History of the Phantom of the Opera Essay

In 1911, Gaston Leroux published Le FantÔme de l’Opera, the now famous book that gave birth to the legend of the Phantom.   Leroux had been fascinated by the mystery and design of the Paris Opera House.   As a theatre enthusiast, he had toured all the levels of the Opera House including a visit to the underground lake, cellar and hidden passageways. The mysterious events at the Paris Opera House which ignited Leroux ‘s interest began with Napoleon III’s call for a new opera house to be built in Paris in 1860, after he had survived an assassination attempt one evening when returning from the Opera.   The construction of the Opera House, faced many delays and construction stopped during the Franco Prussian War. After the war, the then unfinished Opera House was occupied by the working class who used it as a warehouse, observation post, communications center, military post and a powder store.   The cellar was once used as a torture chamber.   The new Paris Opera House was finally finished in 1875.   Finally, adding to the mystery, an unfortunate incident occurred in the Paris Opera House in 1896, a counter-weight of six and a half ton chandelier fell from the ceiling, killing a patron. Gaston Leroux always claimed that the ghost in the story was true, based on his investigations and tours of the Opera House.   He is quoted as saying: â€Å"The Opera ghost really existed.   He was not, as was long believed, a creature of the imagination of the artists, the superstition of the managers, or the absurd and impressionable brains of the young ladies of the ballet, their mothers, the box-keepers, the cloak-room attendants, or the concierge.   No, he existed in flesh and blood, though he assumed all the outward characteristics of a real phantom, that is to say, of a ghost.†Ã‚   (Leroux, G, n.d) In 1925, began the chain of events that would give rise to the phenomenon of the Phantom.   Universal Studios made the first film of the book – the silent movie, Phantom of the Opera, which starred Lon Chaney Snr.   A second version of the film, this time with sound and color, starring Claude Raines was produced in 1943.   Followed by a Spanish version in 1962, and a 1974 version starring Herbert Lom and Heather Sears. The Phantom was produced twice on stage in 1935 and 1975, without much success. Then, in 1986, the legend of the Phantom of the Opera would become one of the most famous stories in the world, when Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Musical – Phantom of the Opera hit the stage in London.   In the 21 years since the Musical began, it has broken all theatre records and is now the longest running Broadway Show in History. The success of the musical spurred the movie industries interest again in 2004, with a moderately successful movie called â€Å"Phantom of the Opera† based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s opera.   Critical acclaim for the movie has been varied. The Phantom has outlived his creator who died in April 1927 and has become iconic to the 20th and 21st Century.    History of the Hit Musical – The Phantom of the Opera   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical The Phantom of the Opera opened in London’s Majesty Theatre on 9 October 1986.   In the original London Cast, â€Å"The Phantom† was played by Michael Crawford, and â€Å"Christine† by Sarah Brightman (then wife of Andrew Lloyd Webber). The original creative team of the Phantom was: Harold Prince  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Director Cameron Mackintosh  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Producer Andrew Lloyd Webber  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Composer, Book, Co-orchestra Maria Bjà ¶rnson   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Production Designer    While Andrew Lloyd Webber had already been phenomenally successful with productions like Evita and the Sound of Music, â€Å"The Phantom† made stars of the actors and creative team members. The musical is still running 21 years later (2007) in London, Broadway (N.Y) and touring worldwide.   The Phantom has won over 50 awards including 3 Olivier, an Evening Standard Award, 7 Tony’s and 3 Outer Critic Circle Awards. At the time of writing, it is estimated that over 80 million people have seen the musical, with total ticket sales of over $3.2 billion.    Reviews of the Phantom of the Opera: The Daily Mirror’s first review of the Phantom of the Opera in 1986: It’s fantastic, fabulous and phantasmagorical! It’s fantastic, fabulous and phantasmagorical! From the eerily flickering lights that greet you outside Her Majesty’s Theatre to the last, glorious curtain call, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-awaited new musical, Phantom of the Opera, is a triumph. The special effects are among the most spectacular ever seen in the West End. The music is very bit as memorable as one would expect from the man who wrote Evita, Starlight Express and the rest. But most of all, the show belongs to Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford, who soar and swoop through their hugely demanding roles like eagles. After all the well-publicised false starts and back-biting, Lloyd Webber has created a musical which deserves to be around well into the next decade. The story is based closely on the original novel of 1911 – unlike most of the Phantom of the Opera films which have been made over the years. Michael Carwford’s Phantom hides his hideously disfigured face by skulking in the stage caverns and pools deep beneath the Paris opera. His passion for music is the only thing which gives his life meaning until he becomes obsessed by Sarah Brightman’s Christine – a young opera singer whose beauty is matched only by the purity of her voice. He coaches her in secret while visiting dreadful catastrophes on anyone who refuses to advance her career. A hanged scene shifter is suddenly hideously dropped on to the stage in the middle of a performance. A vast crystal chandelier crashes on to the audience. As the phantom becomes more fiendish so Christine becomes increasingly mixed in her feelings towards him. A dreadful climax is fast approaching. The eerie sets of the unfolding drama – great stages filled with mist and shining candles – are interspersed with all the colour and spectacle of the operas being prepared and presented at the theatre. Despite all the â€Å"ghost train† theatricals the greatest thrills of the show come from Michael Crawford. He not only sings superbly but also captures the torment of the Phantom perfectly. If you only see one show this year, make sure it is this one! (Blake, J, 1986) In 2002, The Times wrote: Long-runners One answer is obvious: Maria Bjà ¶rnson’s stunning designs. The story, based on Gaston Leroux’s novel, begins on the Paris Opera’s stage in 1911. The building is dusty and neglected, the stage festooned with great swags of grey fabric. Old theatrical props are being auctioned off. Then, as the auctioneer announces the final lot — the opera’s enormous chandelier — the dustsheets fall away, the scene seems almost to dissolve and the theatre travels back in time to 1881 before our very eyes. It’s a vision of gaudy grandeur: gas lamps flicker, red velvet glows in the light and plaster nymphs and satyrs frolic on pillars. The opera is dogged by misfortunes that are rumoured to be the work of the Phantom, a malevolent figure who haunts the theatre. This sinister creature has become obsessed with Christine Daaà ©, a pretty chorus girl. But only cadaverous Madame Giry, the formidable ballet mistress, knows the terrible secret that lies behind the mask the Phantom wears. The musical’s best sequence occurs when the Phantom leads Christine through labyrinthine passages to his lair beyond a hidden lake underneath the building. As their boat glides over the misty water, surrounded by flickering candles, the effect is breathtaking. The problem is that this spectacle takes place early on and nothing afterwards can really compete. Harold Prince’s direction is slick and Gillian Lynne’s choreography effective, but Lloyd Webber’s music is often trite and dated. There’s little depth to any of the characters, either, yet the musical’s central relationship intrigues. For while Christine is Beauty to the Phantom’s Beast, she is haunted, not only by the opera ghost, but by the memory of her dead violinist father. This lends a pleasingly perverse Freudian twist to the erotic tension between the two characters, and the performers John Owen-Jones and Celia Graham make the most of it. Not only are they both excellent singers, they are fine actors too. Graham brings both passion and a childlike neediness to her portrayal of Christine. Owen-Jones uses his rich, powerful voice to great effect, crooning one moment, spitting bitterness the next. But the real star of the show is Bjà ¶rnson’s work. The designer died earlier this month, aged 53, and if Phantom has stood the test of time, it’s because of her. It is not the music audiences will remember; it’s the opera’s chandelier swinging crazily over the stalls, or a masked figure crouched menacingly over a gilded angel. And for those images alone, this show is still worth seeing. (Marlowe, S,   2002) The New York Times revisited the Phantom in 2005 and wrote this review: New York Times revisits the Phantom Old and Ghostly but Still a Hoot The paint on the balconies of the Majestic Theater looks chipped and the electronic drum machine sounds like something left over from a music video from the 1980’s. But â€Å"The Phantom of the Opera† really shows its age (17 years and running) when the signature special effect is presented. Musicals have opened and closed in the time it takes that chandelier to lumber to the floor. Looking like one of Ed Wood’s teetering flying saucers, it crashes to the stage with the force of a shopping cart, the biggest, most extravagant anticlimax in town. Seventeen years later: Sandra Joseph and Hugh Panaro are now playing the roles of Christine and the Phantom. Under the fearsome shadow of Hugh Panaro in â€Å"The Phantom of the Opera.† But what do you expect? It was designed during the Reagan administration. For a top-of-the-line chandelier, you will have to wait for the $40 million production of â€Å"Phantom† opening in Las Vegas next spring. But if the technology of the Broadway show seems a bit quaint, the real news is that the rest of the production has grown old gracefully. Judging by sheer invention, emotional punch and onstage talent, the venerable blockbuster still beats out almost all of the whippersnappers currently on Broadway. Maria Bjornson’s flamboyant gothic design and Harold Prince’s fantastical staging still have the gleam of finely polished professionalism. Led by the current Phantom (there have been 10 after Michael Crawford), Hugh Panaro, an up-and-coming musical theater star who finds the right mix of shock and schmaltz, most of the cast retains the freshness of opening night. That does not mean that Andrew Lloyd Webber haters, a large and very grumpy contingent, will be won over. Sorry, â€Å"The Music of the Night† hasn’t changed. Nor has Charles Hart’s bumbling lyrics (â€Å"You have brought me to that moment when words run dry†). But for those sentimental souls looking for a popular entertainment to transport them to a baroque, romantic new world with a powerful smoke machine, â€Å"Phantom,† I’m happy to report, still delivers the goods. Which is especially impressive, given that not long ago, the musical seemed to be on its last legs. By the fall of 2003, its peers â€Å"Miss Saigon,† â€Å"Cats† and â€Å"Les MisÃÆ' ©rables† had faded away. Ticket sales were down and rumors of its demise were common around Broadway. Flash-forward to today: crowds are lined up around the corner to see the show, which regularly sells out. Last week, 99 percent of the seats were filled. In January, barring a strike, disaster or nuclear holocaust, â€Å"Phantom† will eclipse â€Å"Cats† as the longest-running show in Broadway history. What happened? For one thing, it received a boost from Joel Schumacher’s film version of the musical, which opened in December. Even though it wasn’t a smash hit, the movie introduced a new audience to the show (as evidenced by the large number of young girls at the Majestic) and reminded old ones how superior the musical is. In fact, the bombastic film may be the only thing that makes the musical look understated. Mr. Prince, who continues to oversee casting and reportedly checks up on the show every few months, deserves credit for tending to it with care. When the box office dipped, he never panicked and cast a former Backstreet Boy for a short-term boost in sales. Unlike so many long-running shows, â€Å"Phantom† has not resorted to stunt casting. Although don’t be surprised if Mr. Panaro, who has been rumored on theater Web sites as the choice to star in â€Å"Lestat,† Elton John’s vampire musical heading to Broadway next season, becomes a household name someday. A young, charismatic actor, he brings a maniacal energy and Grand Guignol charm to the tortured Phantom. In his hands, the show concentrates more on the horror than the romance; but only once does he turn to the audience and growl – which, considering how scenery chewing this role could be, counts as admirable restraint. Surrounding him is a solid supporting cast who deliver disciplined performances free of the lazy flourishes that sneak into a role when an actor becomes bored by repetition. As the diva Carlotta, Anne Runolfsson flashes a hundred-watt smile and shows off a richly textured voice in the opening song, â€Å"Think of Me.† Jeff Keller and George Lee Andrews, the only actors with major roles who have been with the company since the beginning, are marvelous as the nervous theater managers who made the mistake of buying the Paris Opera House. In 2001, Mr. Prince had them switch roles to keep things fresh. Sandra Joseph (who doesn’t perform Wednesday evenings or Saturday matinees) is perfectly competent as Christine, although in her scenes with the Phantom she can come off as a bit bland. As her other love interest, Raoul, a terribly underwritten role, Tim Martin Gleason provides a strong voice and a stiff performance. In the romantic songs, one’s mind easily wanders to the bitingly funny Lloyd Webber parody in â€Å"Spamalot,† which droned on and on until the stars looked tired of their own voices. Then again, the winking and eyebrow-raising in satirical musical comedies like â€Å"Spamalot† and â€Å"The Producers† are part of what makes the proudly melodramatic and unironic â€Å"Phantom† a nice change of pace. The musical may seem as if it is from a different time, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. (Zinoman, J, 2005) Personal Review:    The Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera captures your attention right from the start and then you will be you will be drawn into a mysterious world of horror, romance and tragedy. Your journey keeps you spellbound through resonating songs sung by a handpicked cast, Maria Bjornson’s magnificent sets and costumes to both delight and frighten you. Gaston Leroux’s gothic novel comes to life through Andrew Lloyd’s Webbers’ Phantom.   The musical beautifully combines a mixture of genres, performed through opera, leaving the audience entrapped in a tragic tale of love. Whether you are recovering from fright or floating on Phantoms’ songs – this musical will keep, you entertained, wistful and somewhat disturbed leaving you thoughtful as to who should triumph in the end. New fans and old are still being enraptured by the phenomenon of The Phantom.       Works Cited: Blake, J, (1986) It’s fantastic, fabulous and phantasmagorical!, The Daily Mirror U.K. Retrieved 04/18/2007, http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/poto/news_mediareviews_story.php?id=38 Leroux, G. n.d. Quotation Phantom of the Opera Official Site. Retrieved 04/18/2007, http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/poto/show/the_show_history_filmography.php Marlowe, S, (2002), Long Runners, The Times, UK.   Retrieved 04/18/2007 http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article805339.ece Zinoman, J, (2005), New York Times revisits the Phantom: Old and Ghostly but Still a Hoot, The New York Times, USA.   Retrieved 04/18/2007 http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/poto/news_mediareviews_story.php?id=216    Bibliography: Paris Opera House (n.d.), Music of the 19th Century Paris, Opera. Retrieved 04/18/2007 http://gallery.sjsu.edu/paris/music/opera/opera_house.html The Phantom of the Opera (n.d.), Official Website.   Retrieved 04/17/2007, http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        

