Assessing the Alignment between Students of the Department of Secretaryship/Bilingual Secretaryship and Management Studies of Accra Polytechnic and the Labour Market

This study is conducted with the objective of assessing the alignment between students of Secretary and Bilingual Secretaryship and Management Studies programme offered in Accra Polytechnic and the Labour Market.  The target population for this research was the Human Resource of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Staff of Trade Union Congress (TUC) and students of Secretaryship/Bilingual Secretaryship and Management Studies of Accra Polytechnic. The sample for the study consists of 80 questionnaires for students of Accra Polytechnic, Secretaryship/Bilingual Studies and interviews conducted in Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).  The study revealed that over 55% of the respondents did not see the relevance of shorthand as a course.  It was also revealed in the study that just a few percentage of students   get access to an organization for their internships and other students are left wondering  as to how and where to get an organization for their internship programme.  In view of the above, it is recommended that the curriculum of Secretaryship/Bilingual secretaryship and Management studies department of Accra polytechnic should be reviewed to suit the needs of the labour market

Effect of Recruitment and Selection Practices on the Performance of Small and Medium Hotels of Osu Klottey Sub-Metropolitan Assembly of Greater Accra

The study investigated the effect of human resource Management practices on performance of Small and Medium Hotels in Osu Klottey Sub-Metropolitan Assembly of Greater Accra of Ghana.  Descriptive survey design was used for the study.  Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were engaged to sample 200 respondents out of a total population of 501 full time workers of the hotels.  Questionnaire, interview schedule and conversation schedule were formulated to guide the study.  Frequency tables and charts were used to present the responses.  Person’s correlation was employed to test the performance of the hotels.  Major finding was that the relationships between the hotels’ performance and the recruitment and selection practices were statistically significant at alpha (?) = 0.05.  These indicate there are slightly little but positive influence on the selection processes on the hotels’ performances. Based on the findings some recommendations were made, which offers a new and improved performance. Keywords: Recruitment and Selection Practices, Small and Medium Hotels, Firm Performanc

Effect of Human Resource Management Practices on the Performance of Small and Medium Hotels of Osu Klottey Sub-Metropolitan Assembly of Greater Accra

The study investigated the effect of human resource Management practices on performance of Small and Medium Hotels in Osu Klottey Sub-Metropolitan Assembly of Greater Accra of Ghana.  Descriptive survey design was used for the study.  Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were engaged to sample 200 respondents out of a total population of 501 full time workers of the hotels.  Questions were formulated to guide the study.  Frequency tables and charts were used to present the responses.  Person’s correlation was employed to test the performance of the hotels.  Major findings were that correlation coefficient for the relationship between rewards and compensations and the firms’ performance was, however, negative - 0.269.  Also, it was found that the relationships between the hotels’ performance and the human resource management practices were statistically significant at alpha (?) = 0.05.  These indicate there are slightly little but positive influence on impact of the recruitment procedures on the hotels’ performances though rewards and compensations had little influence on hotels performance.  It also indicates that lack of rewards and compensations demotivates employees to give off their best.  Based on the findings some recommendations were made, which offers a new and improved performance. Keywords: Reward and Compensation, Small and Medium Hotels, Firm Performanc

Using Dirt to Clean Dirt: Deconstructing The Enigmatic Portrait of Mara in Darko’s Beyond The Horizon

Mara’s travails in Ghana and subsequently Germany, have provided the fertile grounds for critics to draw various labels for the protagonist in Beyond the horizon. To some readers, Mara is a victim who has been exploited through patriarchy; to others, Mara learns from her environment and finally asserts her independence; and to a third group of critics, Mara is complicit in the fate that befalls her. Thus Mara remains an enigma, earning our sympathy or losing it; winning our admiration or courting our disgust depending on which angle we look at her. This paper does an objective analysis of Mara by resorting to the theory of deconstruction which helps us unearth more than what meets the eye in the novel. This approach helps us provide answers to issues such as how Mara is presented in the narrative, the motivations that guide her actions and inactions and how Mara, as an individual, and the society at large contribute in creating the protagonist we part ways with at the end of the narrative. The conclusion arrived at is that there are myriads of relationships among the characters in the narrative that provide hierarchies of meaning which can be deconstructed to produce more subtle and valid ones. Mara is not simply a victim; she is complicit, to some extent, and she takes steps to obliterate those she considers the vermin of the earth. In short, she uses dirt (prostitution) to clean dirt (patriarchy, male chauvinism, discrimination, poverty, racism).KEY WORDS: deconstruction, dirt, Ghana, marriage, patriarchy, prostitution

Supply Chain cost identification as a means of cost reduction strategy. -A case study of Ghana Supply Company Limited

