ABSTRACT
This study investigated the importance of excursion in the
teaching of geography in upper basic schools in Ika South Local Government Area
of Delta State. The study found out the factors influencing the use of
excursion in the teaching of geography; importance of excursion in the
following of geography in secondary schools; problems of excursion in the
teaching of geography; process of planning excursion; and suggest possible ways
of improving the teaching of geography through the use of excursion. The study adopted the descriptive survey
research design and the simple random sampling technique was adopted in
administering 150 questionnaires to the respondents. Thereafter, the data collected
were analyzed and the research questions designed were answered and hypotheses
formulated were tested accordingly. The result of the findings indicated that excursion is very important in the
teaching of geography in secondary schools and that finance, transportation,
time, choosing a place for excursion and size of class are major factors which
influences excursion in secondary schools. The study concluded that excursion
has played a key role in enhancing student academic performance in Ika South Local
Government Area of Delta State. The study recommended that the government should place much emphasis
either through public campaign or awareness program to secondary schools
offering geography on the importance
of excursion in the teaching of geography in upper basic schools in Ika South
Local Government Area of Delta State.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Title page - - - - - - - - - i
Cover Page - - - - - - - - - - ii
Certification - - - - - - - - - - iii
Acknowledgment - - - - - - - - - iv
Table of content - - - - - - - - - vii
Abstract - - - - - - - - - - vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study - - - - - - - - 1
Statement of the Problem - - - - - - - 5
Research Question - - - - - - - - 7
Purpose of the Study - - - - - - - - 8
Hypothesis - - - - - - - - - - 8
Significance of the Study - - - - - - - 9
Scope and Delimitations of the Study - - - - - - 10
Definition of Terms - - - - - - - - 11
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Literature Review - - - - - - - - - 12
Independence National Electoral
Commission - - - - 12
INEC and Election Challenges - - - - - - - 16
Democracy and Political Party
Campaign - - - - - 20
INEC Funding and Political Campaign - - - - - 22
INEC’s Role in Electoral Reform
Management - - - - 23
Political Party Campaign Financing - - - - - - 24
Monitoring Political Party Campaign - - - - - - 27
Appraisal of Reviewed Literature - - - - - - 30
CHAPTER
THREE: RESEARCH METHODS
Introduction - - - - - - - - - - 33
Research Design - - - - - - - - - 33
Population of the Study - - - - - - - - 33
Sample
of the Study - - - - - - - - 33
Sampling Method/Procedure - - - - - - - 34
Method of Data Collection - - - - - - - - 35
Validity
of Instrument - - - - - - - - 36
Reliability
of Instrument - - - - - - - - 36
Method of Data Analysis - - - - - - - - 37
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
Analysis of the Questionnaire
Data - - - - - - 38
Analysis of the
Questionnaire Data - - - - - - 38
Independent National
Electoral Commission and challenges of
monitoring political party campaign
financing - - - - 41
Analysis of Research Questions - - - - - - - 47
Testing of Research Hypotheses - - - - - - 50
Perception
of Politicians about Political Party Campaign Financing - 57
Perception of electorate about
political party campaign financing
beyond bribery and embezzlement - - - - - - 57
Factors influencing individual’s
perception about
political party campaign financing in
Nigeria - - - - 58
CHAPTER
FIVE: Summary Of Work, Conclusion And
Recommendations
5.1 Summary
of Work - - - - - - - - 60
5.2 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - 61
5.3 Recommendations - - - - - - - - 62
References - - - - - - - - - 63
Appendix - - - - - - - - - 63
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
In
recent times, monitoring political party campaign financing in Nigeria has
raised concern among governments, citizens, and the community worldwide (Fred,
2021). However, few studies have sought to explore politician’s willingness to
sponsor electoral campaigns without any form of biasness to rig the election or
engage in electoral malpractice at all levels (Federal, State and Local
Government). Campaign financing has been a major concern in Nigeria.
Significant and unregulated campaign financing often create an uneven playing
field in election contest. Large sums of money give certain parties and/or
candidates undue advantage over others. Very often the candidates with the most
money always win the election or party nomination process. Wide discrepancies
in levels of funding between parties and candidates constrains opportunities
for political competition and tend to disenfranchise challengers.
