 61.30 C, -340 C, and -310 C while the pour point is 9 0 C, 20 C, and 6 0 C respectively for Kwale, Kula, and Nembe. The level of heavy metal analyzed was generally low but metals such as nickel and vanadium and other elements such as Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Sulphur were in abundance in the samples of the crude oil. The results are discussed in terms of importance and implication.

Characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mangrove sediments from Ifiekporo Creek, Warri, Nigeria

The occurrence and level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in mangrove sediment from Ifiekporo Creek in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria, were assessed in this study. The extraction of PAHs from the sediment samples was achieved using the PAH analytical test method (USEPA 8270). This method measures the individual concentrations of extractable PAHs in samples. The PAHs were quantified within the C11-C22 subgroup. The basic GC parameters for the analysis of polyaromatic hydrocarbons were analysed using a gas chromatography‒mass selective detector (GC‒MSD). The individual PAH concentrations in the mangrove sediment samples ranged from 850 µg/kg−1 to 3470 µg/kg−1. PAH source apportionment employing isomeric ratios and multivariate statistics indicated both pyrogenic and petrogenic source inputs in the sediment samples. The order of PAH homology in the sediment was 3-ring > 2-ring > 4-ring. The sediment samples were mostly dominated by LMW PAHs. The results of the ecological risk assessment in the study area indicate that there is low ecological risk associated with PAH exposure in sediment. These results provide data on the concentrations and compositional patterns of PAHs, which is useful for understanding the effects, sources, fates, and transport of PAHs in sediment in the study area, as well as for providing relevant information for environmental quality management and forensic studies.

Impact of rural water supply and sanitation project in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State

Impact of rural water supply and sanitation project in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State

ELECTRONIC WORD-OF-MOUTH AND CUSTOMER PURCHASE INTENTION FOR HOTEL SERVICES IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

The study examined the effect of electronic word-of-mouth on customer purchase intention for hotel services in Delta state. The investigation used the cross-sectional survey research design. The study concentrated on customers of specific luxury hotels rated four and five stars in Asaba and Warri, Delta State. The total number of hotel customers in these two cities is unknown. The study used the snowball sampling technique. The sample size of 384 respondents was determined using the Cochran formula. Primary data were collected using a standardised questionnaire. Both face and content validity were used in this study to assess the validity of the research instrument. The investigation used internal consistency reliability. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, namely frequencies and percentages. Pearson correlation analysis and regression analysis were used for inferential analysis. Findings showed that online reviews, brand information quality and message source credibility has significant positive relationship with customer purchase intention for hotel services. The study concluded that electronic word-of-mouth has significant positive effect on customer purchase intention for hotel services in Delta state. It was recommended amongst others that hotel managers should consistently check online review platforms for comments, respond swiftly and openly to any concerns presented by guests. Showing responsiveness can improve how the hotel is perceived.
 Keywords: Customer Purchase Intention, Electronic Word of Mouth, Hotel Services.

Role of Public Relations in Profit and Non- Profit Organisation in Delta State

This paper examined the role of public relations in both profit and non-profit organizations in Delta State. In executing this paper descriptive survey design was used in this investigation. The study population is eight hundred and sixteen (816) public relations officers from some selected profit organization and two hundred and eight-five (285) public relations officers from some selected non-profit organization, which make it a total of one thousand, one hundred and one (1101) public relation officers from profit and non-profit organizations in Delta State. The technique used for this study is a simple random sampling technique. The sample size for the study was one hundred and eleven (111) public relations officers. The questionnaire was used as the instrument for collecting data. The statistics used for this study were mean (x ̅). Findings showed that public relations is crucial in profit and non-profit organizations. Findings also show that strategic communication is required for promoting profit and non-profit organizations. Findings show that some challenges facing public relations strategies that drive business outcomes include difficulty building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, limited understanding of public relations among stakeholders, difficulty in measuring the effectiveness of PR efforts and limited access to government information and resources. Based on findings, this paper recommended that public relations officers attend workshops, webinars, and conferences to stay informed about the latest public relations and communications developments. Organizations should provide training and resources for public relations professionals to enhance their skills and stay current with industry developments.

Mathematical Modeling of Intra-Communal Violence and Risk-Level Analysis. Case Study: Obiaruku Community in Delta State, Nigeria

This paper aims to capture the dynamics of intra-communal violence in a deterministic model of ordinary differential equations, accordingly, the Authors found some interesting results. Lack of quality education, insecurity, bad roads, drugs and alcoholism, unequal representation in government and religious decay have been identified as key factors supporting intra-communal violence over the years. In this research work we built all these factors into a deterministic model describing intra-communal violence and performed some basic mathematical analysis such as positivity of solutions, existence of invariant region, violence-free equilibrium, violence-persistent equilibrium, basic reproduction number, sensitivity analysis, stability analysis and bifurcation analysis. It was revealed that the violence-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable. The model exhibits a forward bifurcation. The sensitivity analysis revealed that injustice and insecurity are highly sensitive parameters of the basic reproduction number. We also designed a questionnaire to ascertain the violence risk level of Obiaruku community in Delta State, Nigeria and the analysis revealed that the community is at the medium high risk level and thus violence may occur in most cases in the community. The results of the stability analysis and the sensitivity analysis showed that under certain conditions, a community can be brought to the maximum low risk level and the maximum high peace level.

Empathetic Disposition, Stewardship as Principals’ Leadership Practices and Teachers’ Commitment in Delta State Mission Schools

This study explored the empathetic disposition, stewardship as principals' leadership practices and teachers’ commitment in Delta State mission schools. It was guided by three research questions and hypotheses respectively. The study utilized an ex-post-facto research design of the correlational method. The population consists of 906 teachers and 102 principals in Delta State mission schools, from which a sample of 204 respondents were selected through purposive sampling method. Data was collected using two researcher-designed questionnaires: The Principals’ Empathetic Disposition and Stewardship Practices Questionnaire (PEDSPQ) and the Teachers Commitment Questionnaire (TCQ). The face and content validity of the instruments was established through expert review. Pilot testing assessed the reliability using Cronbach’s alpha. In the pilot study, the PEDSPQ demonstrated a reliability coefficient of 0.79 and the TCQ had a reliability coefficient of 0.84. Data collected were analysed using coefficient of determination, Pearson’s r correlation and multiple regression to answer research questions and hypotheses testing at a 0.05 level of significance. Finding revealed that principals' empathetic disposition, stewardship practices were significantly related to teachers’ commitment. It was recommended that Mission schools leaders should prioritize the development of emotional intelligence skills among principals. Providing training and workshops focused on empathy, active listening, and understanding others' perspectives can enhance principals' ability to connect with and support their teachers effectively among other.