This paper examines the concept of supply chain (SC) to explore non-value adding activities in order to offer a firm, a cost reduction strategy. This strategy starts with mapping the SC and identifying each and every activity along it, starting from the last tier supplier to the final consumer. The aim of the paper is to examine the SC processes of Ghana Supply Company Limited (GSCL). A small-scale case study was adopted with both primary and secondary data sources being used. The primary data focused on the use of personal interviews and questionnaires while secondary data was sourced from journals, the internet and other publications pertinent to the topic.  Sample of ten questionnaires were administered on the personnel of the Procurement, Warehousing and Shipping departments constituting a population of twenty-nine (29). Close and open-ended questions were asked to enable respondents to come out with divergent answers. Findings of the study revealed that the supply chain operations of GSCL to a large extent is well coordinated as evidenced by the integration of activities such as procurement, shipping, warehousing and fleet management under the direct control and supervision of the Director of Operations. Key words: Supply chain, cost reduction, value adding activitie

Phytochemical, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Activities of Stem Bark Fractions of Eucalyptus globulus Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Isolates

The growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has intensified the need for alternative therapeutic agents, with medicinal plants offering promising solutions due to their bioactive compounds. This study investigated the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of Eucalyptus globulus bark extracts against multidrug-resistant bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus). Plant samples were collected from Adamawa State Polytechnic, Nigeria, authenticated (voucher ASP-765), and subjected to reflux extraction using hexane and water. Phytochemical analysis revealed alkaloids, phenols, tannins, glycosides, and terpenoids in both methanol and aqueous extracts, while flavonoids and steroids were absent in aqueous extracts, and methanol extracts lacked saponins. Antibacterial activity was assessed through agar well diffusion and broth dilution assays, demonstrating a concentration-dependent effect. Methanol extracts showed greater efficacy against E. coli and P. aeruginosa (12.8–13.8 mm inhibition zones), while aqueous extracts were most effective against S. aureus (19.3 mm at 100 mg/mL). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values ranged from 25 to 50 mg/mL, with E. coli exhibiting the lowest MIC (25 mg/mL), highlighting the extract’s antimicrobial potential. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using phosphomolybdate and ferricyanide assays. The methanol extract exhibited strong free radical scavenging activity, with a total antioxidant capacity (TAC) expressed in ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE), although lower than pure ascorbic acid. Statistical validation (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.05) confirmed the significance of the results. These findings support the traditional medicinal use of E. globulus and its potential for combating antibiotic-resistant infections and oxidative stress-related conditions. Further studies are recommended to isolate bioactive compounds, determine mechanisms of action, and develop optimized therapeutic formulations for AMR management

Small Earth Dams in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges

The study investigates the challenges and prospects of earth dams in Nigeria with emphasis on dams owned by the River Basin Development Authorities of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water resources using Cham dam in Gombe State as case study. The general causes of earth dam failure were considered with emphasis on failures due to engineering factors. The dam water provides raw water for the supply of potable wholesome water to the community all year round and some for irrigated agriculture that not only boost the local economy and reduces poverty but also support a viable livestock management. Cham dam failed in September 1998 after commissioning in December 1992 as a result of poor planning, inadequate study, inconsistent design, un-engineered construction and lack of dam safety monitoring team at site. Based on the findings, suggestions were given on how some earth dam failures in Nigeria can be minimized in terms of adequate feasibility studies, good design, appropriate construction and an improved maintenance culture. Keywords: Small earth dams, un-engineered construction, environmental management, prospects SED, hydraulic failure. DOI: 10.7176/JETP/9-5-02 Publication date:June 30th 201

Siltation of Ore Particles in Leaching Tanks: Causative Factors and Mitigation Measures

Siltation involves the accumulation of sediment over a considerable period of time and this may occur in closed systems like leaching tanks. Most mining companies in Ghana experience siltation problems during leaching of gold ore. This paper examines the potential causes and possible mitigation measures of siltation. Particle size analysis, slurry settling rate tests and agitation efficiency analysis were used in identifying causative factors of siltation whiles deflocculation test and grind analysis were conducted to ascertain mitigation measures.  Results from the study indicated that, high settling velocity of particles, inefficient milling and classification, poor slurry agitation and particle flocculation were the major causative factors leading to siltation. Size analysis results revealed P67 of 106 µm instead of P80 of 106 µm, a situation which affects particle suspension by agitators leading to siltation. This study therefore suggests that increase in milling residence time and particle deflocculation are potential remediation measures for curbing siltation. Extended grinding of ball mill feed resulted in 94% passing 106 µm while settling velocity was reduced by 71% after deflocculant addition at 1000 ppm. Keywords: Siltation, Deflloculation, Settling Velocity, Grindin