Gufax Mf Bank Profile

GUFAX MF BANK www. gufaxmfbank. com COMPANY PROFILE GUFAX MICROFINANCE BANK LTD OUR VISION To be the leader in Microfinance Banking Services in Nigeria. OUR MISSION To reduce poverty and build smiles on the faces of our esteemed customers by transforming them into economically active population with full access and integration into the formal financial system. INTRODUCTION Gufax Microfinance bank Ltd. s licensed for operation in Akwa Ibom State by the Central Bank of Nigeria for the provision and administration of microfinance services, loans, advisory services, poverty alleviation programme-partners with Government or its agencies as well as other financial services. It was incorporated on 04 April, 2008 with the Corporate Affairs Commission and Licensed by CBN in September 2008. The Bank has an Authorised Share capital of N250million out of which the paid up is N120million and total asset base of over N500million, approximately $3. 2Million as at December 31st, 2011.We also have to tal employee/staff strength of seventy one (71); and our present customer base is approaching twenty thousand individuals and groups comprising mainly the market women, cooperative groups, transport unions and other small and medium business operators within the state and a percentage of government employees. OUR ADDRESS Corporate Head of is at FADUK HOUSE, No. 3 Udotung Ubo Street, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Presently, the bank has seven meeting points within Akwa Ibom State as follows: Akpan Andem Entrepreneurial Market Uyo in Uyo Local Government. Nung Udoe Ibesikpo,in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government.Ikot Ekpene in Ikot Ekpene Local Government. Oku Iboku in Itu Local Government. Ishiet Uruan Beach Market in Uruan Local Government. Ibaka Beach Meeting Point, Mbo Local Government Area. Onna Meeting Point, Ikot Abasi Road, Abat. It is part of the strategic expansion plan of the bank to open a minimum of one meeting point every quarter. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS The bank has a board members hip of 4 distinguished persons as shown below: Engr Nsikanabasi Ibanga – Chairman Engr. Ibanga Engr. Nsikanabasi Ibanga is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gufax Microfinance Bank Ltd. He is an experienced Civil Engineer.Engr. Ibanga served as an Executive Engineer with ENPLAN Group of Consulting Engineers Nigeria Ltd, EBASCO Consulting Engineers and Zeal Nigeria Limited for over 10years. He has been involved in many private and public building designs over the years and is still very active in current practice. He is a member, Nigeria Society of Engineers (MNSE) and also a registered member of the Council for Regulation of Engineering (COREN). He has attended Engineering Management Workshop and other courses within and outside the country. His experience has been brought to bear in his leadership of the Bank.Mr. Uduak Effiong Udo – Managing Director/CEO * MD/CEO Mr. Uduak Udo is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Gufax Microfinance Bank Ltd. He is a seasoned Banker with over Ten (10) years of experience in Retail, Consumer and Public Sector Banking. Uduak had stints with Citizens International Bank Limited (now Enterprise Bank Ltd) from where he left for Zenith Bank Plc. He grew to a management position in Zenith Bank and subsequently left and co-found a group of financial service companies which Gufax Microfinance bank Ltd is one of them.He holds an MBA Degree in Business Administration from University of Calabar. He is a fellow of Portfolio and Debt Management Institute (PDMI), a member of the Risk Management Association of Nigeria (RIMAN), and a member of Institute of Strategic Management (ISMN) and also a member of chartered institute of Bankers of Nigeria. He is also an Alumnus of World Prestigious Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, where he has been exposed to world class management Education and Entrepreneurship. A serious minded and successful entrepreneur, Uduak has interest in Finance and Invest ment.He has attended courses within and outside the country. The experience of the MD/CEO is a springboard for successful service delivery to our clients. Engr Bassey A. Iton – Director QUALIFICATIONS: M. Sc Petrochemical Engineering, Moscow Institute of Petrochemical and Gas Industries, Moscow, (1977). Member Nigerian Institute of Chemical Engineers. Member Nigerian Society of Engineers. Associate Member AIChE (1978). General Manager, Process Engineering; NNPC H/Q. Abuja. Working experience covers the underlisted areas and companies:Federal Superphosphate Fertiliser Company Ltd. (FSFC), Kaduna†¦August 1977 – June 1978 Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd. (WRPC), Ekpan-Warri†¦October 1978 – January 1980 Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd. (KRPC), Kaduna†¦January 1980 – December 1990 National Engineering and Technical Company Ltd. (NETCO), Lagos†¦January 1991 – January 2006 NNPC Investment, Engineering & Techn ical Divisions. Abuja†¦February 2007 – November 2009 Top Manaagement Duties in NNPC Headquarters Abuja. General Manager Upstream Investment in Commercial and Investment Directorate. .General Manager Process Engineering in Technology Directorate. Project Engineering and Management Services: National Engineering and Technical Company. January 1991 to December 2006. Managed underlisted projects: Strategic Management Training for world class managers. (June 2008) Mini –MBA for Oil & Gas in Houston TEXAS October 2009 Engr Iton is amiable & hardworking and is a very discipline Board member of Gufax MFB Mr Mbobo E. Mbobo (ACA) – Director * Mr Mbobo Mr. Mbobo Mbobo is a Director of Gufax Microfinance Bank Ltd. He is a seasoned Accountant. Mbobo has worked as an Accountant with A.C. T Nigeria Ltd, Lagos for 3years before moving on to Federal Mortgage Bank where he worked as a State Accountant for 10years and then another 3years as an Audit Manager with Eddy Ette & C o (Chartered Accountants). He is presently working with the University of Uyo as a part time Lecturer and an Acting Director of Finance with Akwa Ibom State University of Technology. He holds an MBA Degree in Accounting and is working on getting his Ph. D. He is an Associate of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), an Associate, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (ACTI).He has attended courses within and outside the country. He has served as a Resource person at Seminars and Workshops. The experience of this Director is a great boosts to our service to customers. CORRESPONDENCE BANKS First Bank of Nigeria Plc Access Bank Plc EcoBank International Plc Diamond Bank Plc United Bank for Africa Plc Zenith Bank Plc Skye Bank Ltd OUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: CURRENT ACCOUNT: Gufax MFB offers current account services. The account is necessary as most other cash management services are provided through the current account.VOLUNTARY SAVINGS ACCOUNTS: We provide a number of savings products. These include 1. Regular savings accounts: This is the regular savings account operated for a customer for his personal reason. 2. Gufax Heritage Account: This account is for Children under the age of 18years. Benefits include scholarships. 3. Gufax Daily Contribution: This is for traders who are desirous of saving a pre-agreed amount daily till month end. 4. Gufax Acquired Account: This account is for persons who have specific targeted items to acquire at a specific time 5. Gufax Festivity Account:This account is for savings for festivity such as Christmas, Easter, Salah, Marriages etc 6. Gufax Real Life Savings Scheme: This is an open ended Asset acquisition scheme for civil servants. Regardless of what you want the Bank buys it for you and your salary is deducted for repayment over a period not exceeding one year after you would have saved 50% of the total cost of the asset. COMPULSORY SAVINGS ACCOUNT 1. GROUP COMPULSORY SAVINGS : All group members benefiting from Gufax Group Loan operates a compulsory savings account expected to assist them to build wealth and instil a saving culture in them. . TRICYCLE SAVINGS ACCOUNT: All beneficiaries of the Gufax Tricycle Transport Scheme are made to do a weekly compulsory savings for themselves as part of the condition for being a beneficiary of the scheme. SPECIALISED CREDIT PRODUCTS Gufax Tricycle Scheme: This product is targeted at the former Motorcycle riders in the city of Uyo whose business has been band by the government and replaced with taxi and tricycles. It requires the beneficiary to save 25% of the product cost and the bank will acquire such for the person with a tenor of 8months. Gufax Reallife Scheme:This is targeted at low and medium income government and private sector employees. It is meant to make life meaningful to this class of people by making them have easy access to any asset that will add value to their lives and pay from their salary for a tenor not exceeding 18months. Gu fax Quick Loan: this product is a temporary overdraft facility granted to traders which must be liquidated at the close of work on the last work day of every month. It is targeted at traders who makes daily repayments and with clear potentials to liquidate on or before end of month. FIXED DEPOSIT ACCOUNT:GUFAX MFB has a unique fixed deposit regime that encourages growth in asset and accumulation of wealth with minimal risk. The rates are competitive and attractive but within the Financial and Fiscal Policy Framework of the Central Bank of Nigeria. From as low as a Hundred Thousand, You can own a fixed deposit account with Gufax. SALARY ACCOUNT: Salary account can be opened for employees of companies/organization at no cost. You only need to send us a letter indicating the names of those that need the account and the rest is for us to do. CO-OPERATIVE AND SMALL GROUP ACCOUNT:This account is opened for formal and informal groups and organizations who are engaged in small and medium bu sinesses targeted at poverty alleviation and wealth creation. CREDIT-RELATED SERVICES: The credit-related services of our bank include: 1. Advances and Overdraft 2. Group & Individual Loans 3. Short term facility against staff salaries. 