According
to Hauser (2019), difficulty in financing electoral campaigns continues to
ravage societies around the world. The fight against which political party
dominates and become ruling party have affected the true nature of INEC
conducting a free and fair election. Credible election in Nigeria can only be
fruitful if approached from multiple standpoints. Thus, credible election must
also be approached from a political perspective. It becomes apparent that the
needs of political parties to fight against electoral malpractice could be
addressed by engaging and strengthening partnerships with Independent National
Electoral Commission. Thus, it seems beneficial to develop guidelines and
standards to facilitate collaborations and dialogue in a participatory and
transparent way (Hauser, 2019).
One
of the greatest threats to economic and political development of any nation is
political instability and corruption, therefore, the challenges of conducting
free and fair election remain a major devastating issue facing Nigeria since
she gained independence, although, this phenomena has become a cankerworm that
has eaten deep into the fabrics of our system. Nevertheless, its solution rest
in our hands and cannot be put off to another day that is why many countries
have put in place different mechanism to end the spate of inability of INEC to
monitor political party campaign financing. Electoral rigging in Nigeria has
deeply entrenched in the national ethics, politics, civil society, Public and
Private Sectors, and has been deeply permeated by a pervasive and debilitating
culture so much that it is best regarded as been institutionalized (Igbuzor,
2018).
In
Nigeria today, sponsorship of a political party or candidate is effectively a
business investment, which the investor must recoup the moment his candidate
gets into public office. The very peculiar nature of Nigeria’s socioeconomic
environment characterized by hunger and literacy make the electors and indeed
government agencies susceptible to manipulation by corrupt politicians who take
advantage of inadequate electoral laws which creates a leeway to unlimited
access to political finance sufficient to destroy the electoral process.
As
Nigerian struggle to tame the psycho-social beast know as corruption, they have
particularly beamed to searchlight on the behavior of public official (civil
servant military and police personnel, elected official etc) and former public
officials, contractors, business associates of public official. However, one
sector of society that has escaped the penetrating searchlight is education.
Therefore, the challenges of INEC monitoring political party campaign financing
cannot be won without making a determined effort to purge the political sector
of the psycho-social beast. Unfortunately, very little research has been
carried out to examine the challenges INEC face in monitoring political party
campaign financing. More than ever before politics have become profit oriented
in their struggle to survive; neglecting their basic function to represent
their people effectively. How political parties finance their campaigns is
critical in any democratic election. Candidates invest large amounts of their
private savings to contend in the elections. This means that only individuals
willing to invest large amounts of money become candidates. Money distorts the
candidate selection process within parties and largely influences who wins the
elections. Electoral laws governing how parties should secure and spend their
funds are ineffective as there is a lack of knowledge about them. As a result
such laws have limited enforceability (Okunade, et al 2009).
It
is unfortunate the money meant for the public is delivered into the banks
account of corrupt bureaucrats are overpaid, and the people end up suffering.
According to Transparency International (2014), Nigeria is ranked 136th out of
182 countries surveyed in its corruption perception index indicating the level
of corruption in the country as compared to other countries. Although this came
as an improvement from the previous years, it did not result from an improved
system of governance; rather it was due to an increase in the number of
countries that participated in the survey. Between 2010 and 2011, Nigeria’s
rank actually decreased by 9 spots, showing an increase in corruption despite
the efforts of the government to rid the nation of corruption. This survey
shows a lack of accountability from public officials and a lax system of
governance in the country. As a result corruptible acts are not harshly penalized
and easier to get away with, within the country’s public sector. Irrespective
of the sophistication of the methods adopted by criminals, the common
characteristics of the crime include cheating, lying and stealing. Corruption
is a menace in the public sector, although is a global malaise, the extent of
its reach in the public sector was tragically stupendous. All indicators showed
that the spread of this cancer had become frightening.
