Papers by Prof. Stephen Ocheni
International Business Management, Aug 31, 2012
Many Nigerians identify corruption and poverty as the bane of the nation's development paralysis.... more Many Nigerians identify corruption and poverty as the bane of the nation's development paralysis. The Obasanjo administration in the country was determined to enthrone the principle of transparency and accountability in public life in Nigeria. The government of President Olusegun Obasanjo believes that without probity in public life, the ultimate aim of providing for the happiness and welfare of the citizenry will be an illusion. It is in the light of the above that the government embarked on a number of public sector reform programmes aimed at blocking leakages of all sorts in public sector service delivery and transactions. The official instrument designed to achieve this much desired honesty, transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business especially in the award of contracts and procurement in the ministries, parastatals and departments in Nigeria is the introduction of the Due Process Policy.
Canadian Social Science, Jun 30, 2012
Nigeria's public image at international scene has been very negatively, impressed. Since 1966 whe... more Nigeria's public image at international scene has been very negatively, impressed. Since 1966 when the first military coup took place on the account of corruption, the country is still searching for better atmosphere that could guarantee corrupt free society. Since the early 2000's when Transparency International ranked the country the second most corrupt nation in the world, the government has been working assiduously to make sure that the Nigeria image is being treated with respect. Nigeria and indeed Africa are so enmeshed in corruption that their leadership is either positioning for life leadership or wealth for great, great, grand children unborn. Also in these countries, hunger is so pronounced that people throw away conscience and decorum for survival. In a bid to fi ght these ills and join the wagon for good governance, viable democracy and developmental growth, some African countries like Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, etc. have been making efforts towards attaining such desired governance. In Nigeria many anti corruption agencies are established, both public and private, all aimed at fi ghting against corruption and enthronement of better governance. In this paper some of these anti-corruption agencies are critiqued and their impacts are also empirically examined.
Studies in Sociology of Science, Sep 1, 2012
The work took a hard and critical look on the past and present efforts of the Nigerian Government... more The work took a hard and critical look on the past and present efforts of the Nigerian Governments on rural industrialization and development as a panacea to rural poverty in the country. Both empirical and theoretical examination and analyses of the chequered efforts of the previous and present administrations of the Federal Government of Nigeria indicates that "Bad Governance" and "policy inconsistency" had remained the bane of all attempts at rural industrialization and development in the country, thereby exacerbating the poverty level of the rural dwellers. Consequently, the work concludes by noting that rural development in Nigeria since 1960-2010 had remained a paradox, because the more efforts the government claims to make on rural development the worse the level of poverty in the rural areas turns out to be. It is advisable to point out that from the findings of the study, the best solution to tackling Nigeria's rural poverty and development is for the present government in the country to ensure good governance and policy consistency which will tackle corruption at its roots in the rural communities in particular and the society in general.
Logos Universality Mentality Education Novelty, Jan 15, 2020
Human resource development is a systematic, organised and multidisciplinary activities of learnin... more Human resource development is a systematic, organised and multidisciplinary activities of learning, educating, manpower training and development, capacity building, knowledge advancement and organisational development targeted at improving individual, team, organisational and societal performance. It is founded on the assumption that the development of the human resources of the organisation and society in general is key to unlocking the door of potentials for acceptable performance, advancement, civilisation and modernisation. The question as to whether human resource development activities should take a decentralised or centralised form is an ongoing practical/empirical debate in the field. This paper interrogates the prevailing debate in the light of the twofold positions advanced in it. One, each of the form has its advantages and disadvantages. Two, the choice as to what form of HRD programmes to adopt in an organisation is largely a function of leadership orientation and prevailing circumstances. Drawing from the Human Resource Development (HRD) processes and programmes in Nigeria and the 2018 Strategic Leadership Congress of the Deeper Life Bible Church, which took a decentralised form and held in zones and supported with strong leadership coordination, the paper presents decentralised human resources development as possessing organisational, team, individual and societal advantages. This should be explored for organisational growth and expansion.
International Journal of Learning and Development, Sep 5, 2012
The work is a review of the Federal Government application of fiscal and monetary policies to cre... more The work is a review of the Federal Government application of fiscal and monetary policies to create the necessary healthy environment for sustainable growth and development of the Nigerian state. The review indicates that although the government of Nigeria has designed in theory good fiscal and monetary policies to facilitate sustainable growth and development of all the sectors of the economy, the practical implementation of such policies to attain the desired results has remained an illusion. The problem responsible for the great expectations not matching with the realities on ground is because of lack of budget discipline. The Nigerian government in practical terms most often than not hardly follows the implementation of her annual budget as approved by the National Assembly. Consequently, a lot of extra budgetary activities which amount to both financial and budget indiscipline are experienced in the management of the annual budgets over the years. It is therefore recommended that the Federal Government of Nigeria should maintain strict budget discipline to guarantee good financial governance which is a necessary condition for sustainable development.