1. Projects development financing 2. Small scale business finance 3. Asset acquisition Financing 4. Property/Household equipment Lease. 5. Micro-insurance 6. Co-operative and Small Group (Formal & Non-formal) lending 7. Bridge Finance/LPO financingFINANCIAL ADVISORY SERVICES Gufax MFB also offers a wide range of financial advisory services on optimal financial structure involving a mix of equity/debt financing, investment risk management and strategic finance options. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES GUFAX’s Faduk Care Trust This is the philanthropic organ of Gufax MFB and is saddled with the responsibility of making sure that the Bank gives back to the society. Amongst the programme so far handled by the department includes: 1. Scholarships Scheme totalling over a million naira to over 50 beneficiaries from different Educational institutions in Nigeria. . Library Project in Collaboration with ICAN, Uyo District and Society. 3. Sponsorships of programmes, seminars and workshops. 4. Gufax Help. Com Tansport scheme for the frustrated Okada Riders affected by Government band of their operation within Uyo Capital City. PREVIOUS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS We have handled many micro credit programs amongst which are i. FADAMA III Programme in Akwa Ibom State still ongoing. ii. Shell Development micro credit for Uruan (LGA) Community iii. Akwa Ibom State Action Committee on Aids (SACA) in their ongoing micro credit programme. iv.Participating MFB for FGN/CBN/IFAD Rural Finance Institution Building Programme (RUFIN) for Akwa Ibom State. STRATERGIC BUSINESS PLAN FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF MICRO-CREDIT FOR THE RURAL ACTIVE POOR IN ONNA LGA. Our strategy of poverty alleviation partnership is a collaborative approach where the Local governm ent provides a counterpart fund and a guarantee for microcredit to be extended by the bank to the rural active poor within the Local Government Area; Pre-disbursement training, disbursement, monitoring, performance evaluation, recovery, refinancing planning, rendition of report, compulsory savings mobilisation are part of this partnership. Pre-disbursement Training: Each of the beneficiaries of our micro credit will be trained on the basic cash management technique to ensure that there is no diversion of these credits for other purposes. Small and medium enterprises will be duly examined to ensure the commitment of the promoters. We will organize trainings and workshops for the beneficiaries of the loans in line with their trades to help them keep simple books of accounts as well as exercise financial disciplines. These and other awareness seminars/workshops keep our beneficiaries on top performance. †¢ Selection/Disbursement:We engage the beneficiaries of loans/credits through a thorough and diligent selection /screening process. We disburse funds to groups (formal and informal) and organizations with proper co-ordinations and organization; skilled small and medium entrepreneurs as well as individuals with quality business plans for small and medium enterprises. †¢ Monitoring : We will monitor them through our well trained credit/field officers divided into teams and assigned to specific groups/communities and special products of the bank such as group fund management (Government and donor redit scheme funds). †¢ Recovery: Each group or individual is qualified for the loan with at least two guarantors which one of the following must sign: Village head of the beneficiaries/group; clan Head, Paramount ruler, councillors, House of Assembly member or any prominent member of the community with a net-worth over and above the loan amount. †¢ Repayment Plan: At the commencement of the programme, we shall draw up a repayment plan to enable them kno w the duration of the loan and the repayment period. Rendition of Report: We shall keep a chart (ledger) to monitor daily, weekly and monthly performances and shall constantly present monthly report on the performance of the scheme to the Board and Management for Assessment and Policy formulation. †¢ Our Charges: Our charges will be on commission basis which is negotiable or a subsidized interest rate. ORGANOGRAM: GUFAX MICROFINANCE BANK ORGANISATIONAL CHART [pic] MANAGEMENT STAFF PROFILE: Gufax Microfinance Bank stands out from among its peers because of our uniqueness and personalized services to customers.We parade a team of highly motivated and well trained staff, who will not rest until a customer is satisfied. MD/CEO – please see as in Director’s profiles Mgr-Business Development & Strategy(BDS) * Mr Ubong Udoh is an MBA student of ESUT, Holds B. Sc in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. He is also a member of the Statistical Association of Nigeria, Member of the Chattered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, He has working experience with reputable companies, such as Zenith Bank, Intercontinental Bank and the Central bank of Nigeria spanning over 10 years.He is a a Certified Microfinance Banker(MCIB) of CIBN. He is involve in many Humanitarian services including, Action Aid Int’l, Society Against Malaria, SACA, ACOMIN and the UNHCR. He is hardworking and goal oriented. He is friendly but disciplined. * CHIEF FINANCE OFFICER & HEAD OF AUDIT: As Head of Internal Control/Audit Department of Gufax (MF) Bank, Ubon Akpan has over 20 years experience in Banking, Accounting, Finance, Auditing and General Management traversing both Public and Private Sector Establishments.He started his career at Mercantile Bank Plc, where he rose to the post of a Supervisor. He later joined A. T. Asikpo & Co (Chartered Accountants) as Audit Supervisor, from where he moved to Frank & General Associates (A f irm of Financial & Management Consultants) as Finance & Admin Manager. Thereafter, he got an appointment at ACCESS Group of Schools as Head of Accounts/ Bursar for 2 years and later as Head of Audit for 3 years, before taking up another appointment as the General Manager of Grafen Enterprises Ltd – a Human Resources Management Company in the Oil Services sub sector.He also worked with Ekondo (MF) Bank, Calabar, as a Manager before he joined Gufax (MF) Bank. A Cost and Management Accountant (ACMA), he holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accounting, a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) and Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calabar. * MANAGER,BANKING OPERATIONS: ADEYANJU LANSEBE is a graduate * MANAGER,BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: This department is managed by Ugomma Udonsi who is a highy skilled banker with over 10 years of experience in the banking sector.She started her banking career with Mutual Alliance Savings & Loans Ltd where she worke d as Head, Branch Operations/Treasury. She holds HND in Estate Management from Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri. CONCLUSION: At Gufax, we pride ourselves in focusing on the individual customer because we appreciate the fact that each customer is unique. GUFAX MFB is an engine room and hope for economic growth and development of the devastated lower class of our society.As our vision and mission clearly states, we are committed to the evolution of a society where every active poor can smile, please come along. UDUAK UDO MD/CEO www. gufaxmfbank. com ———————– MD/CEO Board of Directors COO/SA to the MD M Head, Banking Operations Head, Admin/ Human Resource Head, Audit /Compliance Head, IT Unit Legal Department Head, Business Development Credit & Marketing Executive / Debt Recovery HR/Admin Cashiers/Customer Service Officers/Funds Transfer Internal Audit Officers Internal Ctrl Officers IT Officers and Trainees Transports / Securit y

Achievement standard 91329 study exemplar Essay Example for Free (#91329)