Speaking
of corruption there is a common misperception that corruptive activities are
strictly seen at pour countries, strictly seen at just certain vocations,
strictly seen at certain times, but, if we analyze the synonyms for corruption:
dishonesty, immorality, harm, fraud and so on, soon we are going to realize that
corruption is so wide and undefined as a concept and because of that it can be
seen in different layers, different intensities all around the world. There is
no such place without corruption, but there is an environment where this kind
of miss behavior is on its margins (Fred, 2021). Speaking on the first one,
because the corruption is almost common on everyday basics there is a whole
group of generations that from the start of their academic carrier are getting
used to see corruptive activities, and are getting used to see that nobody is
trying to stop it, then they join the whirlpool of corruption. Today, these
people cannot make the difference between right and wrong, good or bad,
corruptive or transparent. This is the field where we personally believe that
we can and we are acting.
We
are convinced that almost every politician knows or remembers only the blunt
form of corruption illustrated in the form of rigging election. The good thing
about the awareness raising activities is that they can be used as a media
which will help the politicians to find out more about the different types of
corruption and the ways to fight against them (Aigbokhaevbolo, 2012). This
study therefore seeks to address issues relating to Independent National
Electoral Commission and challenges of monitoring political party campaign
financing in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Statement of the Problem
The
world today is face with a large number of problems that threaten our survival
on this planet. Not all part of the world, however, are equally hit by problems
that rank among the most serious threats to the humans race; high rate of
unemployment poverty, low level of education, poor technological development,
level, gender discrimination, ethnic and religious inequality and high
corruption etc (Okolie, 2016). These issues are mostly related to the countries
in the transition and developing parts of the world. However, in many developed
countries, electoral malpractice is also endemic within the society. Namely,
corruption entered this area and serious endangers schools, polytechnics and
colleges as well as Nigerian environment. Corruption is a major problem in a
lot of countries, endemic in all sectors. But the one that is perhaps the most
troubling is the political sector (Fred, 2021).
Electoral
malpractice has remained an endemic that has undoubtedly eaten deep into the
fabrics of the Nigerian society. It continues to pose greater challenge to our
prolonged quest for political and socio-economic development. One of the major
challenges of identifying corruption is the problem of perception. This posses
a major problem to the challenges posed by INEC in monitoring political party
campaign financing in Nigeria. Ordinary Nigerians have their own perception on what
constitutes corruption; some perceive it only in terms of embezzlement while
others see it differently. Apart from the fact that electoral rigging takes
diverse forms (bribery, conflict of interest, embezzlement, fraud and extortion
etc.), there is no broad consensus among politicians on the meaning of
political campaign. When people talk about campaign, usually they refers to
organizing political rally to market their-selves. Hardly do they think of the
type of political rally that destroys the minds of our people and siphons the
moral value of our society. This type of political party is more dangerous and
more serious threatening the feature of Nigeria.
The
biggest problem about the perception of electoral malpractice is the
unwillingness of political parties to admit the existence of it. The political
sector must fight against this blindfolded policy. We should try to change the
political system to a better and transparent one and hopefully corruption free.
Ughelli South L.G.A sooner or later must face with the fact of INEC monitoring
political party campaign financing and start reforms in this field. There is a
certain denial or not readiness to solve the problem. We believe that in this
time the political life and spirit are in great danger (Okolie, 2006).
Political
party finance has been identified as a source of corruption in several
countries. Political finance laws and regulation, through which political
parties and candidates for political office declare their funding sources, are
among the main instruments. Recent history has witnessed the pooling together
of resources all over the world into a network of global awareness against
unregulated use of money in politics. It is because of this ugly scenario that
the researcher wants to discuss Independent National Electoral Commission and
challenges of monitoring political party campaign financing in Ughelli South
Local Government Area of Delta State.
Research Questions
In-order
to guide the study and achieve the research objectives of the study, the
following research questions was formulated:
i.
How do politicians
perceived political party campaign financing?
ii.
Do the electorate
perceived political party campaign financing beyond bribery and embezzlement?
iii.
What factors influence
individual’s perception about political party campaign financing in Nigeria?
iv.
How does political party
campaign financing perception affect the moral status of urban and rural
dwellers?
