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Institutional Repository of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

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The effects of formal education on poverty reduction in Ghana: the case of Jirapa District
(KNUST, 2018-05) Alphonsus Beni
There was a paucity of empirical evidence on the effects of formal education on poverty reduction in Ghana, particularly in the Jirapa District of the Upper West Region. This study used the case study design to investigate the extent to which formal education had an effect on poverty reduction among rural households in the Jirapa District. A multi-stage sampling methods were used to select a sample of 701 heads of households who provided data for the study. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussions and non-participant observation. The data were analyzed using percentages and frequency charts, chi-square tests and multivariate binary logistic regression and cross tabulations to explore relationships between poverty and relevant variables in the context of social Darwinism and structural theories using SPSS version 22 software. The results reveal that the causes of poverty in the study area include geographically difficult environment, lack of formal education and governmental policies. The findings of the study raises provocative, startling and challenging conclusions that, the causes of poverty in the study area is endemic in that the people are trapped in a geographically difficult environment which affects their income negatively and creates a vicious cycle of poverty. The findings of the study further show that formal education reduces levels of poverty through educational empowerment that results in human capital formation, skills training and employment generation. The study established a statistically significant relationship between formal education and income, dwelling unit and nutrition. The theories have also been found to hold based on the revealed results. The study shows that the formally educated have greater chances of being part of the social fabric as well as being active participants in the governance of their locality, the district and country. Thus, formal education consolidates the individual‘s position as being a non poor entity. On the bases of these findings, it is recommended that education at secondary level should be freely accessible to all in the country.
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Studies on taxation and firm productivity in sub-saharan Africa (ssa)
(KNUST, 2018-05) Kamasa, Kofi
Even though governments in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) seek to drive growth and development, they are hard pressed with funds. This is because their expenditures are always and mostly outweighing their revenues. Tax revenue is one major solution to their quest to finding enough funds. However, tax revenue generation is not only low in SSA but it is also beset with low compliance and large evasion. This study therefore sought to contribute to the literature and policy on tax in SSA by looking at how government can increase its tax revenue from three thematic areas. First, this thesis sought to assess the impact of non-pecuniary factors on tax compliance in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using the Round 5 of the Afrobarometer Survey (2015) across 30 countries, the findings of the paper revealed that perceived tax knowledge limitation reduces the probability of tax compliance in SSA by 5%. Perceived non-compliance by others reduces compliance probability by 2%. Similarly, corruption of tax officials reduces the probability of being tax compliant in SSA by 2%. On the contrary, trust in tax department increase the probability of compliance by 5%, whiles fighting corruption improves compliance by 2%. With respect of fiscal exchange, handling of provision of health, education and road needs, tend to increase the probability of complying with tax laws and obligations in SSA by 2%, 3% and 2% respectively. As far as policy implication is concerned, governments in SSA must complement tax laws which are mainly based on deterrence factors (penalty rate, tax rate and probability of detection) to include non- pecuniary factors.
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Household vulnerability and adaptation to floods: a comparative study of rural and urban Ghana.
(KNUST, 2018-10) Abass, Kabila
The study examined household vulnerability and adaptation to floods involving a comparative study of rural Central Gonja and Kumasi Metropolis using an adapted MOVE (Methods for the Improvement of Vulnerability Assessment in Europe) analytical framework. It employed a concurrent triangulation mixed method design of quantitative and qualitative methods, using both primary and secondary sources of data. A survey of eight communities each from Kumasi Metropolis and rural Central Gonja involving 367 and 400 households respectively were undertaken. Different methods involving one-on-one in-depth interview, focus group discussions and direct observation, were used to collect primary data from households and key informants. Data from household survey was analysed using appropriate statistical tools in IBM SPSS (Version 21) and Microsoft Excel 2010 for household quantitative data and NVivo 9 qualitative data analysis software for the qualitative data. Both descriptive and inferential statistics, including percentages, Pearson‘s Chi-square and logistic regression were used for analysing the quantitative data while the qualitative data has been presented mainly as direct quotations. Satellite images were analysed using ERDAS imagine 13 remote sensing and ArcGIS 10.2 geo-information software. Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of the study districts were used to show the relief of the study areas from which the stream networks were derived. The MAKESENS and time series plots were used to detect the monotonic trend of the rainfall data with data analysed using the Mann-Kendall test (Z) and Sen‘s slope (Q) tests. The study found that anthropogenic factors rather than physical-environmental factors are responsible for the past cases of floods in both rural Central Gonja and Kumasi Metropolis urban. The rural households were more vulnerable to floods than the urban households in respect of all the indicators and criteria used for vulnerability assessment. From economic and health effects point of view, a higher proportion of the rural populations suffered negatively than their urban counterparts. The non-structural measures of adapting to floods were limited. Over-reliance on the structural defence mechanisms has not helped to mitigate the sufferings of the rural and urban flood-prone communities. Institutional interventions in flood risk mitigation have not been effective due to mainly financial constraints. It is recommended that there should be sustained public education, institutional strengthening and enforcement of land use regulations as enshrined in the Land use and Spatial Planning Act (Act 925).