Achievement standard 91329 study exemplar Essay ? Anaerobic training is used to enhance performance in non-endurance activities to promote strength, speed and power and also to strengthen muscles in a shorter amount of time. Anaerobic training triggers two main energy systems: the high energy phosphate systems, (adenine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate (CP)) and the anaerobic glycolysis system. High energy phosphates are used in small doses within muscle cells and the anaerobic glycolysis system is used in the absence of oxygen inside the cells or when ATP is needed in higher quantities but it cannot be produced fast enough during aerobic metabolism. These energy systems will help to build strength within the muscles and will contribute to a better health and well-being. Demonstrate in-depth understanding on the bodies’ physiological responses from participating in the session. During my training my body was exerting a lot of ATP around my body to give me energy to do the workout. I worked between 75-90% of my max heart rate because the workouts I was doing were very short but intense which meant I had to work harder to get the maximum amount of ATP out of my body. I noticed that after my workouts I was fatigued because the ATP energy within the muscle cells around the area of work had been all used up. Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the strength and weaknesses of the application of the method of training. You should show an interrelationship between the biophysical principles. Anaerobic training is really good in context to the various sports I participate in because in netball, basketball and touch you are not always on the move but you have to exert small bursts of energy at a time e.g. following the opposition on defence, dribbling the ball towards the hoop and running with the touch ball. The small exerts of energy are using a high build-up of ATP within the muscle cells. Being able to keep working through the pain of working at a 75-90% max heart rate helps to burn fat faster and build muscle. Task 3: Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the application of biophysical principles. (a)Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the application of three methods of training (methods of training may include: continuous, fartlek, circuit, interval (short and long), flexibility, resistance and plyometric) you have used in your training programme. Method of training: Short interval training I used short interval training in my training programme because I wanted to challenge myself and improve my health and well-being in a short amount of time. I order to do this I had to work between a 75-90% max heart rate so that my muscles and heart were working as hard as they could to produce maximum physical results. I decided to work at a 2:1 work/rest ratio so my body had enough rest to produce more ATP and so my heart rate can lower a bit so I have to work harder to build it up again. I tried to move as little as possible during rest time so my body has enough time to lower as low as it possibly can before rising again to the same heart rate. During my training I noticed that I was talking to myself various times in a workout telling myself to keep going and reminding myself of the number of reps that were left. This showed that my brain was also being trained along with my muscles and the brain is one of the hardest muscles to train in the body. Method of training: Plyometric training I used plyometric training to build power and speed in my legs by speed skipping and double under skipping. This type of training is important to building power and speed in my lower body by pushing my muscles to move from extension to contraction in a short time at an explosive rate. When doing double under skipping I experienced very small shocks on landing in which my hip, knee and ankle extensors endured a powerful eccentric contraction. When this happened my muscles were forced to tense. The eccentric contraction is then quickly switched to the isometric (when I stopped moving downwards) and then the concentric contractions, in a rapid time frame which is repeated many times. Isometric contraction always occurs in the transition from the  eccentric to the concentric contraction, but in this rapid transition it is practically eliminated. This is builds strength in legs which can be important to runners when leaving a starting block. The reason why I used this method of training was mainly to build strength in my legs which is beneficial to my lower body. Method of training: Fartlek training Fartlek training was used in my training programme to provide variation to the normal training I did. This placed stress on my aerobic and anaerobic systems and I allowed me to work as fast or as slow as I needed to. Between the high intensity running, I did easy and less strenuous jogging to recover for the next high intensity sprint and I could alter the periods of time that I did high intensity and low intensity running which was a bonus to myself. The benefits of the fartlek training were that I could alter the intensity level to suit myself and it was effective to have the two intensities put into one workout. Having this choice to alter the workout did not stop me from pushing myself though. Fartlek training helped to strengthen my legs and improve my breathing so I could maintain at a high speed for a longer period of time. Choose four principles of training. Principles of training may include the F.I.T.T principle (frequency, intensity, time, type), as well as specificity, progression, reversibility, rest and variety. Demonstrate in depth how and why these were applied to the methods of training in your programme. Principle of training: Intensity How did you apply it to your training programme? I specified the intensity of the workout on my training programme before I started working out so I knew to work at a high intensity or a low intensity. To work out my max heart rate I used the max heart rate chart on the wall in the weights room and I double checked it by using the max heart rate formula: 220 – age, which made my max heart rate 204 bpm. I specified in my training programme that I would be working between 75% and 90% of my max heart rate so I used a heart rate app on my phone because we did not have a heart rate monitor at school and double checked it by putting my hand on my pulse and timing it with a stop watch for a minute which would give me  my bpm straight after the workout. This would ensure that I was working between 150-180 bpm. Why did you apply it to your training programme? I applied intensity in my training programme because it kept my heart rate between the 75% and 90% max heart rate. I was working at a very high intensity which caused oxygen transfer into my muscles to be harder. Due to the anaerobic training I did in my training programme, the periods of time I could work within the 75-90% max heart rate area increased and I could easily get rid of the lactic acid that had built up to use within other energy systems in my body. Principle of training: Frequency How did you apply it to your training programme? I ensured that before I started my training programme that I would be training on specific days within the three week period that we were given to complete the training. I wrote these dates down before I started, determining which days I would train and which days I would rest. This assured the teacher supervising and I that I had to follow this plan and stick to the days designated for training. Why did you apply it to your training programme? I applied frequency in my training programme because it helped to balance the amount of stress I put on myself to adapt to the training and allowing enough time to rest and recover. In addition with the foods I ate within the time allocated to train, training frequently (about 4 or 5 times a week) helped my body to burn calories for my health and well-being in which my training programme was intended to improve. Principle of training: Specificity  How did you apply it to your training programme?  To apply specificity in my training programme I had to do a lot of written work before I had even started training. Not only did I specify the days on which I would train or rest, I had to also specify the amount of time I was going to train or do each activity for, what type of training was going to be involved on each day, what specific activities I was going to do with or without equipment on each day and the max heart rate area I was going to be  working within for the day’s session. I did this by writing all down in my training programme before the three week period and then following each session recorded for each date. Because I was merely training to improve my health and well-being I could do a variety of training within my training programme to improve specific parts of my body e.g. plyometric training to build speed and strength in my lower body and fartlek training to improve my breathing while running. Why did you apply it to your training programme? I applied specificity in my training programme because it was forward thinking and helped me to stick to the plan I had set out and be more organised on the training day. Because my training programme was designed specifically to improve my health and well-being I was not training for a purpose such as interval sprints to improve 100m sprints. Making sure that each training session was specific allowed me to train various parts of my body rather than training for a specific activity likt long distance running. Principle of training: Variety How did you apply it to your training programme? I used different methods of training within my training programme to create variety. Each training session in my training programme was different and I was using a different method of training each day e.g. On Monday 26th August 2013, I used plyometric training as my method of training followed by short interval training on Tuesday 27th August 2013. I also mixed methods of training in my workout to create even more variety and test my body’s adaption capacity e.g. adding skipping in to a short interval workout to incorporate a plyometric aspect into my workout. Why did you apply it to your training programme? The main reason I applied variety in my training programme was to prevent boredom from doing the same thing during the three week training period. In my training programme not one training session was the same, some consisted of elements from other sessions but none were exactly the same. I did this because it gave me a chance to work different areas of my body using different methods of training. Training programme evaluation Strengths of training programme. I think that the main strength in my training programme was the variety and intensity that my training programme offered. Due to the lack of specified purpose for training, I could experiment with my trainings and evaluate on whether that session was a success or needed improvement. This proved to be a benefit for my body because I was able to work all parts of my body in the one workout rather that working on only one area of my body. This provided minute amounts of muscle and resistance of energy system developments which was a huge benefit to my psychological health because I knew that this training was working and gave me more self-confidence. Because I added variety into my training programme, especially into my short interval training, it helped to build strength and speed faster than if I did the same training each session. Another strength within my training programme was the simplicity of it. It was easy to follow and I didn’t need to use much equipment in the gym which makes my training programme easy to follow and someone else could easily use it to train with. Weaknesses of training programme. Using methods of training that worked mainly my lower body was one of my weaknesses because it did not provide me with adequate upper body training. Because I used plyometric and fartlek training methods which both worked my lower body muscle groups and they did not benefit my upper body. Also the duration of the short interval training session I did were a bit too long, especially during the first week of the training period, so I was fatigued very early in the session and it was hard to carry on working at the rate I started at. What modifications would you make to the application of the biophysical principles used in your programme? To improve the application of my biophysical principles used in my programme, I would alter it to focus on one specific physical activity but only doing different kinds of workouts that will help to improve that physical activity like doing different workouts focusing on running if I wanted to improve my running skills. Doing this will allow me to accurately measure whether my training is working by looking at results from before I started training and after I have finished training. I would also start with low intensity workouts during the first  week and then eventually elevating the intensity over the weeks following to minimise the fatigue levels while working out. By doing this it will allow my body time to adapt to the intensity and stress of the workouts. Achievement standard 91329 study exemplar. (2016, May 12).

Project on Micro Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project on Micro Economy - Essay Example Opportunity cost refers to the best alternative forgone when Supa drinks decides to produce Thasta over other product lines. When the concept of opportunity cost is discussed it is critical to put into perspective issues such as implicit and explicit cots. Implicit cost is when an alternative if forgone but there is no actual cost included. Therefore, implicit cost refers to financial benefits forgone when one makes one decision over the other. On the hand, explicit costs refer to cost that is easy to account for owing to the fact that their effects are easily traceable (Hirschey112. They include cost such as wages, rent, material cost. In fact, in implicit costs, the management has to pay the money directly. By Supa Drinks deciding to start the production of Thasta, it is going to incur both implicit and explicit cost. The implicit cost incurred refers to the forgone profits that Supa Drink has not received because they opted to produce Thasta instead of the other alternative. Thast a was faced with several options, which include production of detergent, production of stationery, and production of electronics. Out of all the production choices, the one that had the best alternative to Thasta was a production of detergents. The company had estimated that it would record on average net cash flow of $ 200, 000 per annum. By deciding to produce Thasta over the Detergent, it has undergone an implicit cost of $200, 000. On the other hand, explicit costs that are incurred by the company include labor costs, input cost and general expenses. Production of Thasta is a costly affair; there is therefore, huge initial capital outlay that is required to start the production of Thasta. There is cost required to erect a plant for production of the drink, there is wages that will be incurred to pay workers, and general expenses such as electricity expenses among others. The explicit cost that will be incurred by the company is outlined below. Item no Expense item Cost per annum ($) 1. Labor cost 50000 2. Plant maintenance cost 40000 3. General cost 10000 4. Promotion costs 15000 5. Total cost 115000 It is worth noting that opportunity cost refers to both the implicit and explicit cost. Therefore, by management deciding to produce Thsata over the best alternative of the production of detergent will result to an opportunity cost of $ 215000. This is calculated by summing up the total implicit cost, which is $ 200000, and the total explicit Cost, which is $115000. It is also recommended that the company operate at economic profits so that there is both allocative and productive efficiency in production. Allocative efficiency refers to a situation in which the net profit is zero. This point of production would mean that the company is not under producing or overproducing the soft drink. Second Section: Trade Offs The company will produce two brands of Thasta, which is the orange flavored and the other is coke flavored. This means that the company must conside r the issue of trade off when deciding the units of the orange flavor and coke flavor to produce. It is worth noting that the company has a production capacity of up to 50000 units’ daily production. This production capacity must be divided between the two brands. This brings about the concept of trade off. As the company produces more and more of orange flavor, it will produce less of Coke flavor along the production possibility