Training is a purposeful development of the require d skills, knowledge and attitudes in an emplo... more Training is a purposeful development of the require d skills, knowledge and attitudes in an employee. It is the process of developing an individual’s skills , knowledge and abilities so as to improve the pres ent and future performance. Staff utilization and prod uctivity in the Nigerian public service are adjudge d to be very poor. The findings of the study indicate th at employees are recruited into the Nigerian public service essentially not on merit, but “political co nnections” and “god-fatherism”. Consequently, employees recruited into the Nigerian public servic e more often than not, do not possess the relevant skills for effective job performance. Similarly, a s a result of political patronage, staff recruited are posted to juicy areas that seem to be more lucrative in te rms of financial benefits and returns, regardless o f the background and skills possessed. This follows that most staff find it extremely difficult to cope wit h their job specifications and as a result perform at substandard level. Based on the findings of the s tudy, it is strongly recommended that effective training is the only panacea towards enhancing good staff utilization and productivity in the Nigerian public service.
Canadian Social Science, Jun 30, 2012
The history of Africa from the pre-colonial till date clearly shows that it is a continent with a... more The history of Africa from the pre-colonial till date clearly shows that it is a continent with all the potentialities for greatness. What is largely lacking is the proper leadership that could successfully harness abundant natural resources of Africa for sustainable growth and development. The development of Africa is in the hands of Africans as President Barack Obama of the United States of America rightly observed in his recent trip to Ghana. Therefore, what Africa needs to step into the terrain of greatness are a political leadership that has integrity, accountability, transparency, vision, the education, the will, the credibility and the capacity to manage the process of change and a followership that is ready to change its attitude, its ways and taste.These are necessary qualities and attributes required in African Leadership to guarantee sustainable growth and development of the continent.
Mediterranean journal of social sciences, 2013
The work is about improving the working relationship between the management which represents the ... more The work is about improving the working relationship between the management which represents the employer and the workers that represent the employees in the local government service system. The main objective of the work is how to address the high level of suspicion on the organization which had characterized the relationship between the labour (workers) and management in the local government service at present in Nigeria. This has been responsible for low output performance at this third tier level of government in Nigeria.The study adopted a theoretical framework of analysis which helped, in explaining the causes of the constant struggle, mutual suspicion, antagonism and hatred which had existed between labour and management in organizations, especially as it applied to the local government service in Nigeria today. The theoretical framework adopted was the scientific management theory as propounded by Frederick Taylor in 1911.This theory apart from explaining the basis of conflict between labour and management in organization; also proffered some possible solutions on how such conflicts can be amicably and mutually resolved to the benefit of both parties. The major findings of the work showed there are so much antagonism and inefficiency within the local government service in Nigeria today. This had been attributed to the fact that labour and management are permanent enemies, and both struggle to undermine each other's efforts. The solution to the problem as identified in the work lies in the promotion of good employer-employee relationship in the local government service through the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) playing some expected positive roles. Some of these expected positive roles by NULGE amongst other things have been aptly captured and discussed in the main body of the work.
Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Nov 19, 2020
Coronavirus pandemic has enormous impacts on the entire socioeconomic structure of countries worl... more Coronavirus pandemic has enormous impacts on the entire socioeconomic structure of countries worldwide. It accounts for the epileptic service delivery of many enterprises globally. The pandemic has massive consequences that have to reshape the present and future landscape of the tourism industry. Thus, this paper critically examines the impact of nCOV on the aviation, cruise-shipping, and hospitality components of the tourism industry. It investigates why the tourism industry is the first and the most hit sector by Covid-19. In light of these, the paper provides an in-depth discussion on how Covid-19 affects jobs, man-hours, revenue, income, and livelihood of workers, as well as owners of the tourism industry. Discussions were also channelled on how the impacts of the pandemic on the tourism industry affect global GDP and foreign exchange earnings of countries whose economy relays significantly on tourism. The study concluded that with the prolonged lockdown, the tourism industry would continue to experience a large slide down. The paper posits that urgent policy remediation is necessary to revamp the sector and rescue it from imminent collapse and extinct.