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Effect of religious orientation on supply chain performance: the roles of resource deployment capability and socio-cultural orientation
(KNUST, 2018-06) Abdul Samed Muntaka
Religion is deemed to have a potency to influence personal conducts and the policies of business organisations. However, research on how religious orientation influences the performance of these organisations is limited. Additionally, the conditions under which religious orientation impacts business performance remain under-researched. The study, therefore, aimed to examine how and under what conditions religious orientation influences supply chain performance (SCP). To this end, the study investigates how the resource deployment capability (RDC) of the firm mediates the effect of religious orientation on supply chain performance under varying conditions of socio-cultural orientation. The study relies on the upper echelon and resource based theories to conceptualize religious orientation as a firm resource that may impact on the RDC of the firm to influence supply chain performance. The effect of religious orientation on performance is thus posited to be channeled through development of the firm’s RDC. The study also draws on Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions’ model to conceptualize socio-cultural orientation as a complementary firm resource that increases in its magnitude strengthens the effect of religious orientation via RDC on SCP. Using primary data from 233 owner-managers of MSMEs operating in Ghana, a sub-Saharan African society, the study finds that higher levels of religious orientation is associated with increases in supply chain performance. The study further finds that RDC mediates the relationship between religious orientation and SCP. The study also finds that variability in the levels of socio-cultural orientation dimensions moderates the effect of religious orientation on RDC as well as the effect of RDC on SCP. Specifically, the study finds that the relationship between religious orientation and RDC is strengthened when risk aversion is high and ambiguity intolerance is low. Also, the effect of RDC on SCP is weakened when individualism is high, but is strengthened when collectivism is high. Theoretically, this study contributes to existing knowledge by showing that the nexus between religious orientation and supply chain performance is a function of the mediating effect of RDC and the moderating effect of socio-cultural orientation. The managerial implication is that religious orientation is an important firm resource whose economic value is attained when it is developed to build a firm’s resource deployment capability under differing conditions of socio-cultural orientation.
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Assessment of Three Problematic Texts in the Synoptic Gospels of the New Testament of the Dangme Bible
(KNUST, 2018-02) Kuwornu-Adjaottor, Jonathan Edward Tetteh
Three texts in the Dangme Bible (BSG/UBS 1999) generated a lot of discussions during a field survey of the eight Dangme speaking areas. The texts are: Ngôô wa tômi ômâ kâ pa wô... [Lend us our wrong-doings…] (Matt 6:12); … Mumi Klôuklôu ô tsε e yi se …[ the Holy Spirit pushed the head from behind…] (Mark 1:12); and Kεkε nε Yesu de mε ke, “Kuasiahi …” [Then Jesus said to them, “Fools…] (Luke 24:25). Exegesis of the Greek texts; and semantic analysis of the texts in Dangme, found out that: An alternative translation of Matt 6:12 in the Dangme as Ne o kâ wa tômi ômâ nâ ke wô [And let go our wrong-doings] will help readers understand forgiveness as “letting go” the offence of an offender, without keeping any record of the offence. The rendering of Mark 1:12 as Mumi Klôuklôu ha nε e ho nga a nô ya [The Holy Spirit permitted him to go to the wilderness], will clear the confusion in the minds of Dangme Bible readers who do not understand how the Holy Spirit could “push” Jesus into the wilderness. The alternative translation of Luke 24:25 with the phrase Oo nyâ juâmi he jô, (your mind has become cold) reduces the degrading tone of kuasia which etymology means “a good for nothing person”, “an un respected person”, “a worthless person.” The significance of the research is that it has evolved alternative translations and interpretations of Matt 6:12, Mark 1:12, and Luke 24:25 for the Dangme Bible reading communities; the researcher has thus started a discussion that other scholars will join.