Assess the effect of the French Revolution on the nature of the state Essay

Assess the effect of the French Revolution on the nature of the state and on relations between states - Essay Example The significance of the French Revolution became one that was used to redefine the national relationships that were a part of France. Redefining the French Revolution The French Revolution was caused by a series of events in the political realm that led to revolts and the desire for change. Each of these caused the general public to react with the belief that change needed to occur within France and that the national politics were only offering injustice to those that were within the region. There were several turning points described throughout the revolution, including the Fall of Bastille, massacre at Champ de Mars, fall of the monarchy and the rise of Napoleon. Each of these led to different proclamations and a sense of change that was associated with the revolution. These different components led to a sense of defining one’s position in France as well as how this was associated with those that were loyal to the government as opposed to individuals who held a position that led to revolt (Hunt, 53: 2004). The outcomes and divisions created from the French Revolution began with the precursors that were associated with this time in history. The main component was the political restructuring that was used so collective action could be taken during the revolution. Political structures were able to provide more dynamic opportunities during the revolution and defined the voices that were associated with the social movement. The most important concept with the structures were based on the policies that were divided, specifically which led to a change in relationships because of the division. Policy specific concepts were combined with state variations used during the revolution. This also formed with the policies causing the divisions among groups that were involved in the revolution. As the groups formed in favor or against the policies, it changed the nature of the state and created a different relationship with the overall political dynamics of France. Th is led to large scale structures that eventually changed the nature of France from the nature of the state and groups involved (Mcadam, McCarthy, Zald, 42: 1996). Defining the Nature of States There were several policies that became the central component of defining the nature of states. As groups began to look through policies and form a change in the states from societal status, were also noted areas of corruption that were pointed out. The main component was the division between those loyal to the French government and those opposed to the actions taken. The policies in place were defined by the monarchs and statesmen of the 17th century who had established a specific set of legalities for actions taken. This was based on the fiscal system and economic mediums that were used. The divisions over how the economics should work were divided by the groups of clergy, nobles and commons, all which debated as estates who were interested in the fiscal policies and justice system of France . These three groups then led to creating independent from the current fiscal system through the component of justice. The group divisions led to the creation of states and a different nature of how the economic concepts should work within France (Burke, 11:2000). The driving force behind the division not only led to a change with fiscal policy. The French Revolution also led to divisions by groups who were outside of the three main estates.

Progression in Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Progression in Knowledge - Essay Example Currently, I am a student with a double major in international relations with a concentration in Europe and French. My perspective in life gradually changed and significantly broadened as I matured in age. My aspiration in life was not confined anymore to merely attain personal success in life but I came to the realization as I understand my role in society as part of the next generation. But as to be expected in life, there are many hindrances along the way. As an international student, the fluctuating currency rates contribute to the difficulty in supporting my education. We are not a wealthy family and tuition fees are arduous on my parents. With no other source of paying for a summer study abroad, it is indeed very difficult. But even though financial matters pose a hindrance to my goals, I am determined to make the extra effort as this step forms a major component of my course. This is the very reason why I appeal to the generosity of this institution to grant me a scholarship. I trust that a university such as this will esteem and recognize efforts coming from promising pupils. I am aware that there are many applicants requesting for this opportunity. Despite this, I am settled to take my chance as this will pave a way for me as an international student. I am aware that being a student in this institution carries with it a great responsibility and requires utmost devotion and determination. It is my aspiration to gain knowledge and expertise in this university to better myself, to be able to provide for my family in the future and be an asset to the community. I view this as another challenge to improve my personality.

Research Paper Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Paper Proposal - Essay Example With regards to the proposed research study, the researcher aims to provide a clear introduction. As part of the main body, the researcher will discuss the following: (1) importance of dental development when it comes to determining the age of the victim; (2) ways in which archeologists could determine the sex of the victim through by studying either the human dental remains and skeletal remains of the victim; (3) the use of human dental remains when it comes to determining the past occupations of the victim; and (4) ways in which human dental remains could reflect the victim’s past medical condition and treatments prior to his/her death. Prior to the conclusion, the researcher will seek to discuss how human dental remains could reflect the victim’s lifestyle and/or habits. 1. To save the researcher’s time and effort, the researcher will first list down the schools that offer courses related to the study of bioarcheology, dentistry, forensic science, criminal justice, and crime scene investigation. (Guide to Online Schools, 2008) The researcher plans to complete the research study within a short span of one week. The researcher will list down the nearby schools that offer online courses related to bioarcheology, dentistry, forensic science, criminal justice, crime scene investigation followed by gathering related peer-reviewed journal within the first two to three days. Right after the gathering related peer-reviewed journals, the researcher will spend another two days going through the journals and highlight important parts of the study. As soon as the researcher is done highlighting important findings in each journal, the researcher will start conceptualizing followed by officially writing down the flow of the research study. (See Appendix I – Gannt Chart Showing the Proposed Research Schedule on page 4) The proposed research

Meaning and benefits of 'diversification in financial markets Essay

Meaning and benefits of 'diversification in financial markets - Essay Example Some markets can be stable with a clear direction while others move up and down without any clear direction. Such markets are said to be volatile and investing in them can be extremely risky. A lot of volatility increases the chances of losing especially if the capital is not large enough to caution the investment from the volatility (Smith and Schinasi, 1999). Allocating Capital The amount of money to invest in each of the markets or instruments solely depends on the investor. There is a percentage of risk the investor is comfortable investing in each of the chosen portfolios. This should also work together with the behavior of the markets in the last few months or years. An investor can invest more percentage of the capital in stable markets and instruments as there is little or no risk. Volatile and unstable markets should only be allocated a small percentage of the capital. In fact, investors should avoid trading volatile markets. If all the markets of interest are very volatile, the investor should consider waiting for volatility to come down before investing. Diversification in the financial markets has many advantages, including; Guaranteed profits: diversification in financial markets almost guarantees profitability. This is because even in the worst-case scenario, some of the markets and instruments will generate profits. ... If the markets were going against the investors bet, they can close the positions at once and remain with little or no losses. With good money management skills, even the others should be able to generate profits after some time. The charges for trading in the various markets are relatively low compared to other types of investments. With that, most of the profits made are retained by the investor (Caruso, Silli, and Umlauft, 2005). Reduced Risk: investing in different portfolios reduces the risk exposure of the capital. As such, it would be hard to lose all the capital. Even if some of the portfolios go at a loss, the investor will be guaranteed that at least some of the portfolios are into profits. In some cases, investors can even hedge, in which case they can make profits in one market while another is negative (Madura, 2012). Leverage: some financial markets institutions work with margin trading. Investors are required to raise a certain proportion or percentage, and the broker tops it up allowing the investor to purchase more units than they would have purchased with their own money. Leverage can increase the profitability factor of an investment but can also lead to substantial losses. Diversification and leverage would allow the investor to venture into different markets and invest in many different investments with little capital (Gilchrist, 2003). Management of Capital: Diversification in financial markets allows easy management and preservation of capital. Investors have access to a variety of tools and software that assists them in determining how they are going to invest, the amount of investments to make on what elements and calculations of the risk to reward ratio.

Concert Reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Concert Reports - Essay Example After the piece was over, soloist violin artists took to the stage to give Tang a chance to prepare for the second piece. The stretching of the strings put a soft tune to calm the audience after a blast performance. After 30 seconds Tang performed Ballade No.4 by Fredrich Chopin. It is important to note that Tang has toured many countries globally and has won numerous awards for her prowess in music. The second piece started smoothly and the tune soon picked up to an impetuous rhythm so amazing that I had lost taste for the first performance. It was so incredible how she performed it. Following the intermission was Slavonic Dances for piano by Antonin Dvorak. Deborah the guest performer for the night showcased her talent with the piano. She portrayed her breathtaking virtuosity as her fingers ran up and down in a scale to demonstrate her very impressive dexterity. Her hands ran across the piano keyboard harmoniously producing notes that overwhelmed the audience with her delicate notes that were so breathtaking. At the end of the song, she produced powerful notes that left some audience mouth wide agape. The concluding performance was Trio in E-flat Major, Op.40 by Johannes Brahms and performed by Corbin Wagner, Horn and Hai Xin Wu. The pair made a lasting impression not only on me, but also on the entire audience because of how the notes from the piano rhymed with the violin and how the combined note was produced thunder infused with life. The piece was so illuminating that it started with the blasts of the trumpets as if it was a military parade but the echoes of the piano and the violin in background made the audience to jump up and down from one sit to another. The pair showed their command over the brass instruments such that the audience applause was their plea for more which was the case. Attending the concert is the best thing that happened to me. The performers showed their technical skills and

Mercy Health Systems Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mercy Health Systems - Case Study Example Mercy provides services that span four core service areas, including hospital-based services, clinic-based services, post-acute care and retail services, and insurance products. These four core service areas make up our comprehensive, vertically integrated delivery system, and integrated delivery is what makes Mercy unique in serving the full range of health care needs of our patients. As they've grown in size, they have increased the breadth and depth of care provided to our patients. They continually strive to improve the quality of care received, stretching themselves to exceed the most stringent standards. They are committed to providing patients with the latest technology; the best medical teams and expert, compassionate care as we work to fulfill their mission of providing exceptional health care services resulting in healing in the broadest sense. These powerful words encapsulate the Mercy Health System mission and organization's commitment to their patients and community memb ers. To support its commitment to service excellence and delivery of quality care, MHS incorporates customer requirements into the SPP and the PDCA improvement cycle through use of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Model. The CRM Committee uses this model to systematically review current and potential customer feedback and determine changing customer requirements. MHS's key customers include patients, communities, and employers/enrollees. Key inputs used to determine customer requirements, maintain dynamic customer interaction, and facilitate rapid response to needs include: - Patient/Customer Satisfaction Surveys. - Service Recovery Program (SRP). - Market