Corporate and business strategy review, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic, which was declared a global health crisis by the World Health Organisation... more The COVID-19 pandemic, which was declared a global health crisis by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2020, has affected entire sectors of the globe, including the educational sector of developing market economies. This paper attempts to add value to the extant literature and debates on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workplace of higher educational institutions in developing market economies (WHEIDMEs). Using content analysis and a multiple perspective approach (MPA) that is mainly descriptive, the paper argues that beyond the generic view of the catastrophic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on tertiary educational institutions in developing market economies and the world in general, the pandemic has propelled positive lessons and changes in the management and administration of higher educational institutions (HEIs) in developing market economies. Agba, Ocheni, and Agba (2020) revealed that the COVID-19 outbreak has altered and transformed the fabric of the workplace. The study recommends, among others, that managers of HEIs in developing market economies should build capacity in the area of information and communication technology (ICT), seek adequate funding for the sector from relevant authorities, and take steps that will prepare the educational industry for future emergencies and shocks. Conclusively, lessons leading to pragmatic policy options that are collaborative, adaptive, innovative, and digital are the emerging new normal in HEIs in developing market economies. The study is significant because the findings, lessons, and recommendations of the paper will to a large extent, if adopted, enhance the effective management of HEIs in developing market economies.
Studies in Sociology of Science, Sep 1, 2012
The article examined rural reporting in Nigeria and discovered that the only thing that constitut... more The article examined rural reporting in Nigeria and discovered that the only thing that constitute news for reporters in the country is only when a strange thing negative happens in the rural areas. For example, when there is ritual sacrifice, community clashes, rape, murder, etc.. The press hardly reports any good news about the rural communities in Nigeria. For example, when there is peace, harmony and self-efforts at rural development undertaken by the initiative of the rural community leaders, it is hardly given attention by the press reporters in Nigeria. Consequently, rural poverty continues to increase unabated but the Nigerian press reporters could not effectively expose the deplorable conditions under which the rural dwellers live in. The bias of the reporters is in favour of the urban dwellers who are adjudged to be learned, enlightened and understand the meaning and importance of news. The reporters argue that if the news reported upon is not essentially urban oriented, the patronage especially in the print-media would be very low. The study concluded by observing that the trend should be reversed immediately. In fact the news reporters in Nigeria should show more patriotism in the coverage of events in the rural areas. This is the only way government could know and understand the plights of the rural dwellers for effective public policy-making to reduce the present level of rural poverty and reverse the current rise in rural-urban migration in the country.
ABSTRACTThe work is a critical review of social mobilization policies and programmes under the mi... more ABSTRACTThe work is a critical review of social mobilization policies and programmes under the military regimes in Nigeria from 1966-1996. The findings from the review indicate that the social mobilization programmes pursued under the military regimes/administration in Nigeria had laudable objectives but were implemented using faulty strategies, approach and poor planning. For example, the use of coercion in place of persuasion and enlightenment for implementing the programme of War against Indiscipline, popularly known as WAI by the Buhari/ Idiagbon regime, made the programme vulnerable to relapse once the opportunity presented itself by the overthrow of the regime by the General Babangida Administration. Similarly, the behaviour of the military leaders and their policy makers which is reminiscent of precepting instead of leadership by example had serious discouraging effects on the majority of the Nigerians who were supposed to imbibe the ideals of the programmes. Also, corruption which resulted in the mismanagement of the available financial resources meant for the implementation of programmes weakened the institutional capacity of the agencies to effectively manage and sustain the programmes. The implementers of the social mobilization policies and programmes under the military regimes, it was discovered, were more interested not on the success of the programmes but on their personal aggrandizement which accounted for the failures recorded and the unsustainability of these programmes beyond the lives of the regimes and administration which introduced them.Keywords: Military Regimes; Social Mobilization; Nigeria; ImplementationINTRODUCTION:Nigeria is a country blessed with rich mineral resources necessary for effective and efficient development. However, the country is torn apart by social, economic, political and religious upheavals and instability. Right from the colonial period, Nigeria as an entity or unit lacked social integration and national consciousness which is a prerequisite for a formidable nation-state.On attainment of independence in 1960, the first major problem that confronted the new political leadership and elites was how to carry out effective social mobilization of the masses in order to consolidate the gains from independence. In other words, how can Nigerians be socially, politically and psychologically mobilized in order to maintain a stable and strong united state.Nigeria as a state has been plagued by problems of different magnitude and complexity. For example, there is widespread indiscipline and corruption among the people. Corruption has taken different shapes and forms in Nigeria such as endemic corruption, planned corruption and developmental corruption.Endemic corruption according to Acha Ndubuisi, "is the abuse of office which occurs in varying degrees. It prevails in the administrative systems which control exclusively the distribution of scarce welfare services. In Nigeria, this form of corruption is usually seen among the police, customs, banks, courts, hospitals, various ministries, and educational institutions. Money is given to, or demanded by, public officials so that they will ignore the rules of conduct set up by the government for public good..."Planned corruption as defined by Ndubuisi, "is an instrument of control by politicians to retain power at all costs. Under planned corruption, grants, favours and rewards replace the acquisition of desired goods according to legally defined, objective need, merit or rational qualifications. The most important person, the chief executive dispenses the wealth of the nation as he pleases regardless of rules of conduct. This he does to retain his power. Licking his boots, singing his praises and ostentatious allegiance to him dominate the behaviour of those who want to share in the spoils. If one wants to avoid disgrace or get to the top, one must comply with the dictates of the chief dispenser of spoils. …
