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This study is conducted to examine the perception of public servants towards the fairness of performance appraisal and its effect on organizational commitment. This study also examined the intermediary effects of satisfaction in these two relationships. The data for this study were obtained through a survey among 425 employees of government agencies. The findings show that perceived fairness of performance appraisal has influenced their commitment towards organization through the mediating factor of satisfaction. This finding is consistent with the efforts by the government to establish a more transparent and more accountable decision-making process in an organization. In conclusion, to improve performance evaluation to be more effective in influencing organizational commitment, satisfaction of the civil servants as well as fair performance management within the organization should be given priority.

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The principle of neutron activation was used to investigate the presence of toxic elements and possible heavy metals in samples of cassava, plantain and soil from the mining communities in and around Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana. The results showed that the maximum concentrations of the respective metals in cassava: plantain: soil samples were arsenic (As = 0.7 μg/g:0.25 μg/g:14.35 μg/g), mercury (Hg = 0.25 μg/g:0.52 μg/g:0.09 μg/g), antimony (Sb = 0.03 μg/g: 0.03 μg/g: 2.98 μg/g), chromium (Cr = 0.72 μg/g:3.42 μg/g:40.35 μg/g), vanadium (V = 0.8 μg/g:0.76 μg/g:188.40 μg/g), zinc (Zn = 38.42 μg/g:24.92 μg/g:42.36 μg/g), and copper (Cu = 66.39 μg/g: 8.74 μg/g: 53.46 μg/g). The concentrations in cassava and plantain were higher than the values proposed by the FAO, the Expert Committee on Food Additives of the WHO and the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The concentrations of Hg (0,09 μg/g) in soil at Teberebie and of V (188.40ìg/g) at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in soil were above the permitted concentrations of 5 μg/g and 90 μg/g, respectively. Samples from communities further away from the centres of mine drainages (mile 8½, mile 10½) had smaller values of element concentrations. An enrichment factor (EF) analysis for both cassava and plantain were Zn (7%) and Hg (90%). The remaining elements together add up to 3%. The enrichment factor analysis for plantain is greater than that for cassava. Mercury is the element that is chiefly enriched in both cassava and plantain. The second predominant element enriched in cassava and plantain is zinc.