The audience can sympathise Essay Example for Free

The audience can sympathise Essay Arthur Miller wrote A View from the Bridge as a modern version of a Greek tragedy, therefore, Eddies death at the end of Act Two should be tragic. The audience have to feel pity, or pathos, towards Eddie when he dies to make the play a successful tragedy. According to 1.Aristotles definition of a tragic hero, the hero should be noble and of high status; he should have a flaw, or hamartia, which should lead to his tragic ending; his punishment should seem to be harsher than his crime; and he should realise that his flaw has led to his tragedy. By making his play a modern version of a Greek tragedy, Miller uses the character of Alfieri, his description of Eddie as a likeable and respected man and an extreme and violent death in the arms of his wife to make the audience sympathise with him and to make him a tragic hero. Throughout the play, Miller gives his audience many reasons to respect and admire Eddie. Although there is too much love (p. 48) for his niece, it is also obvious that he is very protective over Catherine and genuinely cares about her. Eddie and his wife have taken Catherine in and have given her a loving and caring home to live in. Also, Eddie seems popular within his community, is liked by Louis and Mike and is described by Alfieri as good a man as he had to be in a life that was hard and even. (p. 26) Eddie is respected both in the house, because he is head of the household, and in the community. This shows that he is actually a noble person, with high status in the Italian-American community. He is the only person in the family who works; he is the provider for the family. Miller shows how hardworking Eddie is because he has to earn a living for his whole family and despite the mistakes he makes, both Catherine and Beatrice love him until he dies at the end of the play. Many may feel sorry for Eddie even without the chorus, Alfieri, being there to lead the audience though the play. In the beginning of the play, when Beatrice tells Eddie, Shes got a job. (p. 18), Eddie seems shocked and says to Catherine Its not wonderfulYou cant take no job. Why didnt you ask me before you take a job? (p. 18). This quote shows the audience that Eddie disapproves of this and does not want his niece to leave him, even though Beatrice and Catherine had wanted Eddie to be happy about this. When Beatrice tells Eddie that Catherine will earn fifty dollars a week (p. 18), Eddie is taken aback and his jealousy of Catherine earning more than he does becomes more and more obvious throughout the conversation. Later on in the discussion, Eddie says I want you to be in a nice office. Maybe a lawyers office someplace in New York in one of them nice buildings. (p. 19). This contradicts what Alfieri says in his introduction to the play In this neighbourhood to meet a lawyer or a priest on the street is unlucky. Were only thought of in connexion with disasters, and theyd rather not get too close. (p. 11). Later on in the play, when Catherine fell in love with Eddie, Eddie gets even more envious and angry. In his conversation with Catherine, he says He [Rodolpho] marries you hes go the right to be an American citizenThe guy is lookin for his break, thats all hes lookin for. (p. 41). This shows how angry Eddie is at the fact that Catherine likes Rodolpho, and not him. Miller helps the audience sympathise with Eddie in this scene by making Catherine trust Rodolpho instead of Eddie. To a modern audience, there may be some features in Eddie that are hard not to dislike. His flaw involves love for a girl he has raised as if she was his own daughter, a terrible taboo. Also, Eddie is a parental figure who seems to expect women to do domestic work for him. Tragic heroes usually recognise their own mistakes. In Greek tragedies, this is the moment in a play when the tragic hero appreciates their own weakness and their own responsibility. However, throughout the play, Eddie does not admit to himself the truth about loving Catherine. Although Beatrice tries to make him face this truth by saying You want somethin else, Eddie and you can never have her (p. 83), Eddie seems truly shocked and grasps his head as though it would burst (p. 83). All throughout the play, Eddie never really seems capable of facing what he feels or admitting his responsibility. Even in the end of the play, Eddie says, Marco, tell them what a liar you are! (p. 84) To try and prevent the audience from making harsh judgements of Eddie, Miller uses Alfieri as a type of chorus in the play. In Greek tragedies, the chorus are observers who judge actions fairly. They help the audience to consider the elements of the play. As the chorus, Alfieri sympathises with Eddie, along with the audience. He expresses his feelings and thoughts to the audience about what happens throughout the play and provides judgement. In the play, Alfieri suggests that it is normal and human to sin. He also states that many people have hidden guilty secrets but there is something beautiful in a man whose sins are so public and so clear that he becomes wholly known (p. 85). Before Eddie calls the immigration department, Alfieri warns him that even those who understand will turn against you (p. 67), which shows that Eddies weakness is not special, but that other people still will judge him. Then, with Eddie dying on stage, Alfieri ends the play by saying, I confess that something perversely pure calls to me from his [Eddies] memoryfor he allowed himself to be wholly known and for that I think I will love him (p. 85) In other words, since we all have guilty secrets but manage to keep them hidden inside, there is something quite pure in a person whose guilty secrets are not unknown. An oxymoron Miller used, perversely pure (p. 85), shows that Alfieri wants us to think about our own weaknesses and not judge Eddie too harshly. Another common feature of Greek tragedy is that the death should seem predictable, and that it cannot be stopped. Miller uses Alfieri to suggest this to the audience, as if it is out of control of the character. Right from the beginning, Miller makes it obvious that Eddie would die in the end. Alfieri keeps giving clues to the audience about Eddie being destined to die, saying he felt powerless and watched it run its bloody course. (p. 12) Another quote from Alfieri is, I knew where he [Eddie] was heading for, I knew where he was going to end. (p. 50) These quotes make us feel more pity for Eddie because, even when he seems happy and loving, we still know he is heading towards a bloody (p. 12) end. Miller successfully makes Eddie a sympathetic character by making him fit the tragic hero he is supposed to be. The audience goes from admiring Eddie to getting to know his terrible guilty secret. Through the whole play we get the unescapable feeling that he is heading towards his bloody end and that it is his guilty secret that will cause it. Although for some modern theatre audiences, Eddie may seem to be an old-fashioned man and although he never really admits his own faults, Miller uses Alfieris character to make sure we can still feel the intended pity. I think this is Millers greatest achievement in this play, reminding us that we are all human, guilty in some ways, and that we should feel sorry for ourselves and Eddie for that.

