Madonna University, Nigeria - Open Access Journal System
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CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURE FOR RECOVERY OF PROFESSIONAL FEES AND CHARGES BY LEGAL PRACTITIONERS IN NIGERIA
No full textLegal practitioners after being consulted by their clients charge professional fees and other fees for the services renderable by them to their clients. These fees are recoverable from the clients especially when such fees remained unpaid by such clients or when they fail or neglect to pay the fees and charges as agreed by them. However, by virtue of the provisions of the Legal Practitioners Act, a legal practitioner cannot commence an action to recover his fees upon a bill of charges, unless and until he satisfies some preconditions for same; these includes: preparation of bill of charges; service of the bill of charges on the client; and a period of one month must elapse. This work examines the legal requirements and conditions for the institution of recovery of professional fees by a legal practitioner in Nigeria, so as to equip legal practitioners with the necessary skills and knowledge of the requirements. The paper adopts the doctrinal research method of data collection using analytical approach in reviewing the relevant laws, statutes, textbooks and judicial decisions. The work finds that a legal practitioner can recover his fees as contained in the bill of charges which may contain fees like: fixed fees, appearance fees, hourly fees, contingent fee, percentage fee or any nature of fee agreeable by the parties in the matter. The paper finally recommends that since there is no specific legal manner to which the bill of charges may take, there is need for amendment of the Legal Practitioners Act and the Rules of Professional Conduct to provide for guidelines for particularization of the bill of charges
Knowledge Mapping and Auditing: A Proposed Knowledge Management Audit Framework for Corporate Organizations in Nigeria
No full textThis paper aims to illuminate the understanding of Knowledge Auditing (KA) and knowledge mapping as well as propose a knowledge management audit framework as essential tools for Corporate Organizations in Nigeria. The methodology adopted was a documentary/literature search to unravel the role of KA in corporate organizations in Nigeria. The paper further discusses the elements of KA, the benefits of KA, and the challenges that corporate organizations are likely to face in the course of conducting knowledge auditing. Also, a critical review of some of the KA methodologies proposed by researchers in the literature was delved into. This paper revealed that there are no universal approaches to conducting KA in organizations. However, due to the dearth of studies on KA in the Nigerian environment, a Knowledge Management Audit (KM-A) framework was proposed for corporate organizations in Nigeria. This paper concluded that KA should be given priority by the management of organizations in Nigeria for their continual existence from time to time, and most importantly to determine their knowledge health. It was recommended among others, that the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria should design and enforce the implementation of KA policies for corporate organizations so that their knowledge resources both within and outside Nigeria can be optimally managed and utilized.  
XENOPHOBIC CONFLICT AND INVESTMENT RELATIONS BETWEEN NIGERIA AND SOUTH- AFRICA
No full textThe recurrent xenophobic conflict in South Africa has attracted serious academic interest in recent times. Scholars have interrogated the consequences of xenophobia on the political economy of South Africa, but little attempt has been made to examine the impact of xenophobic conflict on investment relations between Nigeria and South Africa. Recent studies have revealed that the Nigerian-South African relations have passed through three different phases. The first was Nigeria’s confrontational and hostile engagement with the evil apartheid regime in South Africa from 1960 to 1993. Phase two was characterized by competition and cooperation between the two emerging giants of Africa, 1994-2006. The third phase witnessed xenophobic conflict. While scholars have interrogated the first two phases, the third phase has not attracted the required academic attention. This study examined the impact of xenophobic conflict on investment relations between South Africa and Nigeria. The specific objective of the study is to examine how human rights abuse of Nigerians in South Africa worsened investment imbalance between Nigeria and South Africa. The study adopted mixed methods of data collection, which includes documentary. Time series research design was used to analyze data using frustration-aggression theory. This study adopted the qualitative data analysis. It was discovered that bilateral investment relations between Nigeria and South Africa have been cordial, but the incidences of xenophobic conflict against Nigerians have been the major reasons for sporadic acrimony between the two countries. We suggest that the best way of mitigating xenophobia in South Africa is to reflect on the contributions and sacrifices made by Nigeria, among other countries, for the freedom of South Africa
INFLUENCE OF TRUST IN GOVERNMENT AND BELIEF IN THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR DISEASE CONTROL ON NIGERIANS’ COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOURS (MEGAPHONING) DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN
No full textMegaphoning is a form of public communication behaviour, which entails voluntary communication actions about an organisation/government by its stakeholders. Megaphoning can be positive (pro-organisation) or negative (anti-organisation), online or face-to-face. Nigerians’ megaphoning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown was rampant, but not much exists on it in the literature. Therefore, this study assessed how Nigerians’ megaphoning during the lockdown was predicted by their trust in government and belief in the COVID-19 statistics released by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). This study was conducted with a view to offering recommendations on improving government-citizen communication during a pandemic or other crisis communication context in the future. The study was a survey in which 401 participants from the six states in southwest Nigeria participated. The participants were aged 16 years and above, with the majority (260; 64.8%) being males and working in the private sector (209; 52.1%). An online questionnaire was used for the study. The descriptive data analysis was done by Statistical Package for Social Statistics (SPSS), while the predictive relationships among the study variables were assessed by AMOS (Structural Equation Modelling) package. The study findings showed that the more the participants trusted the government and believed the NCDC statistics, the more they engaged in pro-government megaphoning (βbelief = .17; p < .001 & βtrust = .23; p < .001) and the less they engaged in anti-government megaphoning (βbelief = -11; p < .05 & βtrust = -.49; p < .001). Also, the study findings showed that the more the participants trusted in government and believed in NCDC statistics, the more they complied with the lockdown regulations (βbelief = .19 p < .001; (β+ve megaphoning = .21; p < .05). The study recommends that government and government agencies should increase efforts in earning the trust of Nigerians to improve government-citizen communication and compliance with regulations during pandemic or other forms of crises
THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION: A STUDY OF ELECTORAL CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA
No full textThe focus of this research was to examine the role of artificial intelligence in conflict resolution; A study of electoral conflicts in Nigeria. Methodologically, the study leveraged a qualitative approach, utilizing secondary data sources. Conflict Transformation Theory anchored the analysis framework. The findings of the study indicated that AI-driven sentiment analysis of social media is one proven tool for conflict prediction. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play a significant role in supporting decision-making for electoral conflict resolution by enabling timely analysis of large and complex datasets to identify emerging threats. AI applications demand reliable electricity, high-speed internet, and computing infrastructure. The paper concluded that Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers transformative potential in addressing electoral conflict in Nigeria by enabling the rapid collection, processing, and analysis of large-scale political, social, and behavioral data. The paper recommends that Establishment of robust, transparent, and reliable systems for gathering electoral, security, and socio-political data to improve AI model accuracy
SUBJECTIVE VULNERABILITY, DISPOSITIONAL OPTIMISM AND RESILIENCE AS PREDICTORS OF ACADEMIC STRESS TOLERANCE BEHAVIOUR AMONG ACADEMIC STAFF OF NIGERIA UNIVERSITIES
No full textThis study adopted a cross-sectional survey design to examine subjective vulnerability dispositional optimism and resilience as predictors of academic stress tolerance behaviour among academic staff of Nigerian universities. One hundred and ninety-six (196) academic staff of Nigerian universities from the four geopolitical locations within the country (South-East = 52, West = 50, South-South = 50, and North Central = 44), 54 (volunteered) and 142 (sampled) using the accidental sampling technique, participated in the study. The participants comprised 95 (48%) females and 101 (51.4%) males whose age ranged between 23 and 55 years of age with a mean age of 38.5 and a standard deviation of 5.21. Their religious affiliation showed that 192 (98%) were Christians and 4 (2%) were Muslims. Four hypotheses were formulated and tested. The validation scales used to obtain the research data were the Subjective Invulnerability Scale (SIS) developed by Duggan et al. (2013), the optimism scale (OS) developed by Holanda et al. (2018), the Resilience Scale (RS) developed by Wagnild and Young (2009), and the Academic Stress Tolerance Scale (ASTS) developed by Cox (1993). Correlation analysis was utilized to test the extent and direction of the relationship among the study variables. This was carried out with both Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis. Resilience significantly predicted academic stress tolerance behaviour among the academic staff (β = .32**, t = 44**, P < 0.1). Dispositional optimism showed significant positive prediction of academic stress tolerance behaviour among the academic staff (β = .37**, t = 48**, p < .01), and subjective vulnerability showed significant negative prediction of academic stress tolerance behaviour among the academic staff of Nigerian universities (β = -.27, t = -.32, p > .05). These results were discussed in line with the literatures reviewed and established results implication and recommendations were made possible
THE IMPACT OF NEUROTICISM ON LEADERSHIP ATTITUDES AMONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN ENUGU STATE: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY
No full textThis exploratory study investigates the impact of neuroticism on leadership attitudes among government officials in Enugu State, Nigeria. Against the backdrop of Nigeria’s public sector reform challenges and rising citizen dissatisfaction with governance efficacy (World Bank, 2023), the research addresses critical gaps in personality-behavioral linkages within African bureaucratic contexts. Neuroticism refers to a personality trait characterized by a tendency to experience negative emotion such as anxiety, anger and vulnerable to stress. Neuroticism affects attitudes of leaders, which shapes their styles of leadership, for instance individuals high in neuroticism tend to exhibit more authoritarian and rigid leadership styles, while individuals low in neuroticism tend to exhibit more transformational leadership. The researcher employed cross sectional design and used purposive sampling to get 200 hundred participants from the population of 17,483 civil servants. Two standardized questionnaire were used to collect data which were multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and Neuroticism questionnaire (coined from big five personality questionnaire). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic characteristics of the respondents. Inferential statistics, including multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between neuroticism and leadership attitudes. Results from the formulated hypothesis showed that there was a significant influence of neuroticism on leadership attitudes among government officials in Enugu State. There searcher concluded that neuroticism has significant influence on leadership attitudes among government officials and this has implications for leadership development and organizational effectiveness. It was therefore recommended that organizations should develop strategies to promote more transformational leadership and improve organizational outcomes, by subjecting aspiring leaders to mental health evaluation before considering them worthy of elective positions
AN APPRAISAL OF THE APPLICABILITY OF THE DOCTRINE OF LAST SEEN IN MURDER TRIALS IN NIGERIA.