Purpose of the Study
The
main aim of the study is to examine Independent National Electoral Commission
and challenges of monitoring political party campaign financing in Ughelli
South, L.G.A of Delta State. Specific objectives of the study are to:
i.
ascertain the perceived
perception of political party campaign financing
ii.
find out if the
electorate perceived political party campaign financing beyond bribery and
embezzlement
iii.
find out the factors
influencing individual’s perception about political party campaign financing in
Nigeria
iv.
investigate the effect
political party campaign financing perception on the moral status of urban and
rural dwellers.
Hypotheses
The
following null hypotheses were tested in this study
H01:
There is no significant changes in the
perception of politicians on political party campaign
financing.
H02: There is no
significant changes in the perception of electorates on political party campaign financing beyond bribery and
embezzlement.
H03: There are no
significant factors influencing individual’s perception about political party campaign financing in Nigeria.
H04: There is no
significance effect of political party campaign financing on the moral status of urban and rural dwellers.
Significance of the Study
Nigeria
has a rich political background from colonization to post independence
democratic governance. The country gained its independence in 1960 and had
democracy only for less than a decade before a military takeover; nonetheless,
this takeover was very chaotic because it was followed by a series of a coup
d’états of one military regime after another. Although the nation finally
gained full democracy in 1999, it still suffers from the remnants of the
military regimes because some top officials in the present government once held
leadership positions in the military. It is important to highlight the public
sector in Nigeria because it is an essential part of the government and it
plays a key role in the implementation of services that are vital to the
economic growth of the country. It coordinates the federal ministries, advises
political officials, formulates and implements government’s policies, gathers
and supplies data for policy makers, ensures continuity of services and public
relations services. These roles are important in running an efficient
administration, because the public sector can either make or mar any administration.
In
analyzing the public sector, it is necessary to look at its genesis and the
significant reforms that were adopted. This will provide a better understanding
of the struggles being encountered and possible recommendations to overcome
them. Moreover, there is a need to examine the perception on corruption and
whether it can stall the sector’s ability to be efficient in the delivery of
services to the citizens. Furthermore, it is critical to look at the origins of
corruption in the public sector, to analyze these issues and shed some light on
why some government officials engage in corrupt practices against the basic
objectives of their jobs. By examining all these factors, the study provides a
better understanding of the Nigerian public sector, its level of corruption and
calls for the implementation of policies that will reduce corruption.
The
significance of the study cannot be over emphasis. The study will serve as
reference material for further research in similar area of study. It will also
add value to the bodies of existing knowledge on the subject matter under
investigation. The research will also serve as a guide to the educational stake
holders as well as the general public on how to prevent and resist corruption
tendency in the educational sector in Nigeria. Consequently, the findings and
recommendations of the study will also help in reducing the image of the
educational sector in Nigeria. In the eye of international community’s which
sees Nigeria as the most corrupt nation in Africa.
Scope
and Delimitations of the Study
The research limits its scope to
Independent National Electoral Commission and challenges of monitoring
political party campaign financing in Ughelli South, L.G.A of Delta State.
However, conducting a research of this nature certainly there must be some
constraints such as time factor, insufficient funds, lack of free access to
relevant literatures and poor cooperation from the respondents at process of
conducting interviews and questionnaires administration to the targeted
population of the study.
Definition
of Terms
Accountability: This is the true openness or giving
account of what has been expended by the public officer holder.
Election: An election is a formal decision-making
process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office.
Ethical
Value: These are those
qualities, which ensure that a member behaves with integrity in all
professional, business and financial relationships and that he or she should
strive for objectivity in all professional and business judgments.
Financial: The management of money especially money
controlled by a government, company or large organization.
Misappropriation: This is the misuse of public fund
especially by public office holder in the ministries.
Political
Campaign: This is an
organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a
specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral
campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided.
Political
Party: This is an
organization of people which seeks to achieve goals common to its members
through the acquisition and exercise of political power.
Public
Sector: This include all
organization set up by the government to satisfy human want to take care of
specific want, specific needs of the public without profile purpose.
Transparency: As used in the humanities and in a social
context more generally, implies openness in every area of business or globally.
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