The work took a hard and critical look on the impact of colonialism and its concomitant ally, imp... more The work took a hard and critical look on the impact of colonialism and its concomitant ally, imperialism on the African state. The analysis revealed that the present primary role of African states in the international world economy as the dominant sources of raw materials and major consumers of manufactured products are the results of long years of colonial dominance, exploitation and imperialism. Consequently, on attainment of independence by most African states from their colonial overlords, it was extremely very diffi cult to disentangle from the colonial perfected role for the state because of the systematic disarticulation in the indigenous economy and the intrinsic tying of same with the external economy of the colonizers. The work also made a startling stark revelation by discovering through analysis that the deep-seated corruption in most African states and the selfi sh behaviour of some of the political leaders to sit tight in offi ce even when they have obviously outlived their usefulness in the eyes of their people, are attributable to the effects of colonialism and imperialism. The work concludes and recommends that for African states to overcome their present social, economic, political, health, education woes, etc., there is the urgent need for the people and the leadership to create their own indigenous identity, culture, technology, economy, education, religion, craft, etc. that would be interwoven in good governance.
Many Nigerians identify corruption and poverty as the bane of the nation's development paralysis.... more Many Nigerians identify corruption and poverty as the bane of the nation's development paralysis. The Obasanjo administration in the country was determined to enthrone the principle of transparency and accountability in public life in Nigeria. The government of President Olusegun Obasanjo believes that without probity in public life, the ultimate aim of providing for the happiness and welfare of the citizenry will be an illusion. It is in the light of the above that the government embarked on a number of public sector reform programmes aimed at blocking leakages of all sorts in public sector service delivery and transactions. The official instrument designed to achieve this much desired honesty, transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business especially in the award of contracts and procurement in the ministries, parastatals and departments in Nigeria is the introduction of the Due Process Policy.
The work took a hard and critical look on the past and present efforts of the Nigerian Government... more The work took a hard and critical look on the past and present efforts of the Nigerian Governments on rural industrialization and development as a panacea to rural poverty in the country. Both empirical and theoretical examination and analyses of the chequered efforts of the previous and present administrations of the Federal Government of Nigeria indicates that "Bad Governance" and "policy inconsistency" had remained the bane of all attempts at rural industrialization and development in the country, thereby exacerbating the poverty level of the rural dwellers. Consequently, the work concludes by noting that rural development in Nigeria since 1960-2010 had remained a paradox, because the more efforts the government claims to make on rural development the worse the level of poverty in the rural areas turns out to be. It is advisable to point out that from the findings of the study, the best solution to tackling Nigeria's rural poverty and development is for the present government in the country to ensure good governance and policy consistency which will tackle corruption at its roots in the rural communities in particular and the society in general.
The study is a theoretical exposition on the main reason behind the numerous abandoned and uncomp... more The study is a theoretical exposition on the main reason behind the numerous abandoned and uncompleted projects that are now common sights at the third tier level of government in Nigeria, which is the Local Government.It is interesting to note that some of the main reasons often given for the inability of the local governments to play effective role in the development planning and execution process, include: lack of management and technical personnel; inappropriately and inadequately trained manpower; inadequate financial resources, the unstable political structure of local governments, federal government's top-down approach to planning and resources mobilization for development at the local level and poor coordination between the state government's machinery responsible for community development and the local governments which community development projects are located.Similarly, some other general reasons given for non-implementation of development projects and their consequent non-completion or abandonment at the local governments level are:-mismanagement of funds, inflation, unfai9thfulness of contractors, wrong planning, frequent changes of political leadership, inter and intra-communal conflicts, resistance or opposition from community members, lack of funds, ecological constraints etc.Critical and analytical examination of the above reasons commonly adduced for poor project execution and management at the third tier level of government in Nigeria shows that they constitute only symptoms and not the problem. The problem as we identified is lack of adoption of an articulate, programmed and focused framework for project conceptualization, planning execution, monitoring and evaluation.It is therefore, our strong belief and contention that if local governments had adopted the project cycle approach in their development planning and execution, most of the problems identified above would not have arisen. The project cycle approach is strongly recommended for adoption at the third tier level.