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Etude thematique et esthetique de quelques contes dagara : entre continuite et prolongement des recits traditionnels
(KNUST, 2018) Braimah, Balica
Since the beginning of civilisation, folktales have been a rich treasure trove from which most societies derive their moral codes and values. To the Dagaaba people of Ghana and some of their neighboring countries, the narrating and listening processes based on both the physical and the socio-cultural environment of their communities, offer them the opportunity to discern the outcome of their actions in order to promote societal values. Quite apart from promoting their special interest in stereotypes and the different aspects of human behaviour, folktales are rapidly responding to their changing environment as evidenced by recent publications on folklore and their contemporary usage in songs, digital games, urban legend, the film industry and fantasy novels. In the wake of current globalization and its spill-over effects, however, what the young generation of Dagaaba and indeed other cultures need, is not just formal education stricto sensu but also, cultural literacy that grounds and portrays them in their own identity and tradition. As Folktales have continued to be an important genre of folklore that sustains and promotes our cultural heritage, what ought to be done to encourage the young Ghanaian to show interest in them? Having explored the importance of folktales all over the world and in Africa in particular, this study focuses on dagara folktales with the view to bringing to the fore their literary and aesthetic values, as well as juxtaposing them with contemporary and functional values of folktales in general. As the youth explore their own folktales from a pragmatic and pedagogical point of view, they will acquire a broader perspective of their people as well as their environment.
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Assessment of microbiological and physicochemical quality of wastewater used for vegetable irrigation along the old waterworks stream in Tamale metropolis of Ghana
(KNUST, 2018-06) Bashiru Nuhu, Rabi
Worldwide, several million hectares of farmland in estimated 50 countries are used to cultivate agricultural produce by farmers who have adopted the application of untreated and or partially treated wastewater from various sources. The application of untreated wastewater which are contaminated with microbes and chemicals including heavy metals poses serious public health threat on the vegetable farmers, vendors and consumers of vegetables cultivated using such untreated wastewater. This study assessed the microbiological, physical and chemical qualities of wastewater used for vegetable irrigation along the Tamale old waterworks stream in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. Two wastewater samples each were collected from the four sampling sites: Waterworks upstream (WWU), Gumbihini midstream (GMS), Nyanshagu midstream Gardens (NMS) and Tunayili Kulbong Downstream Gradens (TKDS) along the stream monthly for six consecutive months for microbial and physicochemical parameters for dry and rainy seasons. A total of forty-eight water samples were collected and analysed for their microbiological, chemical and physical qualities using standard protocols adopted by the American Public Health Association (APHA, 1998). The results obtained showed consistent increase in the bacterial and physicochemical load for both irrigation seasons. The bacterial parameters studied include total coliform, faecal coliform, E. coli, Staphylococci, Enterococci, Pseudomonas and total heterotrophic bacteria. The statistical analysis on the microbials gave a weak correlation (r=0.24) among the individual sampling sites for microbial statistics. More so, there is a significant difference between the wastewater samples for dry and rainy season irrigation of microbial parameters with (p = 0.005) from the pairwise sample test. Results obtained showed consistent increase in the bacteria load for both seasons with the rainy season recording higher loads than the dry season except for total heterotrophic bacteria which was rather higher in the dry season as compared to rainy season. Overall, bacterial count recorded was lowest at GMS1 and highest at NMS2 for both seasons. The physicochemical parameters include, pH, conductivity, total alkalinity, total hardness, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, carbonate hardness, bicarbonate hardness, calcium, magnesium, chloride, fluoride, sulphate, sulphide, phosphate, ammonia-nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, nitrite-nitrogen, aluminium, total iron, manganese, copper, zinc, cyanide, total chromium and potassium. There is strong correlation (r=0.99) among the individual sampling sites for physicochemical parameter analysis of wastewater samples during dry and rainy season irrigation schemes. More so, pairwise analysis indicates that there is no significant difference (p= 0.41) among the sampling sites for physicochemical wastewater samples for dry and rainy season irrigation of physicochemical parameters. Overall, physicochemical values recorded were lowest at GMS1 and highest at NMS2 for both the dry and rainy season samples. More so, bacterial counts recorded for all the microbial parameters exceeded the WHO (2006b) guideline of 1x103cfu/100ml for unrestricted irrigation of crops likely to be eaten raw whilst the physicochemical parameters determined were found to be within FAO/WHO guidelines for irrigation water except for colour, total alkalinity, chloride, zinc and cyanide. Most of the chemicals had levels above WHO guidelines and are potential health threat especially high nitrate concentration in irrigation water causes blue baby syndrome. The application of untreated wastewater poses serious public health threat on the vegetable farmers, vendors and consumers of vegetables cultivated using such untreated wastewater. It is therefore recommended that wastewater for irrigation of ready-to-eat vegetables be treated using biological nutrient removal system and wastewater stabilisation ponds to reduce and or eliminate contaminants before irrigating vegetables.