Niger Delta Conflict On The Nigerian Economy Politics Essay

Niger Delta Conflict On The Nigerian Economy Politics Essay The objective of this Chapter is to provide a background to the study. This includes the implication of the Niger-Delta (ND) conflict on the Nigerian economy, the genesis of amnesty policy, the objective of the study, research questions, methodology as well as scope and limitations to the study. Background to the Study The centrality of the Niger-Delta Region to Nigerias economy is indisputable. This is because it produces the oil that presently sustained the economy. Unfortunately, however, over the last decades, it has become a centre for violent protests with destructive consequences on the Nigerian economy and socio-political stability as well as the rippled effect across the international. For instance, government statistics have shown that in 2005, Crude oil production has fell from 2.7million barrels per day (mbpd) to 2.4mbpd thereby showing a shortfall of 0.3mbpd in crude oil production. On the revenue side, in the same year, the projected revenue of N1.63trillion was revised downward to N1.4trillion due to shortfall in crude oil production (2006 FGN Budget Speech). Similarly, in 2006 expected revenue into the Federation Account fell by N570 billion due to loss of 600,000bpd (2007 FGN Budget Speech). In 2007, the projected revenue was short to the tune of N796billion due to disruption of cr ude oil production in the Niger-Delta region (2008 FGN Budget Speech). In 2008, crude oil production was projected at around 2.45mbpd but only 2.00mbpd was achieved also due to disruption of production (2009 FGN Budget Speech). In 2009, crude oil revenue projection fell by 17% due to disruption in production as well as fall in crude oil price at the international market (2010 FGN Budget Speech). Another pointer to the gloomy nature of the Nigerian economy was the use of the Excess Revenue Account (ERA) from year 2006 every month, except in some very few cases, to augment the monthly disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account. For instance, over N733.81bn and N795.41bn were withdrawn from the ERA to augment budget expenditure for the three tiers of government in 2007 and 2008 respectively (CBN, Annual Report, 2008). The conflict has been blamed on the nations imbalance political structure; long years of environmental pollution due to oil exploration and extraction activities; infrastructural neglect and demand for larger share of revenue from crude oil sales (Omeje, 2006). But, recognizably, over the decades, government have used carrots and sticks approaches both to coerce and appease the people of the Niger-Delta Region. While the past measures have made some significant impacts in some respects, there are recurring echoes of consternation from the region. Among the past efforts were the creation of the Niger-Delta Development Board (NDDB), Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Derivation Principle (from 1% to 13%) and the establishment of Niger-Delta Ministry in 2008. Fisher-Thompson (2010) writing for the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State observed that the key to Nigerias economic progress is stability in the Niger River Delta, where the bulk of the countrys oil and natural gas is produced and where a smouldering militancy and sabotage of production facilities threaten progress for the regions 30million residents. Thus recognising the enormous potentials of Niger-Delta for the nation at large, the late President YarAdua, for example, said it would be delusional to think that electricity could be generated and transmitted on a sustainable basis in Nigeria if resolution of the Niger-Delta question remains literally or figuratively in the pipelines (Adeniyi, 2010), Similarly, the Technical Committee on the Niger-Delta (TCND, 2008), noted that President YarAdua recognised the strategic importance of the Region as the main source of Nigerias foreign revenue by making the Niger-Delta problem one of the 7-Point prog ramme of the administration. Thus, amnesty was granted to the militants in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria in June 2009, by late President YarAdua to assuage the nagging militancy in the region. There is, however, hardly any study at the moment that have made any constructive attempt to analyse the impact of the amnesty programme on the nations crude oil production as well as revenue flow into the Federation Account except for the dotted newspapers clips and other scattered official documents. Also, as it is with most novel approaches, the amnesty programme has been greeted with lots of scepticism as its likely impact of restoring peace and improved crude oil production and flow of revenue into the Federation Account might not be achieved. Accordingly, as a topical issue in Nigeria, which viability is questioned, it provides the motivation and interest to peruse government documents in order to give a better picture of the situation. Moreso, as a staff of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), an agency of government that is constitutionally charged with the function of monitoring revenue accruals into and disbursement from the Federation Account, added more impetus to the subject of the research. Hence, this research is an attempt to put together official records as well as other sources in order to give a preliminary impact of the amnesty programme on crude oil production and revenue into Federation Account. OBJECTIVES In this research, the quest is not to discuss the amnesty programme or to dwell on the oil debacle in Nigeria, but to relate the amnesty programme to some of the expected benefits, which are specifically interconnected with improved crude oil production and flow of oil revenue into the Federation Account. In other words, the primary aim of this research is to find out whether the acceptance of amnesty by the militants in the Niger-Delta has any significant impact on crude oil production output and flow of oil revenue into the Federation Account. RESEARCH QUESTIONS This research would particularly attempt to answer the following research questions: To what extent has the granting of amnesty as a mechanism to manage resource conflict in the Niger-Delta region contributes to improved crude oil production? What is the effect of the amnesty on the flow of revenue into the Federation Account (Common Pool) from the oil sector? How does the amnesty programme impact on the Nigerias fiscal federalism? METHODOLOGY Jankowicz, (1995) has defined methodology as a systematic and orderly approach taken towards the collection of data so that information can be obtained from those data. This research adopts a qualitative approach, which has been described as a subjective account that one generates by getting inside situations and involving oneself in the everyday flow of life (Gill and Johnson, 2005:89). In Strauss and Corbin (1990:17) Qualitative Research is any kind of research that produces findings not arrived at by means of statistical procedures or other means of quantification. The objective of using this approach is to be able to draw conclusion from the research question as to whether there was an increase in crude oil production as well as revenue flow into Federation Account as a result of the amnesty granted to the militants. This research uses secondary data collection approach. The data of crude oil production statistics and revenue inflow were sourced from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Federation Account Allocation Committee Files (FAAC) and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Despite, their shortcomings, the credibility of data from these institutions is not in doubt because no any other agency can provide such data within and outside Nigeria without referring to them as source. The data collected were evaluated using a simple data inspection technique which is a comparison between actual experience and counterfactual scenarios. This type of technique is comprised of three methods namely; with versus without, before versus after and target versus actual. This method is basically used to analyse the effects of programmes and performance (Douangboupha, 2004). This research adopted the before and after technique because it provide the basis in which comparison is done between crude oil production and revenue flow into Federation Account before and after the amnesty has been granted. The before versus after method is used to compare performance of a new policy with what was before the reform. This approach usually shows what happened and not why it happened. However, this approached is criticised on the fact that it ignores other external factors that can influence it outcome (Douangboupha, 2004). SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH The scope of this research is to examine crude oil and revenue data from January 2009 May 2010. Similarly, the research would not be interested in looking at the amnesty programme in general. Chapter Two LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction The main objective of this Chapter is to critically review literature from variety of perspectives on the causation and management of conflict with links to natural resources induced conflicts. Review of Literature Conflict is a tragedy and impediment to development (Collier and Hoeffler, 2000). Conflict is an interruption of development as no development project will ever take place in a state of conflict. Of course, this has been acknowledged by late President YarAdua that conflict is threatening peace, security, order and good governance and jeopardising the economy of the nation (YarAdua, 2009). Conflict has been defined by Burton (1990) as those behaviours of individuals or groups that go beyond disagreement that cause serious injury to physical, security and future development of individuals, groups and nations. As in Omeje (2006:17), Fisher (2000) defines conflict as uneasy relationship between two or more parties who have, or think they have incompatible goals. These incompatible goals are largely associated with deep-human needs characterised by interest, desires and aspirations. Without doubt, conflicts do not just happened as there are always such factors that lead to conflicts. The causation of conflicts have been theorised in various ways such as in biological disposition, psychology, religion, identity, ethnicity, nationalism, ideology, history and ancients hatred, bad neighbours, manipulative leaders, security dilemma, cultural dysfunction, nature of the State and incompatible world views (Mac Ginty, 2009). Despite these incisive but opposing perspectives, the rentier state theory and resource curse thesis were, indeed, two central frameworks that have provided in-depth analysis on the impact of natural resources to the political, economic and social settings of resource blessed nations. In the rentier theory, it is argued that it is any state reliant not on the surplus production of the domestic population or economy but on externally generated revenues or rents usually derived from the extractive industries such as oil (Omeje, 2006). The rentier theory believed that reliance on economic rents promotes inefficiency and impede socioeconomic development (Mahler, 2010). Proponents of this theory argued that, on the political strand, rents promote authoritarian rule because it encourages network of patronage, pervasive clientelism and selfish policies of distribution. The net effects of these are lack of democratisation and gross societal depoliticisation. Another contention is that the presence of cornucopia of revenues, particularly, coming from oil sector discourages taxation thereby making the political class less accountable to the people and less interested in the promotion of citizen participation in governance. Though rentier theory focus more on the stability of authoritarian rule, rather than violence, there are evidence that rents are used to finance security apparatus by the political class to repress opposition, which in essence amount to violence (Mahler, 2010). As an example, the Nigerian political history has been dominated by both military and political elites that have less sympathy for the promotion of democracy. The evidences of coup and counter-coups that shaped the nations political past are obvious while election rigging and disenfranchisement have so far characterises the democratic dispensation. On the whole, there are submissions that the bulk of the youths in the Niger-Delta were armed by politicians. Okolo (2009) aptly states that the politicians in their unbridled lust for power, arm these youths as private armies against their real and perceived enemies making all sorts of promises to secure their loyalty but immediately their aim is achieved they abandon them forgetti ng that they still hold the arms. The youths unemployed and angry must a matter of necessity employ the guns to some use? The world is today not faced by the Thomas Malthus (1798) assertion that scarcity leads to conflict but by the argument that resource abundance has a link to conflict. The Malthusian argument is based on the idea that natural resources are in fixed supply and as demand of the resources increased, the price also increases, while the resources depleted thus leading to conflict (Mahler, 2010). On the contrary, staple theorist argued that resource abundance leads to the improvement of peoples well-being because natural resources provide the much needed revenues for the provision of goods and services. Unfortunately, resource abundance is now seen as a curse that is associated with all sorts of problems ranging from slow economic growth, corruption and conflicts (Oyefusi, 2007). Economic theorists have contended that over-reliance on single source of revenue makes a nation vulnerable and prone to conflict (Herbst, 2001) because of large rents and exposure to variety of shocks (booms and bursts). For instance, Nigeria has faced several crude oil related shocks and conflicts from 1966 to date often resulting in loss of lives and dislocation of the nations economy. More compounding to Nigeria is that the oil resource is largely located in one geographical region. And, as aptly observed by Ndikumana and Emizet (2005), dependence alone does not motivate conflict but the concentration of the natural resources in one geographical region and their unequal distribution significantly contribute to conflict. Moreso, the topography of the Niger-Delta area seems conducive for militancy activiti es. Olowu (2009) described the Niger-Delta as an intricate network of lagoons, creeks, estuaries, and mangroves swamps, stretching across 1 million square meters. Howsoever, sound is the above proposition; a many countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Norway and host of others were able to demystify the resource-dependency theory by making considerable progress in transforming their respective nations. So, for Collier (2004) the solution is to diversify the sources, which reduces the risk of conflict. Also, the resource-dependency theory has been criticised on the fact that dependency alone on a single natural resource does not lead to armed conflict. As Mac Ginty, (2005:67) argued scarcity and violence are a product of social relations rather than inherent in the relative abundance of a particular good, object or resources. It is further argued that conflict arises from a complex mix of events in the presence of resources the mode of resource exploitation, perception on benefits and identity affiliations. As it has been observed if the stake are high, identity affiliations can mutate, with groups and individuals attaching increasing weight to the purity of their ethnic group and rediscovering (or inventing) their unique history (Mac Ginty, 2005). Added to this, Ross (2003:19) pointed out that any given conflict is brought about by a complex set of events; often