Purpose/objective: the study is a multiple-perspective analysis adopted to examine the impact of ... more Purpose/objective: the study is a multiple-perspective analysis adopted to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workers, organisations and people in terms of losses and gains. The paper is, therefore, an attempt to present a balance argumentative view of the implications of COVID-19 pandemic on the society, public organizations, and the private sector, community and family settings. Existing scholarships located in journals and other outlets tend to count the pains caused by the pandemic without looking at some gains like the strengthening of family and community ties and relationships, religious revolution, revival and awakening (affirmation of right spiritual values); increase in scientific and social researches and publications; more academics papers by faculty; the boosting of online education economy, awakening the need to prioritize governmental budgeting to address key areas like the health sector. Design/Methodology/Approach: the paper adopts a descriptive research design involving content analysis. A multiple-perspective analysis (MPA) which avoids a one-sided analysis, was adopted in the study. Findings: the findings reveal that society, individuals, the public and private sectors can profit from the public health crisis caused by COVID-19 despite the obvious negatives implications of the pandemic. Originality/Contributions: the study is original for providing a paradigm shift from the one-sided prevailing debate of analyzing the economic, manpower losses, and social pains of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study has, therefore contributed to knowledge by filling the existing gap-in-literature. The study has theoretical, policy and empirical implications and relevance.
Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Jul 1, 2013
Local Governments in Nigeria were elevated to the status of a third tier level government followi... more Local Governments in Nigeria were elevated to the status of a third tier level government following the 1976 Local Government Reforms in the country and the consequent inclusion in the 1979 Constitution of the Federal Republic. Also, following this elevation, local governments were assigned important functions in the Fifth Schedule of the 1979 Constitution and provisions made for its adequate funding from the monthly statutory allocations which as a result are now being shared between the Federal, State and Local Government. Similarly, as a result of the elevation, local governments were made the front-burner of rural development in the country. Unfortunately, with the introduction of party politics at this level of government in Nigeria in 1979, in spite of the elaborate provisions and the determination of the Federal Government to give teeth to local government administration, ideals did not approximate to reality, the success of local governments became a mirage, a shifting sand. The intentions of the status elevation, the ambitions of the local governments and the needs of the state governments did not converge. In fact, the divergence has become so great as a result of party politics, that it is now a chasm in need of a bridge. It is in the attempt to construct this required bridge to move local government administration in Nigeria to the next higher level that this study had taken a hard critical look at the effects of the introduction of party politics at this level of government in Nigeria from 1976-2011, with the view to find a way forward. The way forward based on our main findings that party politics at this level of government as ample concrete experiences have shown, are both disruptive and dysfunctional, is to recommend for insulation of local government administration in Nigeria, for now, from party politics and undue interferences from the politicians. This is the only rational and viable option for now through which the ideals of the famous 1976 Local Government Reforms and the aspirations of the founding fathers could be realized.
Mediterranean journal of social sciences, 2013
The study is a theoretical exposition on the main reason behind the numerous abandoned and uncomp... more The study is a theoretical exposition on the main reason behind the numerous abandoned and uncompleted projects that are now common sights at the third tier level of government in Nigeria, which is the Local Government.It is interesting to note that some of the main reasons often given for the inability of the local governments to play effective role in the development planning and execution process, include: lack of management and technical personnel; inappropriately and inadequately trained manpower; inadequate financial resources, the unstable political structure of local governments, federal government's top-down approach to planning and resources mobilization for development at the local level and poor coordination between the state government's machinery responsible for community development and the local governments which community development projects are located.Similarly, some other general reasons given for non-implementation of development projects and their consequent non-completion or abandonment at the local governments level are:-mismanagement of funds, inflation, unfai9thfulness of contractors, wrong planning, frequent changes of political leadership, inter and intra-communal conflicts, resistance or opposition from community members, lack of funds, ecological constraints etc.Critical and analytical examination of the above reasons commonly adduced for poor project execution and management at the third tier level of government in Nigeria shows that they constitute only symptoms and not the problem. The problem as we identified is lack of adoption of an articulate, programmed and focused framework for project conceptualization, planning execution, monitoring and evaluation.It is therefore, our strong belief and contention that if local governments had adopted the project cycle approach in their development planning and execution, most of the problems identified above would not have arisen. The project cycle approach is strongly recommended for adoption at the third tier level.
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Papers by Prof. Stephen Ocheni