No full text There is a presumption in law that the person last seen with the deceased bears full responsibility of his death. Social interaction is an integral part of association and relationship within the human environment. Human relations may either have positive impact or negative impact. An example of such instances is a situation where a person last seen with an accused dies and the accused is presumed to be liable for the death of the person. The doctrine of last seen is often relied upon by the prosecution in such circumstance. The doctrine of last seen is a principle in the offence of murder that points to the accused person as the culprit responsible for the death of the deceased/victim. For an accused person to be held liable and convicted for the death of the deceased, the evidence of the prosecution must be compelling, irresistible and pin the offence to the defendant. This paper examines an appraisal of the doctrine of last seen in Nigeria. This study adopted doctrinal research methodology and also placed reliance on both primary and secondary sources. This study concluded that this doctrine should be painstakingly applied to avoid a hasty and erroneous or fatal conclusion as to the cause of death of a person who was last seen with the accused perso
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CUSTOMARY ARBITRATION PRACTICES ACROSS CULTURES
No full textThe concept of Arbitration is not new to mankind as indigenous peoples from ancient times sought and established systems to resolve conflicts in order to prevent irredeemable loss of life and properties. These systems and measures now currently understudied have now come to be known as customary arbitration. Customary arbitration, as a dispute resolution mechanism, has deep roots in various cultural traditions worldwide. Unlike formal arbitration, which is often governed by statutory frameworks and formal rules, customary arbitration is predominantly based on social norms, traditions, and the cultural values of the communities involved. Its significance lies in its adaptability to local contexts and its ability to resonate with the communities that employ it. And dependent on this, parties to a customary arbitration must agree to submit to a customary arbitration. Another compelling feature of customary arbitration is that, the proceedings of a customary arbitration including the arbitral award may or may not be written. It is therefore sufficient that there are witnesses to such proceedings. In this article, the researcher would like to trace/draw a comparative analysis of customary arbitration practices across different cultures, highlighting similarities and differences in their principles, procedures, and effectiveness. It would examine specific examples from various regions; identify the influence of cultural factors on the arbitration process and its outcomes; suggesting that in order to enhance customary arbitration practices across cultures it must have a formal legal recognition within the national legal systems, promote equity and fairness, prioritize cultural sensitivity and understanding, create room for more integrated and effective approach to dispute resolutio
Public Relations, Advertising and Strategic Integration of Entrepreneurial Mindset
No full textThe concept of integration has become necessary to push forward the frontiers of knowledge and success in strategic communication. To demonstrate synergy across public relations, advertising and entrepreneurship landscapes for instance, this paper took a strategic step to harness the three fields for optimum performance based on a unified strategic messaging and goal. Hinged on an Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) theory, this paper explored the concepts of public relations, advertising, and entrepreneurship. The paper used the discursive and narrative approaches with a view to align and integrate public relations, advertising and entrepreneurship in a combined approach called PRADE. To build this argument, the paper relied on gamut of existing literature including empirical data in the fields. Additionally, the paper weight opinions of selected experts, professionals and practitioners. Empirical outcomes revealed that the three fields could blend well, together. Strategically, an integrated PRADE is acknowledged and recommended with a higher percentage of advantages in the concentrated combinations that guarantee efficiency, effectiveness and boost for a unified business. The paper further recommends this strategy for application in every project where entrepreneurial success is required