poverty, ethnic or religious grievances, and unstable governments The fundamental problem noted in this context is that of the management of the resources. It has been pointed out that it is the nature of the extraction coerce or voluntary, licences distribution patronage or open competition, profit destination public or private pockets that significantly explained whether there is resource curse or not (Mac Ginty, 2005). Similarly, poor management of resources create situations where individuals or group that harbour some grievances will use that as opportunity to argue against plundering of the resources located in their backyard without benefits. This is, somehow, the case in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria where there is demand for fair share of revenue from the resources extracted from the area. The Resource curse thesis presumed misery in the midst of plenty. It is argued that abundance rather than serve as a means for development leads to struggle for the control of the natural resource which often result in armed conflict (Obi, 2008). Indeed, the armed conflict in the Niger-Delta is over the control of crude oil between the State and the local communities caused by poverty and low human development index (Omeje, 2006). On another hand, studies by Sachs and Warner (1997:3) demonstrated that resource-poor economies often vastly outperform resource-rich economies. The point is that nations with abundant natural resources tend to grow slower than economies with fewer resources. In support of the above, Ross (2003) reported that the GDP per capita of countries which mining export was between 6% to 15%, fell by an average rate of 0.7% while those with mining export of about 15% 50%, their GDP per capita fell to 1.1% a year. Similarly, it showed that the GDP per capita of count ries with over 50% of mining exports, dropped by 2.3% per year. Furthermore, Sachs and Warner, (1997) cited historical instances to buttressed this point that in the 17th century despite the overflow of gold and silver from the colonies of Spain, the Netherlands surpassed Spain. This is similar with Japan and Switzerland that cast shadow over resource abundant Russia in the 19th Century while Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong became the star performers of the 20th century despite having fewer resources. Sachs and Warner (1997:4) conceptually situate this economic puzzle within the context of easy riches leads to sloth and the Dutch disease proposition. The Dutch Disease thesis argued that the availability of large rents from a single natural resources often result in the neglect of other productive sectors of the economy (Ross, 1999). In other words, the Dutch disease demonstrates that booms in natural resource sectors usually affect the distribution of employment throughout the economy, as wealth effects pull resources in and out of non-traded sector s (Sachs and Warner, 1997:5). And this is evident in Nigeria where oil revenue continue to grow from 3% in the 1960s to now over 80% of federally collectable revenue while total agricultural export dropped from 60% in the1960s to less than 8% by 2005 (Omeje, 2006). However, contrary to the persuasive argument put forward by Sachs and Warner, (1997), that one surprising features of modern economic growth is that economies abundant in natural resources have tended to grow slower than economies without substantial natural resources, Stijns, (2000:3) argued that it was a misleading result which was short of recommending that developing countries should leave their natural resources undiscovered and/or unexploited. Stijns (2000:4) further contended that natural resources are not significant determinants of economic growth because of the coexistence of positive and negative channels of effect from natural resources to other economic factors. It has been variously argued that natural resources have the potentials of promoting violent conflict through grievance and greed. The grievance theory sees conflict emerging from the long concern over deprivation and injustice (Collier, 2004 and Collier and Sambanis, 2007). Therefore, Communities whose land is being exploited sees themselves as collateral damage and where benefits is not forthcoming, they resort to protest and violence that leads to economic sabotage such as disruptions of production. For instance, the Niger-Delta region has been famous for economic sabotage as a way of protest against environmental degradation and neglect (Omeje, 2006). However, economists like Collier and Hoeffler have argued that greed is more inherent in motivating conflict than grievance or conflicts are far more likely to be caused by economic opportunities than by grievance (Mac Ginty, 2005:79, Tar, 2008). This is because the abundance of natural resource often serves as an incentive in which elites and warlords loot. The greed theory also presupposes that natural resources provide attraction to covetous individuals or groups to rebel in order to take control over revenues from the natural resources. However, critics argued that the expression made economists on the causation of conflict is economic rationalism taken to extreme (Mac Ginty, 2005:71) and pointed out that conflicts cannot be measured only by econometric methodologies or mistook correlation for causation while also subjecting the causes of conflicts only within the national environment without placing external factors such as trade, religion, regional dynamics in arms flow, etc. G enerally, it is argued that the real agents of conflicts are politics and identity while economic factors only appear to change the nature and aim of the conflict at some stage (Mac Ginty, 2005). As further contended, economic factors can enable conflict, but it cannot combust or sparks the conflict without other factors. Closely related to the greed thesis is the frustration and aggression theory, which deals with relative deprivation as a perceived disparity between value expectation and value capabilities (Afinotan and Ojakorotu, 2009). The theory argues that if there is a gap between expectation and attainment caused by lack of capability, tension crept in as a result of unfulfilled aspiration, which leads to frustration that eventually produces violent aggression. It was noted by Afinotan and Ojakorotu, (2009) that men are most inclined to aggression when subjected to unjustified frustration. Indeed, the potentials of violence are define by the gravity of deprivation. As Afinotan and Ojakorotu, (2009) pointed out men who are frustrated have an innate disposition to do violence to its source in proportion to the intensity of their frustration. The Niger-Delta conflict is a perfect demonstration of this theory because people are frustrated by lack of development, etc. However, this theory has been criticised on the ground that aggressive response to frustration may be dependent upon the individuals level of tolerance Afinotan and Ojakorotu, (2009). The separatist theory suggests that natural resources portend the risk of a secessionist conflict because it gives those in the region where the resources is located the incentive to demand for separate State (0yefusi, 2007). Indeed, it is more obvious from the emerging picture and dynamics of the conflict in the Niger-Delta region that the element of greed rather than grievance is more pronounced as various groups and factions emerged making conflicting demands and more often violently clash with each other over the control of areas where pipelines installation passes through (Omeje, 2006, 2008). In another perspective, Bannon and Collier (2003:2) contended that conflict is more likely to occur in a state of low per capita income, low economic growth rate and the structure of the economy. For instance, since the 1970s oil exports generated huge revenues in Nigeria, and yet, per capita income has remain very low in 1975 the per capita from oil was $127 which raised to $351 in 1980 and plummeted to $81 in 1989 but gradually grew to $337 in 2007 and to $391 in 2007 (CBN, Annual Statistical Bulletin, 2008). Though growing population in Nigeria has played a pivotal role in this low per capita, it is hard to conclude that low per capita from oil revenue is not one of the factors that leads to conflict in Nigeria (Mahler, 2010). But Mahler (2010:15) persuasively argued that even though falling oil revenues in the 1980s and the 1990s have contributed to low per capita, it was not only the shrinking abundance of oil but also its interplay with weak resource management performance in the country that caused further socioeconomic problems. These are issues associated with managing environmental problems and resource allocation principles. Therefore, as a solution, Collier (2004:7) suggested that doubling the level of income halve the risk of conflict. A percentage point on growth rate reduces the risk by around a percentage point. Despite the preponderance of econometric and case study analyses, there are still profound opposition that resources alone cannot be the direct link to conflict. This is because other extraneous factors and historical assumptions which are necessary for creating a link between resources and violent conflicts have not been properly contextualized through in-depth empirical studies to create linkages between resources and conflicts (Mahler, 2010). To this end, Mahler, (2010) has provided in a tabular form a matrix of resource and non-resource contextual conditions that will guide debate on the link between conflict and resources: Using the matrix in Table IV, and as has been postulated, the conflict in the Niger-Delta is premise on four contextual factors with oil serving as the main attraction (Omeje, 2006) as well as other external factors. Some commentators have situated the conflict in the Niger-Delta within the hypothesis of historical context arguing that the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 was unconscious of the heterogeneous nature of the nation as it failed to address the concern of the minority groups. Thus, the dominance of majority groups over the minority groups whose environment eventually produces the nations revenue, give rise to agitation for the restructuring of Nigeria (Omeje, 2006). The second ground situates the conflict in the Niger-Delta on the legal framework relating to landownership and extraction policies. Proponents of this thesis argued that the existing legal framework has given more control to the Multinational Oil Companies operating in the country thereby making them less lia ble to the environmental problems associated with exploration and extraction. In other words, the current legal mechanism within Nigeria lacks the impetus of enforcement. In the case of landownership, it is argued that the Land Use Act of 1978, for instance, has given State Government the ownership of land thus depriving individuals and groups from the right to demand for appropriate compensation, a situation which late President YarAdua attempted to reverse (Adeniyi, 2010). The third view positioned the Niger-Delta conflict on the pedestal of dependency in which the incorporation of Nigeria into global economic and political scene that is yet to be understood has disadvantaged Nigeria thereby leading to conflict. The fourth school of thought with Marxist approach sees the conflict in the Niger-Delta as the contradictions of class or groups interest intrinsic to the political economy of Nigeria as well as the character of the state (Omeje, 2006). Indisputably, the above issues are cause largely by institutional arrangement. As noted by Bardhan (2005) institutions either economic or political constitute or form the nucleus in which equitable distribution of resources or powers among divergent groups are made. And where the institution is inefficient, it becomes less credible thus attracting disquiet among the people. Bardhan (2005:27) put it that the history of underdevelopment is littered with cases of formidable institutional impediments. The failure of the institutions gives birth to collective action problem such as dispute over the sharing of the cost of bringing change known as free-rider problem and disputes over the sharing of benefits. All these problems, often, lead to breakdown of coordination among divergent and competing groups. Douglass North in Acemoglu and Robinson (2008:2) define institution as the rules of the game in a society or, more formally, are the humanly devised constraints that shape human interaction. Both economic and political institutions are influence by collective choices. The political institution, for instance, allocates de jure and de facto powers even though the latter sometime uses the instrument of force to meet it objectives. Acemoglu and Robinson (2008:6-7) noted that de facto political power originates from both the ability of the group in question to solve its collective action problem and from the economic resources available to the group which determines their capacity to use force against other groups. They further noted that when a particular group is rich relative to others, this will increase it de facto political power and enable it to push for economic and political institutions favourable to its interests, reproducing the initial disparity. Certainly, the Niger-Delta co nflict is a prime example of this assertion because the militants were capitalising on the location of the crude oil in their geography as a weapon to move for drastic change in the way political power and resource distribution are made. The history of Nigeria has depicted vivid evidences of political and economic asymmetry, which means unequal power and resource distribution and relation between communities within the States and between the State and the Federal Government. It is palpable that despite the creation of more States in the last decades, the cries of marginalisation still pervade the nations political terrain. For instance, State and Federal relationship has been situated on the north/south divide created by the amalgamation of 1914 which created a presume fear that the north with numerical population would continue to dominate the south. Oputa (2000:113), for example, observed that political asymmetry in this case persists because of the fear of domination by the north in the context of party electoral competition for control of political power and, therefore, of the enormous fiscal resources and patronage deriving from it at the federal level. Another issue political asymmetry lies in the balance of po wer where the States have remained dependent on the Federal Government. But it should be noted that Nigerias federalism was unique because the centre created the units unlike in other federations where the units create the centre. Contributing to the conflict debates, the neo-liberalists through the conception that free-market made free men believe that individual freedoms, open markets and rational choice guides human beings away from encouraging conflicts but instead sees development as a ladder out of conflict. This argument was re-enforced by the submission that free trade prevents conflicts and was demonstrated by the post-colonial studies of Krause and Suzuki, which concluded that the probability of conflict under open trade is insignificant (Mac Ginty, 2009). However, this postulation was criticised on the ground that free trade encourages market-induced inequality thereby creating enmity and tension among individuals and communities. Indeed, the Niger-Delta region is the symbol of Nigerias international trade where Multi-national Companies (MNCs) engage in Oil and Gas business, surprisingly, it is the same region that has been inundated by violence. Often, there were clear evidences to suggest the invo lvement of the MNCs in the brewing of the conflicts (Omeje, 2006, 2008). Development is another issue that is said to be behind conflict. This is so because the process of development sometime provide s